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Gen. George B. McClellan. (National Archives)
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Gen. George B. McClellan
'Young Napoleon' Created A Powerful Union Army, But Failed To Command It
Effectively
By Bethanne Kelly Patrick
Military.com Columnist
He graduated second in his West Point class and earned accolades as the "Young Napoleon" of the Union Army, but Gen. George Brinton McClellan could not keep his command. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln, frustrated by McClellan's seeming inability to move his troops effectively, sent McClellan home to New Jersey to await orders that would never come.
McClellan had been hailed as a military wunderkind, and indeed, many of his innovations, including the creation of the Signal Corps, have proven to be long-lasting improvements to the Army. McClellan was a brilliant engineer and organizer who created, honed, and polished the Army of the Potomac after replacing Gen. Winfield Scott at its head in 1861.
Once in command, however, McClellan's flaws became painfully evident. He had created a mighty military machine, but he refused to deploy it. He claimed that his force was not prepared to move, but Lincoln issued General War Order Number 1, calling for the forward movement of all armies. Still, McClellan argued for and won a two-month delay. When, in April 1862, he finally embarked on the Peninsular Campaign in Virginia, Confederate forces had had ample time to rally. McClellan's troops came within a few miles of, but never reached, Richmond. Lincoln decided to abandon the campaign and transferred McClellan's men to Gen. John Pope's command.
McClellan was given a shot at redemption when he took over after Pope's defeat at Second Manassas. He took so long to attack at Antietam that Lee was able to remain in line. The Sept. 17, 1862, battle was the bloodiest single day of the Civil War. Although defeated, Lee managed to escape because McClellan did not pursue the Confederate forces vigorously.
A baffled and angry Lincoln sent McClellan home. McClellan, who never again saw battle, countered the maneuver with one of his own: on Aug. 31, 1864, he was nominated for president by the Democratic Party. Although he opposed the party's call for an end to the war, he was identified with it. Thus, when the public became invigorated by Union victories, Lincoln became the sure winner. McClellan won in only three states and resigned from the Army on Election Day. He remained active in local politics, serving as the governor of New Jersey from 1878 to 1881.
"Little Mac," as his men affectionately called him, died in 1885 in Orange, N.J., and is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Trenton.
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