Item No. 1023083

A CDV portrait of George B. McClellan, shown in a three-quarter standing profile view with binoculars held behind his back. The reverse bears the imprint of New York photographer Charles D. Fredricks. Also present is a cancelled 2-cent revenue stamp, with a Fredricks ink cancellation dated August 29, 1864, placing the image firmly in the period of the 1864 presidential campaign. The carte measures about 2 3/8” x 4”.

McClellan was a West Point graduate of 1846 and career army officer who rose to prominence early in the Civil War as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Known for his organizational ability, he rebuilt the army into an effective fighting force in the months after the Bull Run disaster, but was often criticized for his caution in the field, particularly during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862. He later returned to command during the Maryland Campaign, opposing Robert E. Lee at Antietam before being relieved by President Abraham Lincoln. In 1864, McClellan was nominated as the Democratic candidate for president, running against Abraham Lincoln during the height of the war.