The Mexican War Diary Of General George B. Mcclellan

by George B. McClellan, William S. Myers

In his standard reference work on the Civil War, Generals in Blue, Ezra Warner declared George B. McClellan (1826--1885) "one of the most controversial figures in American military history." In this revealing book, Thomas W. Cutrer provides the definitive edition of McClellan's detailed diary and letters from his service in the Mexican War (1846--1848), during which he began the rise that culminated in his being named general in chief of the Union forces and commander of the Army of the Potomac early in the Civil War.

McClellan graduated second in his class from West Point in 1846 and served as a second lieutenant in Company A of the prestigious Corps of Engineers, the only formation of combat engineers in the United States Army. The company participated in Major General Winfield Scott's invasion of Mexico, playing a prominent role in the siege of Vera Cruz and the battles of Cerro Gordo, Churubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec and in the capture of Mexico City. Although only twenty-one years old at the war's end, McClellan earned brevet promotions to first lieutenant and then captain for his efforts.

McClellan's colorful diary and frequent letters to his socially and politically prominent Philadelphia family provide a wealth of military details of the campaign, insights into the character of his fellow engineers -- including Robert E. Lee and P. G. T. Beauregard -- and accounts of the friction that arose between the professional soldiers and the officers and men of the volunteer regiments that made up Scott's command. A courageous, indefatigable, and superbly intelligent young man, McClellan formed close personal loyalties in those years. His diaries also reveal a man contemptuous of those he perceived as less talented than he, quick to see conspiracies where none existed, and eager to place upon others the blame for his own shortcomings and to take credit for actions performed by others.

On the banks of the Rio Grande during his first weeks with the army, McClellan wrote in his "I came down here with high hopes, with pleasing anticipations of distinction, of being in hard fought battles and acquiring a name and reputation as a stepping stone to a still greater eminence in some future and greater war." Carefully edited by Thomas W. Cutrer, these diary entries and letters do indeed trace McClellan's rapid development as a soldier and leader and put on full display the talent, ambition, and arrogance that characterized his career as general and politician.

Genres: History

97 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1972

About the author

George Brinton McClellan was a major general for the Union during the American Civil War and the Democratic presidential nominee in 1864, who later served as Governor of New Jersey.

Not to be confused with George McClellan, his father.

Reviews

[Avis Black · Rating 1 out of 5]

McClellan was around 20 at the time he wrote his Mexican War diary, and he was too much of a callow youth to have produced much of interest. Except for giving the reader the opportunity to do some Civil War celebrity spotting (Look! There's Lee in the text, and Beauregard!) what McClellan wrote is pretty banal. I did notice, however, that though McClellan mentions his friend Gustavus Smith a lot, Smith, in his own Mexican War memoir, doesn't mention McClellan much at all despite the fact that they worked together every day for months on end.

[Garry Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent work on Civil War's George B. McClellan from his earlier days and endeavors during the Mexican War. Diary kept by the man during this time gives interesting insight into the more mature military man that he would become.
Highly recommend for any Civil War historian who would like to learn more of this enigmatic man. A creation of his times and experiences which would come to the fore during the Civil War.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this diary. Mac was such a kid when he wrote this. The best part is the final entry, which is hastily written in two years after the war, out of nowhere and suddenly in the third person. Very modern style.

September 22nd, 1849--
"West Point, N.Y. Mac thinks that he's booked for an infernally monotonous life for the remainder of his natural existence and wishes he were back again in No.2 Calle San Francisco."

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers great insight into several different subjects that military history or American history buffs should find interesting. McClellan's diary and letters give the reader a window into mid-19th Century West Point, the life of a junior Army officer of the time, the Mexican War, and military engineering. There's also a lot here for anyone interested in George McClellan's life and his professional development as a soldier.

Cutrer did nice work in editing this volume. He provides excellent contextual information at the beginning of each chapter, to help flesh out McClellan's accounts. In addition, detailed and copious notes at the end of each chapter also help clarify McClellan's writings.