Thomas McCall Cadwalader (September 11, 1795 – October 22, 1873) was an American who trained to be a lawyer but made his career in the military, retiring as a
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
.
Early life
Thomas McCall Cadwalader was born on the family estate called Greenwood in
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Lambert Cadwalader
Lambert Cadwalader (December 1742 – September 13, 1823) was an American merchant and leader in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He fought in the Revolutionary War, then represented New Jersey in the Continental Congress and the U.S. Congres ...
(1742–1823) and mother was Mary McCall (1764–1848).
Through his mother, he was a descendant of the
Schuyler Schuyler may refer to:
Places United States
* Schuyler County, Illinois
* Schuyler County, Missouri
* Schuyler, Nebraska, a city
* Schuyler County, New York
* Schuyler, New York, a town
* Schuyler Island, Lake Champlain, New York
* Schuyler C ...
Stephanus Van Cortlandt
Stephanus van Cortlandt (May 7, 1643 – November 25, 1700) was the first native-born mayor of New York City, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the governor' ...
and Gertrude Schuyler. He was their only child, a brother having died in childhood. His cousin Elizabeth Cadwalader (1774–1824) married his uncle Archibald McCall (1767–1843). Many of his cousins once-removed became military leaders, following the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
He graduated from
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
and read law, but chose a career in the military instead.
Career
He was appointed deputy
adjutant-general
An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer.
France
In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
of the New Jersey militia on June 2, 1830. On April 10, 1833, he became Aide-de-camp to Elias P. Seeley with rank of lieutenant colonel. On July 30, 1842, he was promoted to brigadier general.
In 1856, he toured Europe to report on how the US military could be modernized.
He retired from the military on January 26, 1858. After his retirement he was given an honorary brevet promotion to major general.
Personal life
On December 27, 1831, Cadwalader married Maria Charlotte Gouverneur (1801–1867). Her aunt Elizabeth Kortright (1768–1830) had married
U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
James Monroe
James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
, and brother Samuel Laurence Gouverneur (1799–1865) had married Monroe's daughter. Together, they were the parents of:
* Emily Cadwalader (1834–1892), married William Henry Rawle on October 17, 1869, after the death of his first wife.
* Mary Cadwalader (1835–1914), who married physician Silas Weir Mitchell (1829–1914) on June 23, 1875.
*
John Lambert Cadwalader
John Lambert Cadwalader (November 11, 1836 – March 11, 1914) was an American lawyer.
Early life
John Lambert Cadwalader was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on November 17, 1836. He was the eldest son of General Thomas McCall Cadwalader (1795–1 ...
(1836–1914), who joined a prominent Wall Street law firm,
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP (known as Cadwalader) is a white-shoe law firm, and is New York City's oldest law firm and one of the oldest continuously operating legal practices in the United States. Attorney John Wells founded the practice i ...
, that now bears his name.
* Richard McCall Cadwalader (1839–1918), who graduated from Princeton in 1860 and Harvard Law School in 1863 and who married Christine Biddle (1847–1900) on November 26, 1873.
* Maria Cadwalader (c. 1841–1921), who married John Hone (1844–1915) on April 29, 1880. Hone's grandfather was Commodore
Matthew Perry
Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969) is an American-Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004).
As well as starring in the short-lived television series '' St ...
Philip Hone
Philip Hone (October 25, 1780 – May 5, 1851) was Mayor of New York City from 1826 to 1827.Minutes of the Common Council of the City of New York, 1784-1831. Volume XV, November 10, 1825 to December 25, 1826'. New York: City of New York, 1917. p. ...
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Emily Margaretta Roebling (1879–1941). Through his daughter Maria, he was the grandfather of Hester Gouverneur Hone-Bartol.