Description:

George B. McClellan
Manitou, CO, August 8, 1885
McClellan Blames Lincoln For His Failure: "Richmond would have fallen in 1862 if the plan had not been changed from Washington," Monumental Letter!
ALS

An autograph letter signed by General George B. McClellan in which he expresses his bitterness about his failed Peninsula and Maryland Campaigns. 1p, measuring 4.5" x 7", Manitou, Colorado, dated August 8, 1881. Signed "Geo B McClellan" and addressed to Edward Blair. McClellan writes that he believes Richmond could have been taken as early as 1862 if Lincoln and those in Washington had not overruled his plans. With flattened mail folds. Faint soiling and toning at the edges. Boldly signed.

Reading in full:
"In reply to your favor of the 1st, I have no hesitation in expressing my profound conviction that Richmond would have fallen in 1862 if the plan of the campaign and strength of the Army of the Potomac had not been changed from Washington."

Written just two months before McClellan's early death, this letter clearly shows that the famed general still held a grudge about his treatment during the Civil War. McClellan had devoted his final years to traveling and writing his memoirs, in which he defiantly defended his conduct during the war. Numerous times, McClellan had faced outnumbered Confederate forces but was unwilling to press his advantage to crush the enemy. Often, McClellan's reluctance was that he was convinced he was the outnumbered force. Ultimately, McClellan and President Lincoln developed a mutual distrust of each other, and Lincoln removed him from command after the Battle of Antietam when McClellan once again failed to pursue General Robert E. Lee aggressively.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 4.5" x 7"
  • Medium: ALS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

August 27, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000