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George B. McClellan
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images & Videos
George B. McClellan Gen. George B. McClellan, his wife, infant daughter, nurse, and mother-in-law at his headquarters near Alexandria, Va. Cover of sheet music for “Parade March of the Great Potomac Army,” dedicated to Gen. George B. McClellan; composed by Chas. Fradel, published by Beer & Schirmer, 1861. Battle of Antietam: Lincoln and McClellan meet in the general's tent The Chicago Platform and Candidate George McClellan Battle of Antietam A Little Game of Bagatelle, Between Old Abe the Rail Splitter & Little Mac the Gunboat General McClellan campaign procession Map of the United States showing the 1864 presidential election results by state. States won by Abraham Lincoln (Republican) are shaded in red, states won by George McClellan (Democratic) are in blue, and Confederate states that did not vote are in gray. Electoral vote numbers for each state are displayed.
Quizzes
54th Massachusetts Regiment. "Storming Fort Wagner," by Kurz & Allison, c. 1890. Depicts the assault on the S.C. fort on 7/18/1863. American Civil War, 54th Regiment Massachusetts Infantry, 1st all African-American regiment, black soldiers, black history
American Civil War Quiz

George B. McClellan: References & Edit History

Additional Reading

Stephen W. Sears, George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon (1988), explores the personality traits that led to the general’s battlefield incompetence.

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - George B. McClellan: The Wrong Man for the Job. Oct 01, 2026
Anniversary information added. Nov 29, 2025
Anniversary information added. Oct 25, 2025
Add new Web site: Library of Congress - Digital Collections - George Brinton McClellan Papers. Sep 20, 2025
Add new Web site: Mr. Lincoln's White House - The Generals and Admirals: George B. McClellan (1826-1885). Aug 09, 2025
Add new Web site: NPR - Civil War Buff Takes On McClellan's Critics. Jan 09, 2025
Add new Web site: California State University - ScholarWorks - Lincoln and McClellan: The Forgotten Efforts of an Impactful General. Oct 17, 2024
Add new Web site: American Battlefield Trust - George B. McClellan. Sep 07, 2024
Add new Web site: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters - George Brinton McClellan (1826�1885). Jul 12, 2024
Add new Web site: National Museum of the United States Army - George B. McClellan. May 02, 2024
First paragraph modernization. Mar 22, 2024
Add new Web site: American History Central - George Brinton McClellan. Jan 09, 2024
Add new Web site: Ohio Civil War Central - Tariff of 1828 - George Brinton McClellan. Nov 28, 2023
Add new Web site: American Battlefield Trust - McClellan at Antietam. Jul 28, 2023
Add new Web site: Warfare History Network - Union Generals of the American Civil War: George McClellan. Jun 16, 2023
Add new Web site: HistoryNet - George McClellan. Apr 21, 2023
Add new Web site: The Lehrman Institute Presents: Mr. Lincoln and New York - George B. McClellan (1826-1885). Nov 03, 2016
Add new Web site: Pennsylvania Center for the Book - George Brinton McClellan. Jul 15, 2016
Add new Web site: Civil WarTrust - Biography of George B. McClellan. May 30, 2014
Add new Web site: HistoryNet - Biography of George McClellan. May 30, 2014
Add new Web site: Public Broadcasting Service - Freedom - Biography of George B. McClellan. May 30, 2014
Add new Web site: Encyclopedia Virginia - Biography of George B. McClellan. May 30, 2014
Changed "the Crimea" to "the Crimean War." Apr 15, 2014
Add new Web site: History Learning Site - Biography of George McClellan. Jan 10, 2013
Add new Web site: Ohio History Central - George B. McClellan. Jan 10, 2013
Add new Web site: United States History - George B. McClellan. Jan 10, 2013
Add new Web site: Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - George Brinton McClellan. Jan 10, 2013
Add new Web site: Spartacus Educational - Biography of George McClellan. Jan 10, 2013
Add new Web site: National Park Service - Biography of George B. McClellan. Jan 10, 2013
Media added. Jun 16, 2011
Revised sentence about his 1864 presidential campaign. Jun 16, 2011
Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - History - Biography of George B McClellan. Nov 07, 2008
Added new Web site: The Virginia War Museum - The 1862 Peninsula Campaign. Aug 17, 2006
Added new Web site: The Virginia War Museum - The 1862 Peninsula Campaign. Aug 17, 2006
Article added to new online database. May 27, 1999
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