George Mcclellan [1849-1913]: a Memoir Read Before the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, by J

Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson Digital Commons Jefferson Biographies Jefferson Alumni and Faculty 1914 George McClellan [1849-1913]: A Memoir read before the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, by J. Chalmers Da Costa, M.D., LL.D., Samuel D. Gross Professor of Surgery in Jefferson Medical College J. Chalmers Da Costa M.D., LL.D. Follow this and additional works at: https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jeffbiographies Part of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Recommended Citation Da Costa, J. Chalmers M.D., LL.D., "George McClellan [1849-1913]: A Memoir read before the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, by J. Chalmers Da Costa, M.D., LL.D., Samuel D. Gross Professor of Surgery in Jefferson Medical College" (1914). Jefferson Biographies. Paper 1. https://jdc.jefferson.edu/jeffbiographies/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Jefferson Digital Commons. The Jefferson Digital Commons is a service of Thomas Jefferson University's Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). The Commons is a showcase for Jefferson books and journals, peer-reviewed scholarly publications, unique historical collections from the University archives, and teaching tools. The Jefferson Digital Commons allows researchers and interested readers anywhere in the world to learn about and keep up to date with Jefferson scholarship. This article has been accepted for inclusion in Jefferson Biographies by an authorized administrator of the Jefferson Digital Commons. For more information, please contact: [email protected]. George McClellan A Memoir read before the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, by J. Chalmers Da Costa, M.D., LL.D., Samuel D. Gross Professor of Surgery in Jefferson Medical College. Reprintei from The Jeff erson.iczn, April, 1914. George McClellan A Memoir read before the College of Physicians of Philadelpkia, by J. Chalmers Da Costa, M.D., LL.D., Svmuel D. Gross Professor of Surgery in Jefferson Medical College. "Every moment dies a man." know enough to dare to be. The dead Death is ever gleaning his harvest. are beyond the reach of envy and malice, Rich and poor, young and old, happy and of misery and unhappiness, of the bitter wretched, celebrated and obscure, are word of hate, of the serpent's hiss of alike helpless to check the stern ordi- scorn. Upon the phantom-haunted nance of Fate. Death is the law. The shore of Death the sea of Sorrow casts no grave hungers for all of us. The door- wave. way of the road to Eternity is ever open. One who still lives has to apprehend Through it passes an endless procession. the manner of death Destiny has plotted Through it shall pass all the sons of men. out for him. It was Solon who said, The young love life. " Count no man happy till you know the manner of his death." Each one of us has " Youth asks itself, ' How can I ever die? ahead of him the grim tragedy of earthly Only the old into the grave must fall.' extinction, and to some of us it will While age is wondering with a gentle assuredly come in its most dreadful form. sigh So why should we pity the dead? We If all this wasted breath was life at all." say, with Chrysostom, " Honor the dead Storer. with remembrance but not with tears." To live always would be an indescribably The young are seldom oppressed by horrible thing. The gloomy legend of the thought of death. This, too, is the the Wandering Jew portrays the hopeless law. Were it otherwise, the work of the horror of an endless life. world would not be and could not be When a dear friend dies we are fright- performed, progress would cease and ened at the inexorable action of a existence would stagnate. As the years natural law; we are appalled at our loss ; pass, age lays his chilling hand upon us. we tell each other of the dead man's life, The sunlit hours' seem to dance more his sayings, his deeds, his character; quickly by. Year by year darkness we grieve for his lonely family; and we more quickly follows dawn, winter fol- seek to comfort ourselves by the reflec- lows summer, the river flows toward the tion that though he is gone he has but mysterious unknown. Ever oftener gone before us into the unknown. death invades the immediate human Tonight we meet to honor the dead circle of each of our lives. One must of with affectionate remembrance. We necessity be resigned. It is not our right gather to pay tribute to the memory of a to be sorry for a dead. man. We don't distinguished scientist, of a dear friend, of a valuable and valued Fellow of this Dumfries that Robbie Burns was an College. On the 29th of March, 1913, officer of excise, and it was in that town George McClellan was claimed by the he died. Gretna Green is near by— grave. Gretna Green, where, for so many years, I shall occupy but a brief time telling the village blacksmith married runaway of his work. I shall make no attempt couples from nearby England, a custom to relate at length the story of his busy, which ended only in 1856. Adjacent is useful, and successful life. A mere Ecclefechan (the Entophfuhl of " Sartor epitome of a man's work tells little of Resartus "), where the great Carlyle was the man. Such a story does not breathe. born and where his body rests. Not far It is, at best, a mere skeleton, not a flesh- away is the hill where Meg Merrilies, she clad, blood-warm, soul-stirred form. of whom we read in " Guy Mannering," I purpose trying to sketch the man, cursed the Lord of Ellengowan. On to draw the outline of his nature, to set every hand are relics and traditions of forth his characteristics, to portray his Bruce and Wallace, of the Border wars, character, to put him before you as he of the Black Douglas, of the Jacobites was, as the man I know him to have of 1715, of the gay and gallant Prince been. This large task has been en- Charlie and " The '45." trusted to weak and bungling, but to The McClellans were loyal followers tender and sympathetic hands. I loved of the house of Stuart, and fought for George McClellan, and had reason to, the Pretender in 1715. After the anni- for twice in my life when I most needed hilation of the rebellion many chieftains friends, he stood by my side my loyal escaped the Tower and the block by friend. His taking off has left a gap in fleeing to France or America. The head my human circle and an emptiness in my of the McClellans came to America and life which can never be completely settled in Worcester, Mass. He was the filled. grandfather of the grandfather of George He came from a long line of distin- McClellan. His son, George McClellan's guished forebears. The blood of fight- great-grandfather, held the king's com- ing Scotchmen and of revolutionary mission in the French and Indian War patriots ran hot in his veins. The and was a brigadier-general in the war of ancient home of his race was Kirkcud- the American Revolution. He lived in bright, on Solway Fifth. The Firth is an Woodstock, Connecticut. Three great arm of the Irish Sea which separates S. elms which recently stood and may still W. Scotland from the English county of stand in that town, were planted by the Cumberland. Kirkcudbright has Dum- wife of the revolutionary soldier be- fries to the east, Ayr to the north, cause he, then a captain, had come safe Wigtown to the west. The entire region out of the Battle of Bunker Hill. is a land of song and story and tradition. George McClellan, the son of Wash- Into the Firth Paul Jones used to come ington's brigadier, the grandfather of the on the Ranger and escape from his MeClellan of whom we speak, was born English pursuers—Paul Jones, who had in Woodstock, educated at Yale, studied been born in Kirkcudbright. medicine in the University of Pennsyl- In Kirkcudbright, William Douglas vania, settled in Philadelphia, married wrote "Annie Laurie." The world still a Philadelphia belle, Elizabeth Brinton, sings " Maxwellton's braes are bonnie," resided here all his days, died here, and and Maxwelltown is just across the is buried in Laurel Hill. He was a cele- county border in Dumfries. It was in brated surgeon of great originality, Dumfries that Robert Bruce slew Red intrepidity, dexterity,- energy, indepen- Comyn, the nephew of Baliol. It was in dence of spirit and force of character. He founded the Jefferson Medical Col- that myriads have believed and multi- lege, and was its first professor of surgery. tudes do believe in predestination. Samuel, a brother of the distinguished When we view George McClellan's surgeon, was also eminent as a medical fore-elders we find influences that came man. He was for a time Professor of to build and strengthen his courage, Anatomy in Jefferson. industry, integrity, loyalty, truthfulness, John Hill Brinton McClellan was the love of freedom, hatred of injustice, father of him we honor tonight. He manly independence, outspoken hon- was Professor of Anatomy in the Pennsyl- esty, readiness for a fair fight, amaze- vania Medical College, an institution ment at treachery, inability to under- founded by the elder McClellan after he stand the trickster, the time-server, and broke with Jefferson, one which became the liar.

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