Edward McCall
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Captain Edward R. McCall (5 August 1790 – 1 August 1853) was an officer in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. He was awarded a
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
.


Biography

Born in
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, McCall was appointed
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
1 January 1808. Appointed acting lieutenant in
brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...
''Enterprise'' 16 October 1811, he took command of his ship during her action with HMS ''Boxer'' 5 September 1813, early in which ''Enterprise's'' captain, Lieutenant
William Ward Burrows II Lieutenant William Ward Burrows II (October 6, 1785 – September 5, 1813) was an officer in the United States Navy during the First Barbary War and the War of 1812. His father, William Ward Burrows I, was the second Commandant of the Marine Co ...
, was mortally wounded. In acknowledgment of his victory over ''Boxer'', McCall received the
Thanks of Congress The Thanks of Congress is a series of formal resolutions passed by the United States Congress originally to extend the government's formal thanks for significant victories or impressive actions by United States, American military commanders and th ...
and a
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
. Promoted to captain 3 March 1835, he died at his home in
Bordentown, New Jersey Bordentown is a City (New Jersey), city in Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 3,993, an increase of 69 (+1.8%) from the 2010 United ...
, 1 August 1853. Two ships have been named USS ''McCall'' for him.


Congressional Gold Medal citation

: That the President of the United States be requested to present to the nearest male relative of lieutenant William Burrows, and to lieutenant Edward R. McCall of the brig ''Enterprise'', a gold medal with suitable emblems and devices; and a silver medal with like emblems and devices to each of the commissioned officers of the aforesaid vessel, in testimony of the high sense entertained in the conflict with the British sloop ''Boxer'', on the fourth of September, in the year one thousand eight hundred and thirteen. And the President is also requested to communicate to the nearest male relative of lieutenant Burrows the deep regret which Congress feel for the loss of that valuable officer, who died in the arms of victory, nobly contending for his country's rights and fame. 1790 births 1853 deaths Congressional Gold Medal recipients United States Navy officers Military personnel from South Carolina United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812 People from Bordentown, New Jersey Military personnel from Burlington County, New Jersey {{US-navy-bio-stub