Charles Grymes McCawley

Charles McCawley
8th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1875-1891)
Born	(1827-01-29)January 29, 1827 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	October 13, 1891(1891-10-13) (aged 64) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1847-1891
Rank	Colonel
Commands held	Commandant of the Marine Corps
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War Battle of Chapultepec Civil War Fort Wagner
Relations	Charles L. McCawley son

Charles Grymes McCawley (January 29, 1827 – October 13, 1891) was the eighth Commandant of the Marine Corps and served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps during the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.

Biography

Born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McCawley was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps on March 3, 1847. He took part in the Battle of Chapultepec and the capture of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War. (It is this battle which is commemorated in the Marine Hymn's words, "From the Halls of Montezuma....")

He was brevetted first lieutenant September 13, 1847, for gallantry in those actions. He received promotions to first lieutenant on January 2, 1855 and to captain on July 26, 1861.

In the Civil War, he aided in the capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, November 7, 1861 and led a detachment of 200 Marines to reoccupy the Norfolk Navy Yard, May 1862. He subsequently commanded Marine detachments during operations in Charleston Harbor against Forts Wagner, Gregg, and Sumter. For gallant and meritorious conduct during the boat attack on Fort Sumter, September 8, 1863, he was brevetted to the rank of major and received a full promotion to that rank on June 10, 1864.

After the war, he became a First Class Companion of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and was promoted to lieutenant colonel on December 5, 1867.

On November 1, 1876, he was appointed colonel commandant, the highest post in the Marine Corps, and served in that position until he retired on January 29, 1891. In 1883, Colonel McCawley chose Semper Fidelis, Latin for 'Always Faithful', as the official Marine Corps motto.

He was a member of the District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the Revolution.

Colonel McCawley died at Philadelphia on October 13, 1891.

Relations

Son of Mary E. (1809–1881) and Marine captain James McCawley (1797–1839). Charles G. McCawley's son Charles L. McCawley also received a commission in the Marine Corps and went on to receive the Marine Corps Brevet Medal and to modify the enlisted Marines sword.

Namesakes

Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS McCawley  in his honor.

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

• "Charles Grymes McCawley". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2009-08-07. 
• "Colonel Charles G. McCawley, USMC". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Retrieved 2010-12-29. 
• Allan Reed Millett and Jack Shulimson, ed. (2004). Commandants of the Marine Corps. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 97–114. ISBN 978-0-87021-012-9. 

External links

• Charles Grymes McCawley at Find a Grave

v t e United States Marine Corps Leadership Secretary of the Navy Under Secretary of the Navy Commandant of the Marine Corps Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Marine Corps Generals United States Congress House Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Senate Subcommittee on Seapower Major commands Organization of the Marine Corps Headquarters Marine Corps Marine Forces Command II Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Forces Pacific I Marine Expeditionary Force III Marine Expeditionary Force Marine Forces Reserve Fleet Marine Force Atlantic Pacific Structure Marine Air-Ground Task Force Bases Battalions Marine aviation Marine expeditionary unit MARSOC Recon Force Division Personnel and training Personnel Rank insignia MOS Notable Marines Historical Marines Criminal Investigation Division Judge Advocate Division Chaplain of the Marine Corps Hispanic Marines Associated organizations Training Recruit Training School of Infantry Officer Candidates School The Basic School Martial Arts Program Uniforms and equipment Uniforms Awards Badges Weapons Vehicles and aircraft Individual equipment History and traditions History Culture Acronyms and terms Birthday Ball Eagle, Globe, and Anchor Marine Band Drum and Bugle Corps Service Numbers Marine Corps War Memorial Flag Marine One Marines' Hymn National Museum Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima Rifleman's Creed Semper Fidelis Silent Drill Platoon History of Hispanics in the USMC Toys for Tots Portal:United States Marine Corps Category:United States Marine Corps

v t e Leadership of the United States Marine Corps Commandants Nicholas Burrows Wharton Gale Henderson Harris Zeilin McCawley Heywood Elliott Biddle Barnett Lejeune Neville Fuller Russell Holcomb Vandegrift Cates Shepherd Pate Shoup Greene Chapman Cushman Wilson Barrow Kelley Gray Mundy Krulak Jones Hagee Conway Amos Assistant Commandants Cole Lejeune Long Neville Feland Williams Fuller Myers Russell McDougal Little H. Smith Vandegrift Barrett Keyser Schmidt Rockey Peck Turnage Shepherd O. Smith Silverthorn Thomas Pate Megee McCaul Munn Hayes Mangrum Chapman Walt McCutcheon R. Davis Anderson Jaskilka Barrow McLennan Kelley J. Davis Morgan Went J. R. Dailey Boomer Hearney Neal Dake Williams Nyland Magnus Amos Dunford Paxton Sergeants Major Bestwick Rauber McHugh Sweet J. W. Daily Puckett Black Massaro Crawford Cleary Sommers Overstreet Lee McMichael Estrada Kent Barrett Secretary of the Navy (navbox) Four-star generals Headquarters Marine Corps Category