Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/112

 McCLELLAN

MCCLELLAN

1818-19. He was married in 1820 to Elizabeth, daughter of John H. Brinton of Philadelphia, Pa. He opened a dissecting room in 1821, and gave private lectures on anatomy and surgery which resulted in a charter for the Jefferson Medical college in 182.'5, whore he was professor of sur- gery, 1820-38. In 1838 the school faculty was reorganized, and his name was excluded, where- U|)on he obtained a charter for the Pennsylvania College Medical school, and was lecturer there, ]83&-4i}. He acquired a large practice as surgeon in the United States, and also had imtients from the West Indies, South America and Europe, and was especially eminent in ophthalmic surgery. He was the author of original medico-chirur- gical re{)orts; one of the conductore of the American Medical Review and Journal; editor of Eberle's Tlieory and Practice of Physics (1840); and the author of TJie Principles and Practice of Surgery, edited by his son, John H. B. McClellan ( 1 M4S ). He d ied in Philadelphia, Pa., May 9, 1847. McCLELLAN, Qeorge Brinton, soldier, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 3, 1826; son of Dr. George and Elizabeth (Brinton) McClellan. He matriculated at the University of Pennsyl- vania with the class of 1844, and left at the close of his sophomore year to enter the U.S. Military

academy, where he was graduated in July, 1846, second in the class. He was appointed to the en- gineer corps brevet 2d lieutenant, and he served in the war with Mexico, 1846-48. He was engaged in opening the road from Matamoras to Tam- pico, 1846-47; in the siege of Vera Cruz, March 9-29, 1847; battle of Cerro Gordo, April 17-18; was promoted 2d lieutenant, April 24; engaged in the skirmish of Amazoque, May 14; the battles of Contreras, August 19-20, and Churubusco, August 20; in constructing batteries against Chapultepec, Sept. 9-13, and in the assault and capture of the city of Mexico, Sept. 13-14, 1847. He was at West Point, N.Y., attached to a com- pany of engineer troop, 184&-50, and in command of the troop, 18r)0-51. He was brevetted 1st lieutenant, Aug. 20, 1847, for Contreras and Churubusco; captain, Sept. 8, 1847, for Molino del Rey, which brevet he declined, and captain, Sept. 13, 1847, for Chapultepec. He was assist- ant engineer in building Fort Delaware, 1851-52; engineer of the exploring expedition, Red River^

Texas, 1852; chief engineer. Department of Texas, 1852, and in charge of surveys on the coast of Texas, 1852-53. He was engineer in the explora- tion and survey of the western division of the pro- jected Northern Pacific railroad through the Cas- cade mountains, 1853-54; collected railroad statis- tics for the war depart- ment, 1854-55, and was a

member of the jmjvh IIH^KS^^H c^

militiiry com- ^^as'^J^^P^H ffllii ii.it ~W mission sent to the tlieatre of war in Eu- rope, 1855-56, yj -j^ » f ^^VWttKKf^^ ' " of which his official report ^ h<.<«ulan5. h^p,ua««rs .^ ..g..

was published by order of congress, 1857. He devised the McClellan saddle in 1856, which came into general use in the army. He was promoted 1st lieutenant, July 1, 1853, and cap- tain in the 1st cavalry, March 3, 1855, on the eve of his departure to Europe, and on his return to the United States he resigned his commission in the army, Jan. 16, 1857, to take position as chief engineer of the Illinois Central railroad, serving 1857-58. He was vice-president of the road, 1858-60, and president of the St. Louis and Cincinnati railroad, 1860-61. He was appointed major-general, Ohio militia volunteers, April 23, 1861, and was in command of the Department of the Ohio from May 13 to July 15, 1861. He com- manded the Federal forces in western Virginia; engaged in the action at Rich Mountain, July 11,

1861, and by a forced march surprised Col. John Pegram near Beverly, July 12, 1861, and com- pelled him to surrender. For his services in brilliant and decisive victories on the battle-fields of western Virginia he received the thanks of congress, July 12, 1861. He was commissioned major-general, U.S. army, ]\Iay 14, 1861, and was placed in command of the Division of the Poto- mac with headquarters at Washington, D.C., July 27, 1861. On Aug. 17, 1861, he was given command of the Department of the Potomac; on Aug. 20, 1861, of the Army of the Potomac, and on Nov. 1, 1861, was made general-in-chief of the armies of the United States. He a<lvanced upon iManassas, Va., March 6-10, 1862, and transferred the Army of the Potomac to the Virginia penin- sula, which movement was followed by the siege of Yorktovvn, April 5-May 4, 1862: the occupa- tion of Williamsburg, May 5-6. 1862; the battle of Fair Oaks, May 31-June 1, 1862, and the seven days' battles before Richmond. June 26-July 2,

1862, during which time he transferred his base from the Pamunkey to the James river in order to be supported by the gunboats of the navy. He