Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/374

 346 Stella M. Drumm with the Indians in August, 1794, which terminated the Indian War. He attained the rank of Lieutenant while in the service. After the disbanding of Wayne's Army McClellan made his home with his brother at Hamilton, Ohio, spend- ing most of his time hunting and often remaining in the woods days at a time. In the the Summer of 1799 he went to New Orleans, where he endured a long illness from yellow fever. Being in poor health and suffering from the wounds received in the Indian campaigns, he decided to go East and ob- tain, if possible, a pension for his services and wounds. One of the wounds he suffered was from a shot under the shoulder blade, the ball coming out at the top of his shoulder. He went first to Philadelphia, and later to New York in search of Gen. Wilkinson, from whom he obtained the necessary certificates, which he presented to the Secretary of War at Philadelphia. The latter sent him to the examining surgeon, who reported that Mc- Clellan was entitled to only one-third pension, which for his rank, Lieutenant, was only twenty-six pounds Penn- sylvania currency per year. McClellan was greatly offended at this and declined to accept the pension. The Quartermaster General of the Army having some knowledge of McClellan and his services, induced him to accept the pension and also a position in his Department. In 1801 McClellan was sent on business connected with the Commissary Department to St. Louis, when, after completing his mission, he re- tired from the service. His next venture was trading with the Indians, and his first returns amounted to one thousand dollars. This success gave him a taste for trading and for some years he made trading trips up the Missouri river. On one of these trips (September 12, 1806) he met Captains Lewis