George A. McCall

George Archibald McCall
George A. McCall
Born	(1802-03-16)March 16, 1802 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	February 25, 1868(1868-02-25) (aged 65) West Chester, Pennsylvania
Place of burial	Christ Church Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Years of service	1822 - 1853; 1861 - 1863
Rank	Brigadier General
Commands held	Pennsylvania Reserves
Battles/wars	American Civil War

George Archibald McCall (March 16, 1802 – February 25, 1868) was a United States Army officer who became a brigadier general and prisoner of war during the American Civil War. He was also a naturalist.

Biography

McCall was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Archibald McCall (1767-1843), a descendant of the Schuyler family and the Van Cortlandt family through his ancestors Stephanus Van Cortlandt and Gertrude Schuyler,^[1] and Elizabeth Cadwalader.

He was appointed from Pennsylvania to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1822. He was assigned to the 1st U.S. Infantry then the 4th U.S. Infantry before serving as aide-de-camp to Gen. Edmund P. Gaines into the beginning of the Second Seminole War. He distinguished himself during the Mexican-American War under Zachary Taylor, receiving brevet promotions to major for gallantry at Palo Alto and to lieutenant colonel for Resaca de la Palma. He retired with 31 years service as Colonel and Inspector General of the Army in 1853.

At the beginning of the Civil War, McCall helped organize Pennsylvania volunteers as major general of the state militia and was commissioned brigadier general of volunteers in May 1861. He helped organize and led the famous Pennsylvania Reserves Division, which served as the 2nd Division, I Corps, Army of the Potomac, and 3rd Division, V Corps. He was one of the oldest West Point graduates to serve in the war.^[2]

McCall served in the Peninsula Campaign and was wounded and captured at Frayser's Farm, Virginia, in June 1862. He was imprisoned in Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. Previous illness was aggravated by his confinement in prison, and after his exchange (for Simon Bolivar Buckner) in August, McCall resigned due to poor health in March 1863.

In retirement, McCall farmed in Pennsylvania. He died at his "Belair" estate in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and is buried in Christ Church Cemetery in his native Philadelphia.

Family tree

See also

An event at General George McCall Elementary School in Philadelphia

• List of American Civil War generals

References

• "George A. McCall". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-12-29. 
• Boatner, Mark M. III, The Civil War Dictionary: Revised Edition, David McKay Company, Inc., 1984.
• Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• McCall, George Archibald, "Letters from the Frontiers", Applewood Books, Bedford Mass, www.awb.com, 1868, 538 p.,
• Warner, Ezra J., Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders, Louisiana State University Press, 1964, ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.

External links

• The McCall Family Papers, including correspondence, accounts, papers and other printed materials belonging to George A. McCall, are available for research use at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.