The mountain Democrat., 1864-10-15
MAS IL GsoEss ,. Mcclellan 1
GsorO. R,;n,or McC,.,l.r w.s harm

| 'ScetVpp OOtu III tuIS COuutTy anu Europe,
and although we do not wish to forget the
man in gazing at his ancestry, still Demo.
Gratis may be assured that the nominee OF
the Chicago Convention for the highest
Office in the gift Of the people, came from
. respectable source. The sturdy Scottish
stock from whom our candidate inherits
many Of the great qualities Of heart and
brain 81 honorable to him, none need be
ashamed Of Irishmen a. veil a. Scotch.
men, have reason to claim our gallant Lit.
tie Mac "a child Of that brave old Celtic
race that had given to the world SO many
heroes, statesmen, and pure-hcatted pa
triOts Some one learned in pedigrees has
cOncluSi Sely proven that Gen. Mcclellan
Is kinsmAn OF that brave old soldier Sir
Colin Campbell, who wrung from the
purse-proud British Government q tardy
acknowledgment Of his great services, az
ter long lifetime Of arduous toll and Sc
we're service in the field. To Americans
it is Of little interest whether our chieftain
! was related to the Scotch peer or not; We
are satisfied with the man. and care but
little bow he may be connected by the ties
Of relationship.
At an early age Gen. Mcclellan discov.
cred that penchSnt for the life OF m engi.
neer and soldier. and his friends gratified
his desires by obtaining for him cadets
appointment in the West Point Ailitsry
Academy. This happened in ls49
He graduated with high honOrs in the
class Of l645, was assigned to duty with q
! company Of the engineers, and ordered,
before the close Of the wear, into active
/ service on the line Of the Rio Grande river.
The war with Mexico was then fairly be.
gun, and Lieut. Mcclellan reached his
post just after the battle of Monterey.
After some time spent in active Sc, vice
on the Rio Grande. Lieut.. Mcclellan was
ordered to TampicO in January. lS47. to
take part in the grand movement on the
Mexican capital.
We next hear him mentioned rs di>tin.
gushing himself in the hard fought action
of Molina del Rey, where he was specially
complimented by the gallant Worth for
meritorious and gallant conduct" The
brevet rank Of captain was offered HIM
for his services IN this victory but Nc
Clellan, with that modest depreciation Of
his own greath worth which is one nf the
most pleasing traits Of his character. de.
clinrd 10 receive il, OH the ground that he
was not fully entitled To il. having been
concerned in the preliminary operations
alone. and not IN the actual assault aud
capture Of the enemy'S works"
The part be took, however. in that mag
nificent achievement. the AtOrmiug Oi
Chapultepec," brough: him promotion in
q way he could not refuse He was there.
fore brcveted Captain September l4th,
lS48
As Captain Mcclellan he renamed " iih
the army in Mrxico ill the signing "f the
treaty Of peace nth that republic. The
administration Of conquered city nrct =
sarily afforded tn Snldi uf his charac
ter aud training many valuable oPpo'tu-
mites Of obScrvntiU and ref, ciion upon
the relations Of the mi i'ilary with the civil
authority. The impotence Of mere force
to maintain or restore solid tranquility
in the social order is never SO apparent tn
a clear and vigorous mind as when force
is clothed with temporary omnipotence;
the beauty and the majesty Of law are
never so apparent as when the calm and
constant operation Of the law is for a time
suspended in favor Of The sword.
In June, 164S, Captain Mcclellan re-
turned to the U. S., and, was almost im
mediately ordered to the post at West
Point, where, for three years, hr remained
in command Of the company If sappers
and miners.
In June, 1851 he was removed 10 Fort
Delaware TO superintend the construction
Of the works, and early in the next year
he fulfilled the common destiny Of the of.
fcers Of the regular army Of the Unio',
by joining an expedition for the explOra-
ton u( the far western territory Of the
Red river, under command oil Col. Marcy,
whOse daughter has since become his
wife.
| From the Rcd river he passed into Tex
as upon the staff Of General PrrsiE F.
Smith. and until March, 1853, wa occu
pied in the survey Of the Texas coast. -
He was transferred to the neighborhoOd
Of the Rocky mountains, going to Wash
iRgtOD Territory in the spring Of 1853, and
remaining there until May, lS54,in charge
Of the western division Of the survey for
the northern route 10 the Pacific ocean.
In March, 1856, he was promoted to full
Captaihcy'in the First Cavalry, and, with
Major DelAfield and Major Mordecai, was
ordered TO proceed 10 Europe TO study the
operations Of the great war then raging
between the Western Allies and the Rus
sian Empire. When Mcclellan and his
companions reached the Crinea. in the
early part of the summer of 1866. the
most trying period OF the great allied in.
vaSinn had already been overpasSed. The
battle of the Alma had been fought and
won; SebastopOl had been invested, 20 far
a< its investment was practicable; victory
had been snatched by the troops Of France
and England from the very jaws Of ruin,
on the heights Of Inkermann.
After the publication Of his Report Of
the Armies Of Europe. in January. 1857,
Captain Mcclellan resigned his commisS.
ion in the army and went into civil life.
He was appointed chief engineer Of the
Illinois Central Railroad. and upon the
completion Of that enterprise, was elected
Vice President of the company, which
post he continued to Gil, residing at Chi,
cago until August, 1860. when, having
been chosen President Of the Eastern Di
vision of the Ohio and Mississippi Rail
road, he removed to Cincinnati. Gnver.
nor Dennison, of Ohio, in response to the
first call Of the President Of the United
States for volunteers to aid in the suppress.
sion Of the rebellion, and in maintaining
the supremacy Of the Constitution. ap-
pointed George B. Mcclellan Major Gen.
erAl, to command the contingent Of the
State, being thirteen regiments "f infn'.
try. This commission was offered and
accepted 90 the 20d Of April, 1851.
n. A. mi - ~ ,oDN A. z.....I