He Moved To Slow

Major General George Brinton McClellan died October 29th 1885.

George B McClellan was born December 3rd 1826 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He was the son of Dr George McClellan and Elizabeth Steinmetz (Brinton) McClellan. McClellan began at the University of Pennsylvania in 1840, to study the law, but two years latter he decided on military service. His father got President John Tyler to write a letter to West Point and McClellan was admitted there in 1842. McClellan closest friends while at West Point were James Stuart and A P Hill. He graduated second in his class of 59. He created the Army of the Potomac at the beginning of the Civil War, but moved to slowly battle for Abraham Lincoln and was replaced early in the war. He ran for President against Lincoln in 1864.

After the Civil War was over McClellan took his family for a long trip to Europe. Upon his return to the United States the Democratic Party showed interest in his running for president again. He went on to be the Chief Engineer of the New York City deptartment of Docks, and the President of the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. In 1877 McClellan was nominated for the Governorship of New Jersey, and he served from 1878 to 1881. He worked hard to get Grover Cleveland elected President, hoping to be named Secretary of War in Cleveland’s cabinet.

His final years were spent traveling and writing about his military career. He died at the age of 58 after having had chest pains for several weeks at his home in Orange New Jersey. At 3am on the October 29th 1885 he spoke his final words, saying “I feel easy now. Thank you.” He is buried in the Riverview Cemetery in Trenton New Jersey.