McClellan McClellan's impetuous letters

Mr. King

Sergeant Major
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Jan 15, 2014
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Most of us here are aware of the character, or lack there of, of Little Mac. But when did all his personal letters revealing his childish tantrums become public knowledge? I know his telegrams were official records, but his letters to his wife were private, and dear God they were terrible... Who was supposed to have burned them, but decided to give us an invite to the little man's ego?
 
His wife, Ellen released many of his letters to her for publication shortly after his death. The appeared in the war biography McClellan's Own Story published in 1887.
https://archive.org/details/mcclellansownsto00mccl
Did she do it for the money? There is not many things in those letters I'd want people to know if I was him.

Perhaps the two of them were completely unaware of his attitude...

I've often wondered how she read those letters and took his attitude. Maybe she thought he was his normal self... Either way, that little guy really was full of himself.
 
His wife, Ellen released many of his letters to her for publication shortly after his death.

Not sure I would have released them if I had been her but consider how much entertainment we've gotten from them on CWT alone! :smile:

I suppose his letters complaining about the commander in chief would be akin to tactless people complaining about their job or boss on social media in today's world. Although, I'd submit that some of the things he said about Lincoln were beyond just complaining.
 
Did she do it for the money? There is not many things in those letters I'd want people to know if I was him.

Perhaps the two of them were completely unaware of his attitude...

I've often wondered how she read those letters and took his attitude. Maybe she thought he was his normal self... Either way, that little guy really was full of himself.
I see no evidence Mary Ellen Marcy McClellan needed the money. George had been a successful businessman and she was receiving a pension from the State of New Jersey ($100 / month in 1914 - 1915). She was the wife and daughter of generals, her son was a US Congressman and her daughter was married to a French diplomat. Perhaps she had a sense of history about her, or maybe it was a passive form of revenge for not being permitted to marry A. P. Hill. We don't see any of Ellen's letters to George. No telling what she really thought.
 
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I don't know why she released them for publication, instead of destroying them, but one thing is for sure, they have caused a very negative view of him. He would have been better off in history's eyes had they never been made public. For the record, I am NOT a McClellan fan.....just wanted to let everyone know right off the bat...:smile:
 
His telegrams to Washington during the Peninsular Campaign are priceless. It showed his capacity to not be in command of a army that was much larger than "Bobby Lee". All the reports from the Pinkerton fools added to it. Have not read his personal letters yet.
 
His wife, Ellen released many of his letters to her for publication shortly after his death. The appeared in the war biography McClellan's Own Story published in 1887.
https://archive.org/details/mcclellansownsto00mccl
So I just peroused the "Biographical Sketch" for the first 18 pages. Its fanciful at best. Here are a few key points.

1) Mac was defeated at he Seven Days because he was outnumbered and Mcdowell was too cowardly to link up wiyh him on the North side of Richmond.
2) He was on the eve of a great new offensive when Halleck recalled the AOT to Washington.
3) He was removed from command both times because it was feared that he was going to take over the country in a coup.
4) When Lincoln asked him to save the country after 2nd Manassas, he was crying and apologizing, and had only relieved him under political pressure.
5) Lincoln knew and understood the reasons behind his lack pursuit after Sharpsburg.
6) He was relieved the 2nd time because the Republicans were afraid of his political prowess building, and since he was certainly about to crush Lee in a major battle in the fall of 62.
 
So I just peroused the "Biographical Sketch" for the first 18 pages. Its fanciful at best. Here are a few key points.

1) Mac was defeated at he Seven Days because he was outnumbered and Mcdowell was too cowardly to link up wiyh him on the North side of Richmond.
2) He was on the eve of a great new offensive when Halleck recalled the AOT to Washington.
3) He was removed from command both times because it was feared that he was going to take over the country in a coup.
4) When Lincoln asked him to save the country after 2nd Manassas, he was crying and apologizing, and had only relieved him under political pressure.
5) Lincoln knew and understood the reasons behind his lack pursuit after Sharpsburg.
6) He was relieved the 2nd time because the Republicans were afraid of his political prowess building, and since he was certainly about to crush Lee in a major battle in the fall of 62.


I just read McClellan's "memoir" over the holidays. The 18 page preamble itself is quite a work. I think his wife published it because he died in the middle of writing it. The editors even note in the book where he was in writing it when he died
 
I just read McClellan's "memoir" over the holidays. The 18 page preamble itself is quite a work. I think his wife published it because he died in the middle of writing it. The editors even note in the book where he was in writing it when he died
That little man really did have too much confidence. He lived in a strange fantasy world where his own bosses were conspiring against him, and he was fearlessly defying the vastly overpowering rebel army despite every increasingly long odds. Of course, little, if any of that was true... Do we have a shrink in the house? Lets diagnose this snarky little man with something.
 
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