The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-09-07

Geo. b. McClellan-the next PResiden
The Chicago Times has the followiu
sketch of the life of Gen. MCCLELLAN, tn
. Democratic candidate for President. II
will be elected:
Although young, Gen. McClellan's lii
, has been SO eventful that it includes ia
more than falls to the experience of ordir
ary people during an existence prolonge
to the utmost limits allotted to men. 4
youth in years, but veteran in experience
his life affords ample materials for q vo
lume; hence, in the sketch which we nov
present, much is omitted of interest, Will
those points given are necessarily shorn @
everything save the bare mention of thei
existence.
GEORGE BRINroN MCCLELLAN was borl
in Philadelphia in 1925, and is, therefore
now about 80 years Of age. His fathe
was an eminent physician and surgeon il
that city, and for many years occupied
chair in one of the Professorships Of tn
jefferson Medical Institute. The elevated
position attained and so long held by DR.
Mcclellan is, were other evidence wanting
. sufficient guarantee Of the great ability
Of him who was the sire of the present de
mocratic candidate for the highest Office in
the gift of the people of the United States
That the son inherited all the high intel.
lectual characteristics Of tie father is evi
dent from the great success which has thus
far attended his numerous Titanic and com
prehensive efforts.
OF the early life Of the present General
we know nothing save that he attended for
some time the University of Pennsylvania,
and at the remarkably premature age OF
Is years he entered West Point. Four
years after, he graduated second in his
class, and in July Of the same year 1S46)
he ent.; red the army as Brevet I'd Lieuten.
ant Of Engineers. His application and
ability are indicated hv the high position he
ed in his class ana The early period
! Of his graduation-being then only twenty
years of age.
Soon after this he was ordered to Mexi-
co. takin- se:-vice at first as Lieutenant of
Sappers and Miners and Pontoniers. He
was in Gen. Wortii's DIVISION at Vera Cruz
and for his gallantry was me,,..'onea WIN
high favor in the official reports. Al zero
Gordo and the City of Mexico he was at
tached 20 Gen. Twiggs' division, again re-
ceived special mention for the gallant be-
havior at Contreras and Cherubusco his
conspicuous gallantry won him the brevet
of LIST Lieutenant, and at Molino del Rey he
was offered, but declined, the brevet of
Captain. A little later he was rendered
the same position for gallant and merito-
rious conduct" at Chapultepec and accept
ed it, taking command Of the company in
which he had hitherto served. As will be
seen by this brief recapituation, his SER
vices in the Mexican war were so conspi-
cuously gallant in every action of promin-
ence during that war as to secure for him
either the compliment of the favorable Off
cial mention, or the more substantial one
of promotion. Thus early did he develop
the germs Of that great military genius
which has made him to-day one of the first
commanders OF the age.
After peace was declared with Mexico,
he was ordered to West Point as Director
Of Field Labors and Instructor of the Bay
onet Exercise. In 1851 he superintended
the construction of Fort Delaware, and in
1852 he was engaged on an exploring ex
pedition up Red River. Towards the
close of the same year he accompanied Gen
Persifer F. Smith to Texas, upon an expe-
dition to survey the rivers and harbors OF
that State, acting as Senior Engineer.
In the spring Of 1853 and "a he was en-
gagged on railroad and other surveys, in
cluding an exploration of a portion Of the
Cascade Range for the purposed Pacific
Railway, and report upon the construc-
tion, equipment, and so forth, Of various rail
ways in the United States. At the close
of 1854, he was sent by the government
on secret mission to San Domingo and
adjacent islands, during which he collected
vast amount of typographical and other
information.
In 1855 he was commissioned as Captain
in the lst Cavalry, and in 1856 he accom-
panied Majors Delaiield and Mordecai to
the Crimea, to observe and report upon the
conflict then in progress between Russia on
the one hand, and England, France, and
Turkey on the other. His report was
printed, and at once attracted widespread
and surprised attention. 1t related mainly
to the engineer and cavalry branches of the
military service, and was full and compre
hensive, and at the same time was crowded
with valuable deductions and important
suggestions, which showed how we'll he
had comprehended these important branch
es. This work has obtained favorable re-
cognition not merely in this country, but
in Europe, and it Immediately gave the
writer high position among the best mill.
tary minds on both sides Of the Atlantic.
Early in 1867 he resigned his position in
the army and removed to this city, and for
three years filled the responsible position
Of Vice President and Engineer Of the
Illinois Central Railroad. In 1860 he re
sgned his positin on the Illinois Central
Railroad and removed to Cincinnati, where
he was appointed General Superintendent
of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. A
little later he was made President Of the
Eastern Division Of the same road, which
position he occupied at the breaking out OF
the present rebellion.
In May, 1861, the States of Ohio. Indi-
ana, and Illinois were placed in the "De.
partment Of the Ohio" and its command
given to Major General Mcclellan, who had
thus been commissioned in the Ohio Volun-
teers by the Governor of that State. He at
once entered upon the duties of his new
position, and as fast as possible proceeded
to the organization of the nine months
Ohio Volunteers. The same month several
bodies of rebels made their appearance in
Western Virginia, and threatened the Bal.
timore and Ohio Railroad. Gen. Mcclellan
at once took measures to prevent the
thres ened interruption.
That Gen. Mcclellan, in thus entering
zealously upon the war, did so from sin.
cere desire to prevent the disruption Of the
country, is undoubted. His first address
to the Union men Of West Virginia shows
that he in no wise entertained a suspicion
Of the fanatical purposes to which the war
was now to be perverted by the admins.
tration. In this address he says:
II have ordered troops to cross
the river. They come as your friends and
| vOnr hrOtherS-as enamieS only TO armed