George mcclellan biography civil war soldiers

George B. McClellan: Early Life

George Brinton McClellan was born on December 3, 1826, into an affluent family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A studious child, McClellan made the decision to enter military service at age 15 and was accepted to West Point despite being several months shy of the age requirement of 16.

McClellan ranked second in his class upon graduation from West Point in 1846.

Army Corps of Engineers

McClellan was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers, and played an active part in the Mexican-American War.

As an engineering officer, McClellan frequently saw combat and was promoted to the rank of captain for showing gallantry under fire.

He returned to West Point after the war and continued to serve as an engineer for three years before being transferred to the western frontier.

McClellan’s intelligence and ambition caught the eye of the future president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis—then the U.S. se