Charles Grimes McCowley (January 29, 1827 - October 13, 1891) - The eighth commandant of the United States Marine Corps , served during the US-Mexican War and the US Civil War .
| Charles McCowley | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Charles Grymes McCawley | |||||||
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| Predecessor | Jacob Zailin | ||||||
| Successor | Charles Heywood | ||||||
| Birth | January 29, 1827 | ||||||
| Death | October 13, 1891 (64 years old) | ||||||
| Military service | |||||||
| Years of service | 1858-1903 | ||||||
| Affiliation |  USA | ||||||
| Type of army |  US Marine Corps | ||||||
| Rank | 24px Colonel | ||||||
| Battles | Mexican war U.S. Civil War | ||||||
Biography
Born in Philadelphia , PA . March 3, 1847 was appointed US President James Polk [1] second lieutenant in the corps. He took part in the battle of Chapultepec and in the capture of Mexico City during the US-Mexican War.
September 13, 1847 was temporarily promoted to the rank of first lieutenant for his courage in the above battles. After the war, he commanded the guard of frigates USS Cumberland and USS Independence in the Mediterranean from 1849 to 1852. He then served at a naval shipyard in Philadelphia until 1854. January 2, 1855 was promoted to first lieutenant. After serving at various posts, both on shore and at sea, he was promoted to captain on July 26, 1861 [1] .
During the Civil War, McCowley participated in the capture of Port Royal, South Carolina , on November 7, 1861, and led a detachment of two hundred marines to return the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in May 1862. He commanded marines during operations in Charleston Bay against the forts of Wagner, Gregg and Sumter . For his brave and laudable service, he was temporarily promoted to the rank of major on September 8, 1863. Received a constant increase on June 10, 1864.
After the war he became a companion of the first class of the military order of the loyal legion of the USA, on December 5, 1867 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
On November 1, 1876 he was appointed colonel-commandant (the highest post in the Marine Corps) and served in this position until his resignation on January 29, 1891. In 1883, Colonel McCowley chose the motto Semper fidelis (lat. Always true) as the official motto of the corps.
He was a member of the Sons of the Revolution of the District of Columbia. In 1890, he became a veteran member of the "Aztec Club of 1847." He died in Philadelphia on October 13, 1891.
Two US Navy ships were named after McCawley:
- USS McCawley (DD-276), Clemson class destroyer (1919 - 1930)
- USS McCawley (APA-4), attacking vehicle of the same name, former Santa Barbara ship (1928-1943)
Family
McCowley was the son of Marine Captain James McCowley (1797–1839) and Mary E. (1809–1881). On March 28, 1863, he married his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Colegate (1843-1867). [2] The eldest of two sons born in this marriage, Charles L. McCowley, also joined the Marine Corps and received the Marine Corps Brevet Medal. In May 1870, McCowley married his second wife Alice Alden Henderson, whom he met during command of the Marine Corps Guards at the Boston Naval Shipyard [3] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Our Marine Gallery; Charles Grimes McCawley, Commandant of the Corps , The Washington Critic (15 June 1885). Date of treatment February 26, 2015.
- ↑ Metropolitan Wedding , Daily National Republican (Washington, DC) (March 28, 1863), p. 2. Date of access: February 26, 2015.
- ↑ At The Marine Barracks. Some of the Gallant Soldiers of the Sea and Their Wives. , Evening Star (Washington DC) (June 22, 1889). Date of treatment February 26, 2015.
Links
- McCowley, Charles on Find a Grave
- Colonel Charles G. McCawley, USMC (unreachable link) . Who's Who in Marine Corps History . History Division, United States Marine Corps. Date of treatment December 29, 2010. Archived June 15, 2011.
- Commandants of the Marine Corps . - Annapolis, Maryland : Naval Institute Press , 2004. - P. 97–114. - ISBN 978-0-87021-012-9 .