Showing results for "George B. McClellan"

Why Did Robert E. Lee Think Highly of George B. McClellan?

When Civil War students rate the top generals of the war, Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan can usually be found at opposite ends of the rankings. Though he has had some detractors, Lee is commonly found among the war’s best and, though he has had some proponents, McClellan’s name can usually be located […]

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A Whiff of Treason? John Hay, George B. McClellan, and the Incident with Major John J. Key

ECW welcomes guest author Alexander B. Rossino A scandalous incident occurred in Washington, D.C. soon after the end of the 1862 Maryland Campaign. In late September, Maj. John J. Key, an officer attached to the staff of general-in-chief Henry Halleck, and the brother of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan’s closest advisor, Col. Thomas M. Key, […]

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George B. McClellan Papers Now Available Digitally

Say what you will about George McClellan– a great organizer, though timid in combat; beloved by his soldiers though a bane to Lincoln’s cabinet. Or maybe you’re an avid McClellan devotee, who defends the Young Napoleon to any passerby you come into contact with. No matter what camp you fall into, the Library of Congress […]

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“The Dreadful Responsibility”: Why George B. McClellan Was the Go-To Guy (part two)

ECW welcomes back Jon-Erik Gilot (part two of two) McClellan arrived in western Virginia on June 22 to take personal command of his troops in the field. Endearing himself to the enlisted men, he issued a circular on June 25 with a flair for the dramatic: “Soldiers! I have heard that there was danger here. […]

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“The Dreadful Responsibility”: Why George B. McClellan Was the Go-To Guy (part one)

ECW welcomes back Jon-Erik Gilot (part one of two) I’ve long been fascinated with the early days, weeks, and months of the Civil War. The optimism and unbounded confidence displayed on both sides of the conflict during the spring and summer of 1861 would quickly wane as the human toll began to exceed even the […]

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“Little Mac’s” Final Moments: The Death of George B. McClellan

Emerging Civil War is pleased to welcome back guest author William Griffith “The startling announcement was made on Thursday [actually Friday] morning that General McClellan was dead,” read New Jersey’s The Orange Journal on Sunday, October 31, 1885, “…very few knew that General McClellan was in the least ill, and no one but his physician, […]

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Book Review: Conflict of Command: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and the Politics of War

Conflict of Command: George McClellan, Abraham Lincoln, and the Politics of War. By George Rable. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2023.  Hardcover, 496 pp. $49.95. Reviewed by John Hennessy It is easy to dislike George B. McClellan. He gives us much to work with: his self-interested, self-aggrandizing musings to his wife; his occasional disrespect […]

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Commanding The Regiment: Colonel George D. Wells, 34th Massachusetts – Part 1

This blog post traces the life and command experiences of George D. Wells with the 34th Massachusetts, and tomorrow’s part 2 will follow the command of Lieutenant Colonel William S. Lincoln who often stepped in when Wells was called away. The accounts of first colonel of the 34th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment — George D. Wells […]

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McClellan Misses An Opportunity: The Peninsula and Combined Arms

In the spring of 1862 Major General George McClellan landed his massive Federal force on the Virginia Peninsula with plans to advance on Richmond. His original concept had been to land at Urbanna, on the Rappahannock River… at the time, General Joseph’s Johnston’s Confederate army was stationed near Manassas. From Urbanna, McClellan could cut Johnston […]

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