Biographical Sketch of Major L. G. McCAULEY (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1893, pp. 213-5. "MAJ. L. G. McCAULEY, one of the surviving Union officers who was a prisoner in the celebrated Libby prison, of Richmond, is a prominent and leading republican of Chester county, whose usefulness as a citizen and county official, and whose success in business life is due to his ability, supplemented by an energy that enables him to make the best possible use of such opportunities as come within his grasp. He is a son of John and Lydia (Gheen) McCauley, and was born in West Whiteland township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, September 2, 1837. The McCauley family is of Scotch-Irish descent, and John McCauley was born at Concord, Delaware county, this State, July 29, 1804. He grew to manhood and received his education in his native county, which he left in early life to settle in East Goshen township, Chester county. He died at West Chester, September 11, 1869, when in the eighty-sixth year of his age. In 1844 Mr. McCauley removed to Harrisburg, where he was sergeant-at-arms of the State senate until 1846, when he went to Victoria Iron works, Dauphin county, of which he was general manager until the commencement of the late war. He then raised two hundred men for a Pennsylvania regiment, of which Governor Curtin declined to commission him colonel on account of his age. He was an active and energetic business man. He married Lydia Gheen, who was born August 31, 1815, in East Goshen township, and died in Luzerne county, April 24, 1850, at thirty-five years of age. She was a daughter of Levi Gheen, who was born and reared in East Goshen township, and married Mary Chamberlain, a native of Chester county. Mr. and Mrs. McCauley reared a family of ten children, seven sons and three daughters. Four of the sons served in the Union army: William Cooper, who served in the 31st New Jersey; John Roberts, enlisted in the 15th New Jersey, and was shortly afterwards detached as a member of General Pen- rose's staff; Maj. L. G.; and Lieut. James Neil, now dead, who served in Co. F, 7th Pennsylvania reserves. "L. G. McCauley was reared on the farm, received his education in the public schools and Wyoming seminary, and at eighteen years of age went to the Vulcan Iron works, where he spent three years in learning mechanical engineering. At the end of that time he entered the employ of the New York & Erie Railroad Company at Susquehanna, and worked for them one year at Susquehanna station, which place he left in the spring of 1859 to go to Alabama, where he was suc- cessfully engaged in the iron business until the spring of 1861, when the war of the great rebellion came and paralyzed the industries of the land. Mr. McCauley hurriedly left Alabama, and before the avenues of travel northward were closed hastened home to take up arms in defense of the imperiled liber- ties of his country. He entered the command which his father was raising, but after arriving at Harrisburg he declined to be mustered into the service in that regiment, and went to Wilkesbarre, Luzerne county, where he enlisted in what was afterwards known as Co. F, 7th Pennsylvania reserves. He was sworn into the United States service June 13, 1861, as first sergeant, and on January 14, 1862, was promoted to first lieutenant. He was in the famous peninsular campaign, and participated in the battles of Mechanicsburg, Gaines' Mill, and the stubbornly contested Seven Days fight. He was next engaged in the fight at Charles City Cross Roads, where he commanded his company, and where he received a gunshot wound in his right elbow, which necessitated the amputation of his arm, and which operation was performed by Dr. Kittenger, of Lockport, New York. The next morning he was captured by 'Stonewall' Jackson's corps, and after re- maining seven days in the field hospital he was taken to Savage Station, and from thence sent to the celebrated Libby prison, of Richmond, where he was held as a prisoner for seventy days before he was paroled. After being paroled he was sent by the Federal authorities to Harrisburg, in which city he was em- ployed in the recruiting service until in January, 1863, when he was exchanged, and reported for active duty at Washington city. He was promoted to captain July 20, 1863, and served in the department of Washington until June, 1866, when his services were no longer needed, and he was honorably discharged from the United States service. He returned the same year to West Chester, where he has resided ever since, and with whose business interests he has been prom- inently identified for the last decade. "On October 6, 1870, Mr. McCauley was united in marriage with Isabella Darling- ton, daughter of the late William and Catherine Darlington, of West Chester. "In politics Major McCauley has always been an earnest and leading worker in the Republican party, whose principles he has always maintained and advocated ever since he cast his first vote in 1858 for Galusha A. Grow, for Congress. In 1867-68 he served as assistant sergeant-at-arms of the State senate of Pennsylvania, and the next year was elected as register of wills of Chester county, for a term of three years, which he served in a very acceptable manner to all who had business with the office during that time. He was chairman of the republican county committee during the years 1886, 1887, 1888 and 1889, and then declined any farther re-election. Major McCauley has also served fre- quently as a delegate to the republican county, congressional, and State con- ventions, and in 1890, by his hard work and good generalship, held Chester county solid in the gubernatorial contest in the State convention for General Hastings, the 'Hero of the Johnstown flood.' He is a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, of Pennsylvania, and a member and past commander of McCall Post, No. 31, Grand Army of the Republic. In military and political life he has well borne his part. Major McCauley has been most useful to his city and county. He is one of those men whose ability and energy allow them not to be idle in the educational life and business prosperity of their commun- ities, whose intellectual and material advancement is as dear to them as the triumph of their own most cherished plans of individual success. He is a trustee of the West Chester State Normal school, and a director of the Farmers' National bank and the Coatesville Gas Company. In 1873 he was elected to his present position of general manager of the West Chester Gas Company, and is still a member of the Good Will Fire company, of which he was president for five years. Major McCauley is now in the midst of an active career in various lines of business, and brings to their successful management the wise fore- thought and judgment which have ever been his distinguishing characteristics."