McClellan worked as a Congregationalist minister and as a high school teacher and principal. His writing, generally self-published, addresses religion, nature, and romantic love while only occasionally revealing an emotional struggle against racial discrimination.
The full September moon sheds floods of light,
And all the bayou's face is gemmed with stars,
Save where are dropped fantastic shadows down
From sycamores and moss-hung cypress trees.
With
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The sun went down in beauty Beyond the Mississippi side, As I stood on the banks of the river And watched its waters glide; Its swelling currents resembling The longing restless soul, Surging ... [+]
All Nashville is a-chill! And everywhere,
As wind-swept sands upon the deserts blow,
There is, each moment, sifted through the air,
A powered blast of January snow.
O thoughtless
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Oh! for the welcome breath of country air, With Summer skies and flowers, To shout and feel once more the halcyon Of gayer boyhood hours I think the sight of fields and shady lanes Would ease my ... [+]