Political Banner

Periodcirca 1863 - 1864

MediumBlack ink over graphite on woven cotton

DimensionsFramed: 35.38 × 39.5 in. (89.9 × 100.3 cm)

ClassificationsPolitical Memorabilia

Credit LineGift of C. Alan Hudson, Jr.

Object number2002.530

DescriptionA rectangular banner, consisting of a panel of off-white woven cotton with a hand-painted inscription in bold black lettering reading "McCLELLAN / AND / PENDLETON / OUR COUNTRY'S HOPE."
Curatorial RemarksThe banner is professionally done. During examination, the unknown sign painter's one-inch-wide brushmarks are clearly visible, with overlapping marks on all the large block capitals.NotesGeorge B. McClellan (1826 - 1885) rose through the ranks in the United States Army and was given control of the entire Army of the Potomac by President Lincoln. In 1862, Lincoln replaced McClellan for his failure to move more decisively against General Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. McClellan was contemptuous of Lincoln and did little to hide his distain. After being relieved of command in 1862, McClellan returned to Trenton to await further orders. In October of 1863, he declared his intentions to enter the fray in the president election. In August of 1864, the Democratic Party met in Chicago and chose McClellan as their presidential candidate. His running mate, vice presidential nominee George Hunt Pendleton (1825 - 1889) was a lawyer and legislator. In a vicious, vituperative campaign, McClellan ran on the promise to bring a quick end to the Civil War, although his plan included making immediate peace and recognizing the Confederacy as a separate entity. The outlook for Lincoln's reelection appeared grim until the fall of 1864, when Northern military victories under General Grant, General Sherman, and General Sheridan began to change the nation's feelings towards its President. Lincoln won a decisive victory: 212 electoral votes as opposed to McClellan's 21. In 1878 he was elected Governor of New Jersey, where he served a single term from 1878 to 1881. McClellan died of a heart attack in 1885 and is buried in Trenton, New Jersey.

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