George B. McClellan

Birth Name: George Brinton McClellan

Date of Birth: December 3, 1826

Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Date of Death: October 29, 1885

Place of Death: Orange, New Jersey, U.S.

Ethnicity: English, one quarter German, smaller amounts of Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and Welsh

George B. McClellan was an American soldier, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician. He was Commanding General of the U.S. Army, from November 1, 1861 to March 11, 1862, and Governor of New Jersey, from January 15, 1878 to January 18, 1881.

He was the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States in 1864.

George was the son of Elizabeth Sophia Steinmetz (Brinton) and George McClellan, a prominent surgeon, who founded Jefferson Medical College. He was married to Nelly. Nelly was the daughter of Randolph B. Marcy, a U.S. Army officer who wrote the book Prairie Traveler (1859). George and Nelly had two children, including statesman, author, historian, and educator George B. McClellan, Jr., who was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York, from March 4, 1895 to December 21, 1903, Mayor of New York City, from January 1, 1904 to December 31, 1909, and a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1904.

Much of George’s ancestry was Colonial American, mostly English. He was also of one quarter German descent, and smaller amounts of Scottish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and Welsh. He was descended from both William Brewster (1568-1644) and William Bradford (1590-1657), prominent pilgrim leaders.

George’s paternal grandfather was James McClellan (the son of Brig. General Samuel McClellan and Rachel Abbe). James was born in Connecticut. Samuel fought in the American Revolutionary War, and was the son of William McClellan, who was born in Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, and of Jean Calhoun, who was born in Ulster, Ireland. Rachel was the daughter of Joshua Abbe and Mary Ripley.

George’s paternal grandmother was Eunice Eldredge (the daughter of Captain James Eldredge and Lucy Gallup). Eunice was born in Connecticut. James fought in the American Revolutionary War, and was the son of Charles Eldredge and Mary Starr. Lucy was the daughter of Capt. Joseph Gallup and Eunice Williams.

George’s maternal grandfather was John Hill Brinton (the son of George Brinton and Christiana Hill). John was born in Pennsylvania. George was the son of Joseph Brinton, whose parents were English, his father from Sedgley, Staffordshire, West Midlands and his mother from Uffington, Berkshire; and of Mary Pierce, whose parents were also English, her father from Winscombe, North Somerset, and her mother from Oldbury-on-Severn, Thornbury, Gloucestershire. George’s great-grandmother Christiana was the daughter of William Hill and Mary Hunter, who was born in Rathdrun, Wicklow County, Ireland, to an English-born father, from Medomsley, Northumberland, and to an Irish-born mother, whose own parents were from Derbyshire, England.

George’s maternal grandmother was Sarah Steinmetz (the daughter of John Steinmetz and Catherine Keppele). Sarah was born in Pennsylvania, and was of German descent. Catherine was the daughter of John Henry Keppele, who was born in Treschklingen, Heidelberg, Baden, Germany, and of Anna Catherine Barbara Bauer.

Sources: Genealogies of George B. McClellan – https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
https://www.findagrave.com

Genealogy of George B. McClellan (focusing on his father’s side) – https://famouskin.com