George McClellan was born in 1826, a fact about which, really, it's pretty hard to tell a joke. After excelling in schooling, McClellan went to West Point in 1842, which he stood outside of until they admitted him in 1844. McClellan graduated second in his class at West Point, not getting to be first only because of, according to Wikipedia, "poor drawing skills." McClellan was widely mocked for his lack of perspective and unrealistic shading.