Major General George B. Mcclellan Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

George B. McClellan (1826-1885) was named Commander of the Union Army by President Abraham Lincoln in November 1861. He directed the Peninsular Campaign and won at Antietam, but was removed by Lincoln for failure to continue the pressure on smaller Confederate forces on several occasions. No match for Confederate General Robert E. Lee as a field commander but skilled at logistics and training, McClellan made a great contribution to eventual Union victory by building the Army of the Potomac into a well-trained and disciplined fighting force. In 1864, he was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for President, losing to Lincoln 233 electoral votes to 21. The election appeared much closer until General Sherman's capture of Atlanta on September 2. From 1878-1881, he was Governor of New Jersey. McClellan was called "the Young Napoleon" by his admirers. Here he imitates the French conqueror's pose, with his right hand in his uniform coat.