George B. McClellan

“ It was almost immediately after General McClellan assumed command of the army of the Potomac, and while we were rather eagerly expecting him to attack our strongly fortified position at Centreville. Stuart was talking with some members of his staff, with whom he had been wrestling a minute before. He said something about [122] what they could do by way of amusement when they should go into winter-quarters.
"That is to say," he continued, "if George B. McClellan ever allows us to go into winter-quarters at all."
"Why, general? Do you think he will advance before spring?" ”

“ Scott and Col. Totten both say) in the service. All Americans—all young—all intelligent—all anxious, very eager for the campaign—and above all, well drilled. If the Lord and Santa Anna will only condescend to give us a chance—I’ll be most confoundedly mistaken if we don’t thrash them ‘some’.” (McClellan Papers, Vol. I.)
[2] Gustavus W. Smith was one of McClellan’s most intimate friends and was known by him by the nickname of “Legs.” He was born in Scott Co., Kentucky, on January 1, 1822. He died in New York on June 23, 1896. Smith graduated from West Point in 1842. ”

“ We started at sunrise, and it was a sunrise well worthy of the day. A cloud obscured the sun at first, but it seemed a cloud of the brightest, purest gold, and the whole east was tinged with a hue which would defy the art of man to imitate. ”

“ The descendants of James McClellan, kin of the McClellans of Galloway, Scotland, who was appointed Constable at the town meeting held in Worcester in March, 1724, have written their name large in the medical and military annals of this country. Some of his descendants are noticed under Physicians. The most famous of the family was General George Brinton MacClellan (1826-85) , Major-General in the United States Army during the Civil War, unsuccessful candidate of the Democratic Party for President in 1864, and Governor of New Jersey from 1878 to 1881. ”

“ McClellan, Gen. George B., succeeds McDowell in command, vol. I, 245–47;
genius for organization, vol. I, 249; character of, vol. I, 293–94; Peninsular campaign of, vol. I, 352–361; operations during Seven Days Battles, vol. I, 338–413; restored to command, vol. I, 426; at South Mountain, vol. I, 428–29; at Antietam, vol. I, 430–33; proclamation to slaveholders in Virginia, vol. II, 7–8; inaction of after Antietam, vol. II, 19–20; superseded by Burnside as commander of Army of Potomac, vol. II, 21; succeeded by Halleck as commander Federal army, vol. ”

“ There is an eternal memory of human deeds, which, when done in obedience to the Master's command, “Go heal the sick,” will graciously obtain the praise of “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and the invitation, surpassing all invitations, “enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”
George McClellan was born at Woodstock, Windham County, State of Connecticut, on the 22d day of December, 1796. ”

“ Man's daily acts seem like trifles,—worthless as detached and separated grains of sand; but these aggregated, as the shore of the ocean, and those enchained and summed up, as life's work, excite our admiration,— indeed they both seem to be almost sublime. Permit me to make an application of this truism by saying that McClellan, except when he performed some bold act of extra surgery, seemed to us who were familiar with him in the ordinary, unfinished, imperfect doings of detached and separated days, as merely one of us ”

“ I am tired of Tampico for I like to be in motion.—You have no idea of the charm and excitement of a march—I could live such a life for years and years without becoming tired of it. There is a great deal of hardship—but we have our own fun. If we have to get up, and start long before daybreak—we make up for it, when we gather around the campfires at night—you never saw such a merry set as we are—no care, no trouble—we criticize the Generals—laugh and swear at the mustangs and volunteers, smoke our cigars and drink our brandy, when we have any—go without when we have none. ”

“ Smith! Take your glass—take your glass—those are our artillery or something worse! I fear they have been cut off.” However, it turned out to be Gibson, and Pat’s countenance changed suddenly from a “Bluntish,” blueish, ghastly white to a silly grin.
At last we reached our camp at a dirty, muddy lake—ornamented by a dead jackass. Pat ensconced himself in the best place with Tennessee horse as a guard, put Gibson “in battery” on the road, with us on his left flank—a large interval between us and the Tennessee horse—a similar [32] one between Gibson and the Illinois foot. ”

“ The white faces of the ladies struck us as being exceedingly beautiful—they formed so pleasing a contrast to the black and brown complexions of the Indians and negroes who had for so long been the only human beings to greet our sight. The Jalapiños appeared perfectly indifferent about us, manifesting neither pleasure nor sorrow at our approach. Our march from Encero and entrance into Jalapa was entirely undisturbed—not a shot being fired or soldiers seen. Of course not the slightest excess was committed by any of the Regulars. ”

“ Such marching! [39] They were marching by the flank, yet the road was not wide enough to hold them and it was with the greatest difficulty that you could get by—all hollowing, cursing, yelling like so many incarnate fiends—no attention or respect paid to the commands of their officers, whom they would curse as quickly as they would look at them. They literally straggled along for miles.
In making a short cut through the chaparral we came upon a detachment of mounted Volunteers, amongst whom the famous Murphy, captor of two cities, stood out predominant. ”

“ General Patterson and others are good Democrats; they are indignant that General Taylor should have left them in the rear when he carried more troops than he could feed. They complain at Washington, and forthwith General Patterson and Co. are directed to proceed against Tampico, and General Patterson informed before his commanding general knows anything about it. Well may we be grateful that we are at war with Mexico! ”

“ Received an order from Major McCall [12] this morning to go back to Matamoros, as we are to march to Tampico, via Victoria, with the column under General Patterson. [13] Smith is away at [22] Brazos and if the order had been one day and a half later we would have been off to Tampico by sea. Have fine sea bathing here. It is blowing very hard from the south east, so much so as to raise the sand too much for comfort entirely. Bee and Ward at the Brazos—coming over this morning—will at least have an opportunity of giving Georgie that letter of Madame Scott’s! ”

“ Hence it is that McClellan, like the elm tree, possessed those two opposite and rarely combined golden qualities of firmness and flexibility, so essential to greatness of character.
A large, symmetrical head, thick black hair, strong brow, stout and projecting chin, and high cheek bone, were blended with a deeply set, quickly glancing, mild blue eye; with an impulsive motion of his muscles, induced by a mind enthusiastically occupied with bold, humane acts; and with a compressed yet smiling mouth —a manly smile at purpose formed or accomplished, which did not relax even in death. ”

“ At last all was ready, but just before the order was given to cast off a shot whistled over our heads. “Here it comes” thought everybody, “now we will catch it.” When the order was given the boats cast off and forming in three parallel lines pulled for the shore, not [54] a word was said—everyone expected to hear and feel their batteries open every instant. ”

“ In the adjustment, after the conclusion of the roll-call, McClellan had 2021⁄2 and Seymour of Connecticut, 281⁄2. Vallandigham moved to make the nomination unanimous. George H. Pendleton of Ohio was named for Vice-President.
[241] "McClellan's name, associated with a noble struggle for the national cause, has elicited and will elicit the wildest enthusiasm; but leagued with propositions for national humiliation, it is not a name the people will honor. McClellan is not large enough to cover out of sight the bad points in the Chicago platform."—New York Herald, September 6, 1864. ”

“ On the other side, Benjamin F. Butler, a criminal lawyer, who knew nothing whatever of the military art, was a major-general by virtue of political influence alone, and as such outranked and dominated officers immeasurably his superiors. Think of Lee banished to the coast of South Carolina, while Beauregard and Johnston were needlessly fortifying at Centreville against an absurdly impossible advance of McClellan's forces. Think of McClellan himself in command of the most important Union army, while Grant and Sherman and George H. Thomas remained in subordinate positions! ”

“ Such is my personal testimony of McClellan.
In the spring of 1819, he received his Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. The subject of his Thesis was “the tying of arteries;” a manly and practical production, subsequently published as a source of professional information. Among the Alumni of this venerable institution, who has better fulfilled his commission, and done her more honor?
He was well armed against disease. He depended upon his own manly exertions and talents. On these alone he stood before the world. ”

“ Also popular was the anonymous Tardy George, that is, General McClellan, of whom the North demanded more activity than he ever attained. In the same cause, though without the mention of names, was Wanted—A Man, by Stedman, who shortly after had to write another elegy, Kearny at Seven Pines, upon the gallant officer commemorated by Boker in the Dirge for a Soldier. Thomas Dunn English’s The Charge by the Ford and Melville’s Malvern Hill deal with the later events of McClellan’s first campaign. ”

“ Worth’s Division (or Brigade as it was then called) occupied the right of the investment, the Mohawks under Patterson the centre, and Twiggs the left. After resting our men at Malibran, we moved back to our old position with the 3rd Artillery, where we bivouacked.
[57] I had observed on the preceding day the position of the aqueduct supplying the city with water. I told Lieutenant Beauregard [33] next morning what I had seen. He reported it to Colonel [Joseph G.] Totten [Chief of Engineers] and Smith and myself were ordered to cut off the water, Foster remaining at home. ”

“ He had, however, the fatal quality, too common with active Americans, of talking too much, whether in speech or in the written word, of promising things that did not come off, and of emphasising his high opinion of his own capacity. Under the pressure of the new peril indicated by the presence of Lee's troops within a few miles of the capital, Lincoln put to one side his own grave doubts in regard to the effectiveness and trustworthiness of McClellan and gave McClellan one further opportunity to prove his ability as a soldier. ”

“ I have long known McClellan;—longer, indeed, than any member of the profession outside of his family, except our mutual friend Doctor Beesley. We have ever loved him; and have always appreciated and admired his genius, his acquirements, and his numerous, extraordinary, bold and successful operations in surgery.
My task is limited to a tribute to the memory of McClellan. More than this, I leave to those who are gifted with the rare talent of constructing human character from moral actions ”

“ Boyau, a ditch covered with a parapet, serving as a means of communication between two trenches, especially between the first and third parallels. Also called a zigzag or an approach (Century Dict.) .
[38] Berm, a narrow level space at the outside foot of a parapet, to retain material which otherwise might fall from the slope into the ditch (Standard Dict.) .
[39] Colonel Bankhead was the Chief of Artillery at the siege of Vera Cruz. ”

“ George McClellan, the son of the late Doctor McClellan, is now an officer of the Sappers and Miners, and, with his company, has been in all the actions in the valley of Mexico that preceded the armistice, and have since terminated in the capture of that city, demonstrates that the valiant spirit of the highland Scotch still continues to exist.
A humane rather than a martial spirit becomes the physician, yet oftentimes presence, boldness, and intrepidity are his essential requisitions. McClellan had much of these opposite qualities. Human character, it is true, results from education ”

“ From your last letter I incline to believe that you bear our defeat with Christian fortitude. Your preceding letter was written with such glowing confidence and joyful hope, that Miss Lane and myself had some amusement over it, as we had no expectation of General McClellan’s election from the beginning, most ardently as we desired it. If one seriously asks himself the question, in what condition would the Democratic party be, with all the terrible difficulties and embarrassments surrounding it, had it been successful, he will find grounds for consolation in defeat. ”

“ And our people are beginning to fear there will be no more fighting around Richmond until McClellan digs his way to it. The moment fighting ceases, our people have fits of gloom and despondency; but when they snuff battle in the breeze, they are animated with confidence. They regard victory as a matter of course; and are only indignant at our long series of recent reverses, when they reflect that our armies have so seldom been led against the embattled hosts of the enemy. ”