Profile Text
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.
George’s paternal grandfather was James McClellan (the son of Brig. General Samuel McClellan and Rachel Abbe). James was born in Connecticut. Samuel was born in Worcester, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, and fought in the American Revolutionary War. He 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. George’s great-grandmother Rachel was born in Windham, Windham Co., Connecticut, 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 was born in Groton, New London, Connecticut, and fought in the American Revolutionary War. He 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.
Through George’s paternal grandmother, he was a descendant of William Brewster (c. 1566-1644), a Mayflower passenger and noted Pilgrim. Among many of William’s other descendants are actors Jordana Brewster , Paget Brewster , Austin Butler , Chevy Chase , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Taylor Lautner , Seth MacFarlane , and Elisabeth Shue , actors and models Noah Mills and Brandon Routh , director, producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer Zack Snyder , singer Buffy Sainte-Marie , soccer player Clint Dempsey , novelists Margaret Atwood and Thomas Pynchon , Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld , U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller , and Governor of Arkansas Winthrop Rockefeller .
George was also descended from William Bradford (1590-1657), another prominent pilgrim leader.
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