George B. McClellan (1826–1885) Contributed by Tom Clemens. In 1857, McClellan resigned from the military to take a position with the Illinois Central Railroad.Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Ohio governor William Dennison appointed McClellan major general of Ohio Volunteers on April 23, 1861. The general countered by saying the army needed time to rest and refit. Why Civil War Gen. George McClellan wasn't actually a failure Mar 05, 2012 Washington Post cartographer and Civil War nut Gene Thorp argues that Gen. George McClellan was not the miserable failure history has made him out to be, and that the mistakes that were made in the spring and summer of 1862 were mostly not his fault. In his final years, the former general penned a defense of his tenure as commander of the Army of the Potomac, but died before he could see it published. This interview covers not only the military aspects of the 1862 Antietam Campaign, but also the important political factors affecting both the Confederate and Federal governments.Learn more about the Seven Days Battles in June and July of 1862 from historian Gary Gallagher.Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was an American and Confederate soldier, best known as a commander of the Confederate States Army.Author Stephen Sears describes and analyzes the actions of General George McClellan at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862.John Pegram was born in Petersburg, Virginia on January 24, 1832. This promotion, along with the support of Governor Denison, encouraged Lincoln to commission McClellan a major general in the Regular Army, making him one of the highest ranked individuals in the service under only Winfield Scott. In the annals of military history magazines, this is one of those moments.It changed the world more than any other single event in history. Prior to Antietam, Lincoln reinstated McClellan, who continued his lackluster combat performance. General George McClellan was a key figure in the prosecution of the American Civil War, particularly during 1862, when he led the Union Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign, a failed offensive to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond in the spring, and the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day in American history, on September 17, 1862. After the Peninsula Campaign, he was relieved by President Abraham Lincoln, and a succession of inept commanders followed. But there’s NEVER been anything like THIS before. Other duties included service as an engineer at Fort Delaware, expeditions to explore the Red River, and the exploration possible routes for the transcontinental railroad. McClellan ran on an anti-war platform, promising that he would negotiate peace terms with the Confederacy to help end the war as soon as possible. Every purchase supports the mission.The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education.The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. His military command style, however, put him at odds with President McClellan began his military career after entering the United States Military Academy in 1842. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643.The Civil War Trust had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Richard Slotkin on his new book, The Long Road to Antietam. Save 22 Acres Continually tricked by Confederate commander General Following Pope's failure to capture Richmond the subsequent Union defeat at the battle of Though he had managed to thwart the Lee's plan to invade the North, McClellan's trademark caution once again denied the Northern cause a decisive victory, and the once-cordial relationship between the army commander and his Commander-in-Chief had been badly damaged by the former's lack of success and excessive trepidation. Times when the very landscape appears to shift.
Although many politicians and generals harbored resentment toward McClellan, he was largely revered by his men. But by November of 1864, a string of Union successes had convinced many that the war was in its final phase. George McClellan Summary: George McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War.Nicknamed “Young Napoleon” and “Little Mac,” he twice was commander of Army of the Potomac, the Union’s largest army, and fought as general-in-chief of the Union army until being removed by Abraham Lincoln in 1862.