McClellan, George Brinton 1826-85
US general

He was born in Philadelphia. In the Civil War in 1861, as major-general in the US army, he drove the enemy out of West Virginia, and was called to Washington to reorganize the army of the Potomac. He advanced near to Richmond, but was compelled to retreat, fighting the Seven Days Battles (25 June to 1 July 1862). After the disastrous second Battle of Bull Run (29-30 August), followed by a Confederate invasion of Maryland, he reorganized the army at Washington, marched north, met Robert E Lee at Antietam, and compelled him to recross the Potomac. He followed the Confederates into Virginia, too slowly for Abraham Lincoln, who replaced him with Ambrose E Burnside. In 1864, as Democratic candidate for the presidency he was defeated by Lincoln, and in 1878 was elected Governor of New Jersey.