Did General George B McClellan participate in the Mexican War?

Answer 1

As a junior officer,George B. McClellan arrived at the Rio Grande equiped with a double-barreled shotgun, two pistols, a saber, a dress sword, and a Bowie knife and complained that he was too late to take part in any of the fighting because of the American Victory at Monterrey.

He served for a period under General Zachary Taylor but was struck with dysentery and malaria and was holed up in hospital for almost a month. The malaria would come back to effect him in later years and he refered to it as his Mexican disease.

Despite these set backs McClellan served bravely as a engineer during the war and was brevetted to a first lueitenants ranks for brave conduct at the Battles of Conteras and Churubusco and then he was brevetted to the higer rank of Captain for brave conduct during the Battle of Chapultepec.

Much like his post Mexican-War commander Joe Johnston, McClellan greatly admired the skill displayed by Winfield Scott in his Mexican campaign but unlike Johnston he did not let that admiration for the man's skill carry over to the man himself.

McClellan came away from the war with a profound respect for flanking manouevers and seige warfare as well as a personal distain for politician's interfering in military matters and for volunteer soldiers and officers but particularly politican general who cared nothing for training and discipline.

Answer 2

George B. McClellan served his country well in the Mexican War. He received two promotions due to his bravery in that war and so impressed his superior officers that he was sent to Europe to observe the Crimean War.