Charles Grymes McCawley was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, was born in Philadelphia. His father was Capt. James McCawley, United States Marine Corps, son of a leading merchant of Philadelphia who emigrated from Ulster County, Ireland, in the eighteenth century; his mother was Mary Eliza Holt, of Norfolk, Virginia, whose father was mayor of that city for some years.
Young McCawley attended school in Abington, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and later, at the Moravian school, Nazareth. After the death of his father in 1839, he entered business in New Orleans with his uncle, William McCawley; attended night school.
On March 3, 1847, McCawley received appointment as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He sailed immediately for Vera Cruz, joined Scott's army, and participated in the storming of the castle of Chapultepec and capture of the city of Mexico. From 1848 to 1861, he served at sea and at various stations, being promoted first lieutenant, January 2, 1855, and captain, July 26, 1861. After the beginning of the Civil War, he joined the battalion of marines at Bay Point, S. C. In May 1862, he commanded the detachment of marines which hoisted the national colors over the Norfolk navy yard, and in August of the same year he saw service with the South Atlantic Squadron, landing at Morris Island, S. C. , and taking part in the bombardment and occupation of Fort Wagner and Fort Gregg.
In the night attack on Fort Sumter by the naval forces under Rear Admiral J. A. Dahlgren, September 8, 1863, Captain McCawley's command of marines, which had volunteered for the hazardous duty, cooperated in a gallant but unsuccessful boat-maneuver, losing nearly one-third of its number in killed, wounded, and missing. He was promoted major, June 10, 1864, and lieutenant-colonel, December 5, 1867. In June 1871, he was ordered to command the Marine Barracks at Washington, and to superintend recruiting. Five years later, November 1, 1876, he was made colonel-commandant of the Marine Corps. His retirement from active service, by operation of law, occurred January 29, 1891, and the following March, a stroke of paralysis led to his last illness and death, at Rosemont, Pennsylvania, where he had sought to regain his health. He was buried in the old churchyard at Abington, Pennsylvania.
McCawley was married in St. John's Church, Washington, March 1863, to Elizabeth Colegate (d. 1867), daughter of James Colegate, and granddaughter of Rev. James Laurie, who emigrated from Scotland in 1800. He was married a second time, in 1870, to Elise Alden Henderson of Philadelphia, a niece of Admiral James Alden, United States Navy, who survived him, as did also two sons by his first marriage.
28 March 1797 - 22 February 1839
10 November 1809 - 3 September 1881
17 May 1832 - 26 October 1917
27 June 1834 - 10 June 1844
1843 - 1867
1 November 1867 - 25 February 1916
24 August 1865 - 29 April 1935
