Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-11-05
Death OF General Mcclellan.

armies and commander of the Army OF
the Potomac, and more lately governor
OF New Jersey, died Thursday morning,
: Oct. 20. at his home in st. Cloud. on
orange mountain, near Orange, N. j.
he returned home from an extended
trip through the west on Sept. IL, APP.
parently in the best of health. On Oct
IL, while he was passing through the
hoboken ferry-house, be felt a severe
pain near his heart. The pain was tenn
porary, but the general consulted DR..
Seward, his physician. Dr. Seward
concluded that he had neuralgia of the
heart, and by his advice the general
gave up an extended trip with his wife
to Old Point Comfort, Va, to attend a
meeting OF the governors of the soldiers
home at that place. During the week
he walked and drove about ORANGE az
usual, but about II o'clock on Wednes-
day evening, an hour after he had re-
tired to his bedroom, he was seized with
another and very severe attack of pain
In the region of the heart. Mrs, McClel-
Ian sent for DR.. Seward, and under his
treatment the pain became less severe.
AT O'Clock in the morning, however.
the pain returned with increased sever
ivy. Dr.Seward administered morphine
hypodermically, but without avail. The
general became unconscious, and re-
manned so until he died at 2:4o o'clock
IN the morning Mrs. Mcclellan, Miss
May Mcclellan and Dr. Seward were
IN the room. The only other member
OF the generals family. George Brinton
Mcclellan, Jr., is senior in Princeton
college, and could not be reached in
time. lie did not arrive home until
Friday noon. Gen. McCIellan's mother
is still alive, in her S5th year. She is
an invalid, and in the beginning of the
summer she was not expected to live
until autumn. During the summer she
has been at Dritton, Pa. The general
/
returned from visiting her there Just
two weeks before his death.
| In the death of General Mcclellan
another OF the prominent figures of the
great American conflict has passed into
history. Both the laudation of his
friends and the detraction of his enemies
have already been considerably modi-
fed, and the light which impartial his
tory will now shed upon his career will
show his true worth to his country.
While all admit his eminent ability as
an organizer, critics differ US to his eff
hclency as a commander in action.
There is no doubt that his forte lay in
planning rather than in executing, and
II he was irresolute in action, his eau
ton and careful attention to details
were of almost equal value in their way.
1t has been said that the Army of the
Potomac returned to Washington after
Bull Run mob. 1t went forth under
Mcclellan one of the most complete or
CARNATIONS the world ever saw. What
evor may DO oaid OF his suoooesoo or his
failures, his abilities or his deficiencies.
none will deny that in his death the
country has lost noble and patriotic
citizen whose services have been OF
great value.
George B. Mcclellan was born in
Philadelphia Dec. 3, 1926. He studied
at the University of Pennsylvania, and
in 1912 entered the military academy at
West Point, where be graduated second
in his class in 1916, and was assig ned
to duty as brevet second lieutenant in
the corps of engineers. He served with
distinction during the Mexican war,
and was successfully brevetted as first
lieutenant and captain. In 1851 he was
assistant engineer in the construction
OF Fort Delaware, a year later chief en-
gineer in the department of Texas, hav-
ing in charge the surveys of the coast
of that state; in 1854 engineer for the
exploration and survey of the Western
division of the proposed Pacific rail
road, and little later he was on spec
ial service in collecting railroad statis-
tics fer the war department. In 1856,
having been made captain of artillery,
he was appointed a member of the mill
itary commission to visit the seat of war
in the Crimea He resigned his COM
mission June Is, 1857, to take the post
of chief engineer of the Illinois Central
railroad, of which he was chosen presi-
dent in 1853 La 1860 he became presi-
dent of the st. Louis and Cincinnati
railroad.
AT the opening of the civil war be
was commissioned as major general of
Ohio volunteers. and was placed in COM
mand of the department of the Ohio,
comprising the states of Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois, and the western parts of
Pennsylvania and Virginia He was
made major general in the regular
army May II. 1861, and commanded in
several engagements IN western Vir-
ginia which resulted in clearing that
region of confederate forces, for which
he received, on July 10, the thanks of
congress. On July %, the day after
the federal defeat at Bull Run, he was
summoned to Washington and was
placed in command of the division of
the Potomac, and shortly after of the
Army of the Potomac. On the retire.
ment of Gen. Scott, Nov. l, he was ap-
pointed general-in-chief of the armies
of the United States. He took the field
in March, 1862. Mcclellan was at this
time only So years old. No other Amer
lean ever attained so high a military
distinction at such an early age. He
was the ideal military hero of
the young men of the day and his
name, his youth, his spirit, and the 70
nance and glamour cast about his name
in the enthusiasm of the hour, did much
at that time to recruit the army of the
North. In the earlier days of McClel-
lan's generalship it needed no bounties
to bring out recruits. Lincoln's first
call for 100000 men was promptly re-