Homer D. Call (September 19, 1843 in Truxton,

Cortland County, New York Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population of Cortland County was 46,809. The county seat is Cortland. The county is named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, president of the conventio ...

– April 1929) was an American labor leader and politician.

Life

On October 1, 1861, he enrolled at

Cortland, New York Cortland is a city and the county seat of Cortland County, New York, United States. Known as the Crown City, Cortland is in New York's Southern Tier region. As of 2024, the estimated population of Cortland, New York, is 17,196, reflecting a dec ...

, and was mustered in as

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

of the 76th NY Volunteers to fight in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. On December 13, 1862, he was wounded in the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

. In July 1863, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, and in February 1864 a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

. He was captured in action on May 5, 1864, during the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

, later paroled, and discharged in February 1865. After the war, he settled in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...

, and worked as a meat cutter, and later ran a meat market and grocery. He was Secretary and Treasurer of the Butchers and Meat Cutters of North America from 1897 to 1917, and a vice president of the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutual ...

. In

1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...

, he ran on the Progressive and

Independence League The Independence Party, established as the Independence League, was a short-lived minor United States, American political party sponsored by newspaper publisher and politician William Randolph Hearst in 1906. The organization was the successor ...

tickets for

Secretary of State of New York The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York who leads the Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York is Walter T. Mosley, a Democrat. Duties The secr ...

, but was defeated by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Mitchell May Mitchell May (July 10, 1870 – March 24, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. From 1899 to 1901, he served 1 term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Life He attended the public schools and Brooklyn Polytechnic Institut ...

. After the

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

of Treasurer John J. Kennedy on February 15, 1914, neither Democrats nor

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

had a majority on joint ballot in the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the Bicameralism, two houses that act as the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assem ...

due to the presence of 19 Progressive members. The Progressives offered the Republicans a deal, but were turned down. Then they combined with the Democrats and, on February 25, elected Call

New York State Treasurer The New York State Treasurer was a state cabinet officer in the State of New York (state), New York between 1776 and 1926. During the re-organization of the state government under Governor Al Smith, the office was abolished and its responsibilities ...

to fill Kennedy's unexpired term (98 votes for Call, 96 votes for the Republican candidate William Archer) with the understanding that the Democratic officials, including Deputy Treasurer George W. Batten would continue at their posts in the Treasury. In

November 1914 The following events occurred in November 1914: Sunday, November 1, 1914 * The Ottoman Empire officially entered World War I after Russia declared war on the Empire for bombarding its Black Sea ports. * Battle of Coronel — The Royal Navy s ...

, Call ran on the Progressive and Independence League tickets for re-election, but was defeated by Republican James L. Wells.

References

The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Cali to Callaghan
at

Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...

The Progressive ticket, in NYT on September 7, 1912

Call elected, in NYT on February 26, 1914

The Progressive ticket, in NYT on August 28, 1914

The Citizens' Union's endorsements of candidates for delegate to the Constitutional Convention, in NYT on October 25, 1914

Quits "Friends of Peace", in NYT on August 24, 1915 * ''The Samuel Gompers Papers'' (page 506) (gives birth 1842 in Fabius (town), New York, Fabius, NY)
''American Blue-book of Biography: Prominent Americans of 1914''
by

Thomas William Herringshaw Thomas William Herringshaw (January 27, 1858 – June 27, 1927) was an American journalist, publisher, genealogist and biographical author, best known for editing and publishing biographical reference works.'Herringshaw, Thomas William', ''He ...

(American Publishers Association, 1914) ives birth 1843 in Truxtonbr>76th NYSV – Roster C
at www.bpmlegal.com Transcription of war records from the Adjutant General's Office, New York (age given as 20 in 1861) {{DEFAULTSORT:Call, Homer D 1843 births 1929 deaths New York state treasurers Politicians from Syracuse, New York Trade unionists from New York (state) Vice presidents of the American Federation of Labor People from Truxton, New York Union army officers People of New York (state) in the American Civil War New York (state) Progressives (1912) 20th-century American politicians United States Independence Party politicians Military personnel from Syracuse, New York Amalgamated Meat Cutters people