Early Life
When was George McClellan born?
December 3, 1826
What college did he go to?
University of Pennsylvania
What was his first career?
Brevet Second Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers
McClellan fought for the Union Army. Did he oppose or not oppose slavery?
He opposed outright abolition of slavery. He wanted to keep slavery.
What was the biggest war he fought in?
The Civil War
Who were his parents?
George McClellan and Mary Brinton McClellan
How old was he when he was accepted into college?
He was 13 when he was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania
What was his second career?
McClellan left the military in 1857 and became chief engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad.
What was his first task in the Union Army?
He commanded a volunteer army in Ohio
Why was he promoted after the Mexican-American War?
He was promoted to Captain for showing gallantry under fire
What was his father's job?
He was a prominent surgeon
What other school did McClellan go to?
West Point Military Academy
What was his first trip that was commissioned by the US government?
Jefferson Davis, the acting US Secretary of War, sent George to Europe to observe military strategies in the Crimean War.
Did George McClellan last the whole Civil War as Commander?
No, President Abraham Lincoln fired George McClellan after the Battle of Antietam because McClellan did not pursue Robert E. Lee's army. (The Union Army won the battle.)
When did he first leave the military?
In 1857
His great-grandfather was a general in what war?
The Revolutionary War. His name was Samuel McClellan.
What helped him get into West Point Military Academy?
His father wrote a letter to US President John Tyler
What did McClellan create while he was in Europe?
He created a saddle that looked like a popular Russian model. In the US it was called the "McClellan Saddle" and was used by cavalry until World War II.
What part of the Union Army did McClellan go to after the Ohio Volunteer Group?
He joined the Potomac Army after Irvin McDowell led them to defeat in the first Battle of Bull Run.
What was the first war he fought in?
The Mexican-American War
How many siblings did he have?
He had four siblings
What did he originally go to school for?
To study law
What did he do in the railroad industry?
He was chief engineer of the new Illinois Central Railroad. He later became the president of the Ohio and Mississippi River Railroad.
What was George McClellan's nickname in the Civil War?
Young Napoleon
What was his last battle in the Civil War?
The Battle of Antietam