McClellan’s Influence and Role During the Civil War

Chad Hoskins
4446301

MILH 542
Professor Steven Sledge
American Public University
March 15, 2015

1 Many men during the Civil War made huge contributions that effected their respective sides cause. Some for the worse and some for the better. Battles can be broke down, strategic moves dissected, and even personnel moves debated. But individual men are examined on how they influenced armies, battles, and even their leaders. With that mentioned, George B. McClellan, a great military mind and strategist, perhaps is looked as one of the great leaders during the Civil War who could have made better decisions, change certain outcomes, and maybe even retained the confidence of President Lincoln. George B. McClellan came from a very prominent family who lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (1) George was born December 3, 1826 to Dr. George McClellan who had founded Jefferson Medical College. George’s mother was Elizabeth Sophia Steinmetz Brinton McClellan who came from a leading family in the Philadelphia area. George was the third of five children and had a passion for law. At the young age of 13 he attended the University of Pennsylvania. After just two years of studying law, McClellan changed his focus to military service. Now young George B. McClellan was only 15 at the time when he entered the United States Military Academy in 1842. It took a letter from his father to President John Tyler to have George accepted as the minimum age was 16 at this time in history. (2) 1 Golay, Michael, Generals of the Civil War. (New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1997), 24. 2 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 6.

2 McClellan was a dedicated cadet who studied the teachings of men such as Dennis Hart Mahan and Antoine-Henri Jomini. McClellan was known to be friends of aristocratic Southerners which gave him an appreciation of the Southern perspective. Perhaps more importantly, a very good understanding of the political and military implications of the sectional differences between the North and South. (3) Those differences ultimately led to the Civil War. McClellan was a very intelligent man who thought things through very strategically. This was seen as an eventual downfall of McClellan, none the less, he graduated second in his class of 59 cadets in 1846. George McClellan was then commissioned a brevet second lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers. (4) It was then that America’s history began to change again. The Mexican-American War had begun and McClellan had been given his first assignment with a company of engineers formed at West Point. McClellan saw little action during the Mexican-American War due to becoming ill. This unfortunate happening forced the newly appointed brevet first lieutenant to perform reconnaissance missions for Lt. General Winfield Scott. (5) It was here that McClellan learned and developed his attitudes related to his military life and his political life. These experiences created and influenced his appreciation of flanking and siege operations over frontal assaults. 3 Rowland, Thomas J. "George Brinton McClellan." In Leaders of the American Civil War: A Biographical and Historiographical Dictionary. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998), 260.

4 Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001), 371.

5 Rafuse, Ethan S. McClellan's War: The Failure of Moderation in the Struggle for the Union. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005), 43.

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McClellan also learned a great deal from Lt. General Scott in how to balance political power with military power. He learned how to deal with the civil population in a constructive manner and yet developed a disliking for the volunteer soldiers and officers, especially those who did not care for discipline and training. (6) After the Mexican-American War, McClellan returned to West Point, there he trained cadets in engineering activities but became very bored with the peacetime service. McClellan did several other duties assigned to him such as serving at Fort Delaware doing construction on an island in the Delaware River. He also served at Fort Smith Arkansas, helping put together an expedition to find the sources of the Red River. McClellan did some surveying of Texas rivers and harbors as well as surveys for the Pacific Railroad. He was a hard worker and always did his service to the best of his abilities. McClellan was asked to select an appropriate route for the new transcontinental railroad. However, during his assignment, McClellan demonstrated a sense of insubordination toward high ranking political figures. His performance was criticized and was ordered to turn over the project and its information. McClellan refused and kept the logbooks for himself. (7) He then returned East and began to do work for Jefferson Davis who asked him to assess the logistical readiness of various railroads in the United States and start planning for the transcontinental railroad. (8) 6 Ibid, 47-49. 7 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 40-41.

8 Ibid, 43-44.

4 McClellan had made a great impression on Jefferson Davis, thus was promoted to captain and assigned to the 1st United States Cavalry. (9) After just two short years at this position, McClellan resigned his position in 1857 and began capitalizing on his experience with the railroad. He became chief engineer and vice president of the Illinois Central Railroad. McClellan also became president of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in 1960. (10) Having done great work for both companies and expanding each of the railroads, McClellan grew tired of civilian employment and was ready to return to military life. So much, that he even considered rejoining the Army during the Utah War against the Mormons. But McClellan refrained and took an active role in politics. He supported the Presidential Campaign of Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, who was a Democrat. McClellan played an active role in a variety of ways for Douglas. Even going as far as helping to stop Republican voting fraud. (11) As the Civil War started to take form, McClellan’s experience suggested that he would probably excel at military logistics and this placed him in great demand. He was pursued by governors of the three largest states in the Union. These state’s militia started to mobilize and they needed a leader. It was then in 1861 that McClellan was commissioned a major general of volunteers of the Ohio militia. (12) McClellan was 9 Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001), 371. 10 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 56. 11 Ibid, 59. 12 Ibid, 72. 5 approached by Southern colleagues to side with the Confederacy, but McClellan could not side with the idea of secession. McClellan worked hard to organize and train the newly acquired volunteers. It was then that he began to strategize and wrote to General Scott his plans for mobilizing his troops into Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Unfortunately, General Scott dismissed the plans yet praised McClellan for his effort. Instead, the well know Anaconda Plan was used and eventually proved to be the successful outline which guided the war. Even though admired by McClellan, General Scott and his relationship became increasingly strained over the next several months. (13) So has McClellan followed the orders and plan at hand, McClellan made way to Virginia to occupy the area in the West which wanted to remain in the Union. This section of Virginia would become know as West Virginia. It was here that McClellan ignited his first serious political controversy. He told the people of the area in which he was invading that he had no intentions of interfering with personal property, including slaves. McClellan soon realized that he had made a grave mistake and apologized to President Lincoln. (14) McClellan moved his forces rapidly into the area and was victorious at the Battle of Philippi Races. This has been argued to be the first land conflict of the Civil War. It was early on that McClellan showed his strong sense of caution and a reluctance to commit reserve forces. This was apparent in the Battle at Rich Mountain as his 13 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 75-76.

14 Ibid, 79-80.

6 commander, William S. Rosecrans complained that the attack was not reinforced as McClellan had stated. These two minor victories however, provided him with national fame instantly. (15) McClellan continue to have success over the next two months. So much that President Lincoln summoned McClellan from western Virginia to Washington D.C. This event was speared by the Union defeat at Bull Run and McClellan had given the North its only resemblance of military victories. It was then, July 1861, that President Lincoln appointed him commander of the Military Division of the Potomac. Then one short month later, several military forces were merged into McClellan’s department and he formed the Army of the Potomac. (16) McClellan was perfect for this position as he brought a high degree of organization, morale, and encouragement to his troops. McClellan did his job of protecting Washington and growing his army. It was so impressive that McClellan’s Army of the Potomac became know as the most colossal military unit the world had seen in modern times. (17) Yet with this great fame came high tensions. McClellan quarreled with the government and Lt. General Scott on matters of strategy and especially the Anaconda Plan. As if military differences weren’t enough, McClellan also added pressure on himself due to his antipathy to emancipation. (18) As time went on, McClellan had a change of perspective. He viewed 15 Beagle, Jonathan M. "George Brinton McClellan." In Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History. (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000), 1274.

16 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 95.

17 Sandburg, Carl. Storm Over the Land: A Profile of the Civil War. (New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1942), 62.

18 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 98-99. 7

slavery as an institution recognized by the Constitution, but he later chose to fight for a better way of life for blacks. He had always favored a gradual emancipation and guarding the rights of both slaves and masters. As we know, this went against many politicians leading the government and many saw McClellan’s views as favoring those of the opposition. (19) McClellan’s biggest problem was that he was convinced that the Confederates were going to attack him and had the numbers to do it. This paranoia caused him declare a state of emergency in the capital. This would be a pattern that would influence McClellan’s future campaigns. The outcomes from such confusion was that it caused extreme caution which affected the initiative from his troops and caused a lack of faith by his government. (20) By this time McClellan and Lt. General Scott disagreements had become very personal. It would eventually lead to the resignation of Scott and a President that was reluctant to accept it. With Lt. General Scott’s resignation, McClellan became general-in-chief of all Union armies. A huge task for McClellan to partake but yet seemed confident and eager to engulf. As time progressed, Lincoln, leaders, and even citizens started to become impatient with McClellan’s slowness to attack Confederate armies that were located around Washington. So with the minor defeat near Leesburg, tensions mounted and Congress formed a Joint Committee on the Conduct of War. It called McClellan in for 19 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 116-117.

20 Ibid, 101-104.

8 questioning but he contracted typhoid fever and could not attend. So his subordinate officers did provide information that did not help McClellan’s cause, which raised cause for his dismissal. (21) It was easy to see that McClellan by this time did not respect President Lincoln, even going as far as not seeing him when the President came to his home for a visit. (22) But as war heightened, President Lincoln was forced to make decisions that would make McClellan act. McClellan was summoned to the White House and demanded that he provide war plans. It was hear that McClellan finally revealed his tactics. Lincoln and McClellan did not see eye to eye on anything it seemed. McClellan opposed President Lincoln several times, refusing to move troops when asked and when he did it was very slow. These and other downfalls for McClellan lead to his removal as general-in-chief in 1862. Lincoln had a big plan that the move might allow McClellan to focus on his move to Richmond and regain his confidence. (23) McClellan continued his beliefs that the Confederate Army had more troops than it actually did. His Peninsula Campaign offered much of the same outcomes as before and McClellan was out smarted several times by armies with lesser men. As the campaign lingered, McClellan continued to play a passive role, taking no initiative, and waiting for events to unfold. (24) McClellan’s turning point came with the Battle of 21 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 136-137.

22 Ibid, 132-133.

23 Ibid, 164-165

24 Ibid, 211-212

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Antietam. This so-called victory ended General Lee’s strategic campaign. McClellan had no idea how important this battle was to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Yet with the so-called victory, McClellan’s reluctancy to pursue Lee lead to his removal of command in 1862. (25) McClellan will best be known for his organizational abilities and his ability to build rapport with his troops. Many believe that his reluctance to enter battle was due to him not wanting to cause bloodshed to his men was in vain. As his lack of aggressiveness and pursuit caused many more deaths that could have been stopped had he been more aggressive and took control of the opportunities he had. Then he really would have saved men’s lives. McClellan defended himself in his memoirs, feeling that the moves and decisions he made were right and were in the best interest of his men and the Northern cause. George B. McClellan will continue to be seen as a controversial figure during the Civil War. His choices were hard to understand and seemed to not be in the best interest of the North and President Lincoln. Even has he began his political race for the 1864 Presidency, McClellan criticized Lincoln and seemed to go against everything he was fighting for. His inconsistency hurt him militarily and politically. 25 Sears, Stephen W., George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1988), 238-241.

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Bibliography

Beagle, Jonathan M. "George Brinton McClellan." In Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History. (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2000).

Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001).

Golay, Michael. Generals of the Civil War. (New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1997).

McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford History of the United States. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1988).

Rafuse, Ethan S. McClellan's War: The Failure of Moderation in the Struggle for the Union. (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005).

Rowland, Thomas J. "George Brinton McClellan." In Leaders of the American Civil War: A Biographical and Historiographical Dictionary. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998).

Rowland, Thomas J. George B. McClellan and Civil War History: In the Shadow of Grant and Sherman. (Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1998).

Sandburg, Carl. Storm Over the Land: A Profile of the Civil War. (New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1942).

Sears, Stephen W. Controversies & Commanders: Dispatches from the Army of the Potomac. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999.

Sears, Stephen W. George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon. (New York: Da Capo Press, 1988).