Revolutionary War Colonel; Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Militia. He was also a member of the Committee of Observation.

Robert Callender was one of the most extensive Indian traders in his day. He was one of twenty-three who suffered in the Bloody River affair losing all of his goods. He was captain in the Provincial Army in 1756-57 and received a land grant. He was a Colonel and Patriot in the American Revolutionary War, and a Member of the Committee of Observation.

In 1883 William H. Egle wrote the following about Robert Callender in his book NOTES & QUERIES: HISTORICAL, BIOGRAPHICAL & GENEALOGICAL, CHIEFLY RELATING TO INTERIOR PENNSYLVANIA:
"Robert Callender, one of the most active and useful inhabitants of the Cumberland Valley in Pre Revolutionary times, who died about the close of that war, and I am sorry my material for that purpose is so scant. He was the largest fur-trader in Pennsylvania; distinguished himself at Braddock's defeat, and a liberal contributer to all the then public movements in Carlisle. To detail his connection with "The Indian Company" would involve the whole history of that gigantic land speculation, which, if carefully written, would be of permanent interest."

The following is from the book:
by Parkinson, Sarah Woods.. Memories of Carlisle's old graveyard: containing a list of the inscriptions on all stones in the enclosure in 1898 and describing a walk through a part of the graveyard. Carlisle, PA.: published by Mary Kirtley Lamberton, c1930....page 205-206 (copied Letter from Robert Callendar):
"Carlisle, Nov. 4, 1756
May it please your Hon:
This day I received advice from Fort McDowel that on Monday or Tuesday last one Samuel Porry and his two sons went from the fort to their plantation and not returning at the time they proposed, the commanding officer there sent a corporal and foureen men to know the cause of their stay, who not finding them at the plantation, they marched back toward the fort and on their return found the said Porry killed and scalped and covered over with leaves; immediately after a party of Indians in number about thirty, appeared and attacked the soldiers who returned the fire and fought for some time until four of our people fell, the rest then made off and six of them got into the fort but what became of the rest is not yet known, there are also two families cut off but cannot tell the number of people. It is likewise reported that the enemy in their retreat burnt a quantity of grain and sundry houses in the [missing] As Col. Armstrong is now absent I thought it my duty to represent your Hon. the hardships and difficulties that in all probability will arise by means of the contract entered into by the Commissioners with the persons who are to [missing] the Battalion on this side Susquehanna. The men are allowed only one pound of beef a day which is half a pound less that their former allowance wherewith they are very much dissatisfied and the more so because the most of the beef cattle which the [missing] buy here are very young and small, and cannot be called beef such as is commonly bought for the use of soldiers. They also weigh off to the troops all the necks, and shins of this ordinary stuff, which I am informed is not done among the Regular troops where they have the best beef that can be got. The Commissioners have also ordered that six months provision at the above rate shall be delivered to the Commanding officer of each company without making any allowances for wastage, but say that if they fall short that the officer shall make good the deficiency. I humbly [missing text] that it will be very disagreeable to me and the other officers to comply with those instructions and must beg your Hon. pardon for saying I cannot submit to them [missing text] particularly ordered by your Hon. or the Col. I am
....Most Obed. and most humble servant
Robert Callender
P.S. I have not quite completed the Eighth Com. but hope in a few days to have it full. I cannot get either arms or blankets from the other companies for them."
--(Copied from the original letter.)"

The following is from page 162, of the book: The new regime, 1765-1767, by Clarence Walworth Alvord, George Croghan:
"WARTON BEFORE THE COUNCIL, March 6, 1766
[P.C.R, 9:302]
At a Council held at Philadelphia, the 6th day of March, 1766.
Present:
The Honourable John Penn, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &cs
Richard Peters, Richard Penn, Benjamin Chew, Esq
Mr. Samuel Wharton waited on the Governor, in Council, and delivered him an Extract of a Letter from Robert Callender to Messr Baynton, Wharton, and Morgan, which was read, & follows in these words, viz:
"PENNSBOROUGH, March 2d, 1766.
"Gentlemen:
"Since my return home, I have been informed by sundry persons, that the rascally part of the Inhabitants of Conegocheage are determined, and now laying a plan, to do you some piece of injury, by either stopping or destroying some part of your last Cargo that yet remains with the Carriers in that Neighborhood, on account of Justice Smith's discharge from the Magistracy, for which they entirely blame your House, thinking that it is you alone have excited the Governor to do it. As you have already experienced so much of their Villainy, they are not to be trusted farther than seen, and therefore I have advised Irwin to go immediately up to that Neighborhood, and stop the proceedings of the Carriers till there is some methods fixed upon for the safe Conveyance of these Goods, now in their Charge, least the Devil should tempt them to commit some Outrage of that kind, which I have great reason to believe they will.
Signed "Robert Callender."

The following information is found on page 262 of "The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine," Volume XXIII - Number 4, published by the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, 1964.

"Captain Robert Callender, b. ca. 1726; d. 29 July 1776, ae. 50 years; m. 1st Mary Scull, d. 1765, Issue:

i. Ann Callender, d. Philadelphia, 15 Oct 1823; m. 1770 General William Irvine, b. Ulster, Ireland, 3 Nov 1741; d. Philadelphia, 29 Jul 1804, of whom see below.

ii. Elizabeth Callender, m. Dr. John Andrews of Philadelphia [1746-1813].

iii. Isabella Callender, m. William Neill of Baltimore.

Robert Callender m. 2nd, Frances Gibbson of Carlisle, Pa. [a sister of Colonel Gibson, father of Chief Justice John Gibson] Issue;

iv. Robert Callender, Jr., d. unm. 1802 in Pittsburgh

v. Martha Callender, m. Judge Thomas Duncan, son of Stephen and Ann Duncan, for whom see below.

vi. Catharine Callender, m. Mr Nolan of Aldie, VA

vii. A Daughter, name not given, m. Mr. Thompson, of Carlisle."
~ end quote.

Captain Callender owned and improved the fine estate of Middlesex, below Carlisle, and Silver Spring, on the spring of that name.

In the book MEMORIES OF CARLISLE'S OLD GRAVEYARD: CONTAINING A LIST OF THE INSCRIPTIONS ON ALL STONES IN THE ENCLOSURE IN 1898, by Sarah Wood Parkinson, on page 65 the following is written about his tomb inscription [see tombstone inscription following family links]:

NOTE: Other tomb inscriptions listed on the same page (presumably because they were buried close to his tombstone) are; wife Mary, granddaughter Elizabeth Neill and granddaughter Mary Irvine. Listed on the previous page is James Irvine, relative to his daughter Anne's husband.