George Cadwalader facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Cadwalader
|
|
|---|---|
George Cadwalader
|
|
| Born | May 16, 1806 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 3, 1879 (aged 72) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Place of burial |
Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
| Allegiance | United States Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1847–1848, 1861–1865 |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Commands held | 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division Military Commander of Maryland 1st Div, Army of the Shenandoah |
| Battles/wars | Mexican-American War American Civil War |
George Cadwalader (born May 16, 1806 – died February 3, 1879) was an important American general. He served in the United States Army during two big conflicts: the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.
Contents
Early Life and Family
George Cadwalader was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied law and became a lawyer. He also joined the Pennsylvania state militia, which was like a local army. He even helped stop some riots in Philadelphia.
His father was Thomas Cadwalader. George also had a cousin named Thomas McCall Cadwalader, who was also a general, but from New Jersey. George's mother was Mary Biddle. Her father, Clement Biddle, fought in the American Revolutionary War.
In 1830, George married Frances Butler Mease. They had one daughter, Frances, but she passed away when she was young.
Service in the Pennsylvania Militia
In 1824, George Cadwalader started an artillery company for the Pennsylvania State Militia. It was called the Philadelphia Grays, and he was their captain. Later, in 1832, he became a brigadier general for a larger group of the Pennsylvania State Militia.
Dealing with Riots in Philadelphia
In 1844, there were serious riots in Philadelphia. Some people were attacking Irish-Catholic neighborhoods. Cadwalader was criticized because he didn't act quickly enough to stop the violence. He said he needed a direct order from the governor to use his troops. Because of this, the state law was changed later. This new law allowed the militia to act in emergencies without waiting for the governor's approval.
Later that same year, during more riots in South Philadelphia, Cadwalader ordered his troops to fire into a crowd. This happened when people were trying to destroy a church. This street fight led to the deaths of twelve rioters and two soldiers. Many more people were hurt. These events made people think about how the military should be used against civilians. It also led to Philadelphia creating a much stronger and more professional police force.
Mexican-American War Service
On March 3, 1847, Cadwalader was made a brigadier general. He was put in charge of a group of soldiers sent to help General Winfield Scott in Mexico. His unit was part of the 3rd Division.
He fought in several important battles during the Mexican–American War. These included the Battle of Contreras, the Battle of Churubusco, and the Battle of Chapultepec. For his brave actions at Chapultepec, he was promoted to major general in the Regular Army. He left the Army on July 20, 1848.
American Civil War Service
When the American Civil War began in 1861, George Cadwalader quickly offered to help the Union side. Because he had a lot of military experience, he was made a major general of Pennsylvania Volunteers.
Commander in Maryland
On May 15, 1861, he became the military commander in Maryland. At that time, communication lines for the Union were being threatened by people who supported the Confederacy. On May 25, he ordered the arrest of John Merryman, who was recruiting soldiers for the Confederate army.
When the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Roger Taney, ordered Cadwalader to release Merryman, Cadwalader refused. He said that the President had given him permission to suspend habeas corpus. This is a legal right that protects people from being held without being charged with a crime. This disagreement became a famous legal case called Ex parte Merryman.
Later Commands
Cadwalader later commanded a division in General Robert Patterson's Army of the Shenandoah. In May 1862, he was officially made a major general in the United States Volunteers.
He also commanded a military post in Corinth, Mississippi. After that, he returned to Pennsylvania. He commanded military posts in Philadelphia, the Brandywine area, and the Susquehanna area. He left the army in July 1865, after the war ended. He spent the rest of his life in Philadelphia.
In April 1865, General Cadwalader helped start a group called the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS). This group was for former Union Army and Navy officers. He was the Commander-in-Chief of this group until he died.
George Cadwalader passed away in Philadelphia on February 3, 1879.
Family tree
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
