The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-11

ian mas uVeQ III summer WIFI Ills laIully ou
the Orange mountain, overlooking the town
of Orange. His father-in-law, Gen.ral Mar
cy, lives next door. General Mcclellan also
had a city residence in New York.
sketch Of His Career
George Brinton Mcclellan was born in
Philadelphia. December 3, 1876, his father be-
ing Dr.. McClellan,a celebrated member OF the
faculty of the university of Pennsylvania med
ical college. After studying at the Unworthy
of Pennsylvania, he was appointed to the West
Point Military academy, from which he was
graduated in 1S45, ranking second in a class
Of ffty-nine members. He was then assigned
tor the corps Of engineers as a brevet second
lieutenant. In the Mexican war he served
with much credit, and was. after being COM
missioned as second lieutenant, breveteu first
lieutenant for gallant and meritorious con-
duct in the battles of Contreras and Churu.
of Moline del Rey and Chapultapec. At the
close of the war he was detailed to duty
with the engineer troops ut West Point, and
then, in 1S51-53, was assistant engineer in the
construction of Fort Delaware. In 1852
he was engineer Of the explor-
ing expedition to the sources of the Red
river Of Texas, and was also made Chief
engineer Of the department Of Texas, having
charge of the surveys Of the rivers and har-
bors on the gulf coast of that state. He was
the engineer for the exploration and survey
of the western division Of the proposed
Northern Pacific railroad through 1he Cas-
cade mountains in 1851, and in the former
year was promoted to be first
t the Collection After If ra iRss'dd' st ssas $ for on
the war department, he was made a captain
in the First cavalry on March 3, 1855, and
served in 1851 as a member Of the military
commission appointed by the United States
government to visit the seat of war in the
Crimea. His official report Of this isit was
published by order Of Congre. s in 1857, EN-.
bracing remarks upon the operations in the
Crimea, and upon the organization, instruc-
tion, and equipment Of European armies.
On January 1G, 1857, Captain Mcclellan re-
signed from the army in order to accept the
position of chief engineer Of the Illinois Gen.
tcal railroad, of which he was made vice
president in the year following. In 1850 he
became president Of the st. Louis and Gin.
einnati railroad. and he was holding this Of
flee at the outbreak in 1861. On April q, 1861,
he was commissioned m~ajorgeneral of Ohio
volunteers, and he was soon placed in com
mand Of the Department of the Ohio, which
included the States of Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois, with the westerly parts Of Pennsyl.
vania and Virginia. He was commissioned
major-general Of the regular army on May
IA, 1881. In the following July he was
engaged in the action Of Rich noun:
tain. West Virginia, and by a forced
march upon the Confederates compelled
the surrender of General Pezram near Bev.
erly, in that State. The thanks of Congress
were voted to General Mcclellan in the same
month for ''the series of brilliant and de-
cisive victories which his army had achieved
ION the battle-felds Of Western Virginia"
On July %, 1861, the day after the
Bull Run disaster, he was summoned
to Washington, and o few days later
was placed in command of the Dlvi-
sion of the Potomac. He was made COM
mander of the department of the Potomac on
August II, and Of the army Of the Potomac
on August 20. Upon the retirement of
General Scott, on November I, 1851, General
Mcclellan was appointed general-in-chief of
The y0u wifSb S s4"m areops' an wrs he v wss
compared to the young Napoleon: I; After Il nth the
1862, General Mcclellan was in personal COM
mand Of tho Army of the Potomac during
the Virginia Peninsula campaign. York
town having been besieged and evacuated,
and tho Confederate forces defeated at
Williamsburg and Hanover Courthouse
General Mcclellan took up. a posi-,
tion on the Chickahominy and
Finding his line too much extended, he
changed his base to the James river, accom-
plishing a difficult flank movement by con-
tinuous fighting for nearly a week. Among
the more important battles In which his
forces were engaged were those of Fair Oaks
aud Malvern Hill. After General Mcclellan
had fallen back to Harrison's Landing, Gen
eral Halleck, who had meanwhile been
made commander-in-chief,, ordered him
to return with his whole army to
Fortress Monroe and Yorktown. After
the defeat of General Pope, at the second
Bull Run in August, 1862, General Mcclellan
was placed In command Of the defences OF
Washington. In the Maryland campaign
from September Z to November 10, 1862, he
was in command Of the Army OF the 70
tonic, being engaged in the battles of South
Mountain and Antietam ana IN
the march to Warrenton. Hi:
victory over Lee at Antietam ended
the Confederate Invasion Of Maryland. On
November 7 General Mcclellan was super
seeded by General Burnside, and placed on
waiting orders.
General Mcclellan was not afterward en-
gagged in the war. On August 81, 1851, the
Democratic National convention nominated
him for the presidency. and Mt the ensuing
election he was defeated by President Lin
coin. He resigned his commission in the army
on the day of election, November 8. lSi4,
and took up his residence in N. \. city. AT.
terward he male n visit to Europe, from
which he returned in 1865. He then engaged
in practice as n civil on 5iHeer. He had
charge of the construction of the Stevens
floating battery at Hobok-n, n. j., and wa:
superintendent of The construction of the
railway bridge over the Hudson at POUCH,
keepsie. He also served as chief engineer OF
the department of docks in this city, re
signing in 1872.
In 1877 General Mcclellan was the Demo
cratic candidate for governor of New Jersey,
and wat elected by about 12,O1O majority.
Since the expiration Of his term as governor
he has not held public office. /
In addition to his report on ''The Armies OF
Europe" (which was republished in Philadel'
phia in 1sG1), hc was the author of a transla:
ton from the French of a "Manlal OF Bay.
onet Exercises adopted for the use OF
the United States army, 1852; a vol
ume Of the government reports of the
"Pacihc Railroad Surveys 1871: "Regu,
lntions and Instructions for the r!eld
C--... e Ia. IT.;foI Cfota. ~ yyo1r nv IN Time |