In one of the greatest political upsets in U.S. history, Harry S. Truman defeats Thomas E. Dewey in the presidential election. Despite widespread predictions of Dewey’s victory, Truman won re-election with a strong electoral and popular vote showing.

TODAY’S PATRIOT

George B. McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was a Union general during the American Civil War, known for organizing the Army of the Potomac and clashing with President Abraham Lincoln over military strategy. Though praised for his logistics and ability to inspire troops, McClellan’s cautiousness and reluctance to pursue Confederate forces frustrated the Lincoln administration. He was eventually relieved of command and later ran unsuccessfully against Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. After the war, he served as governor of New Jersey. His legacy is a mix of military brilliance and political missteps.

McClellan once referred to Lincoln as “the original gorilla,” revealing a strained relationship that shaped wartime policy. Despite his personal disdain, he publicly upheld civilian authority and declined opportunities to seize political power through the military. His failure to capitalize on battlefield advantages may have prolonged the war, yet his early efforts helped build a strong Union army. Today, historians view him as a complex figure—talented but temperamentally unsuited to decisive wartime leadership.