James Caldwell (clergyman)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Church of Christ clergyman who served from 1969 to 1978 in the Arkansas State Senate, see Jim Caldwell (Arkansas politician).

James Caldwell
Artist's depiction of Caldwell at the Battle of Springfield
Born	April 1734 Charlotte County, Virginia, U.S.A.
Died	November 24, 1781 (aged 47) Elizabethtown, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Occupation	Clergyman
Spouse(s)	Hannah Ogden
Children	9 children
Parents	John Caldwell and Margaret Caldwell

James Caldwell (April 1734 – November 24, 1781) was a Presbyterian minister who played a prominent part in the American Revolution.

Biography

Caldwell was born in Cub Creek in Charlotte County, Virginia, the seventh son of John and Margaret Caldwell, who were Scots-Irish settlers. He graduated from the College of New Jersey (later called Princeton University) in 1759 and, though he inherited 500 acres (2.0 km²) in Cub Creek, became pastor of the Presbyterian church in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He was an active partisan on the side of the Patriots, and was known as the "soldier parson". His church and his house were burned by Loyalists in 1780.

While Caldwell was stationed with the army in Morristown, his wife Hannah was killed by British gunfire under disputed circumstances during the Battle of Connecticut Farms in what is now Union Township, an act which Union County immortalizes on their county seal to this day.^[1] His wife had been at home with their baby and a 3 year old toddler. As the British moved into Connecticut Farms, Hannah Caldwell was shot through a window or wall as she sat with her children on a bed.

Caldwell, who fought in the Battle of Springfield, was killed on November 24, 1781, by an American sentry in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, when he refused to have a package inspected. The sentry, James Morgan, was hanged for murder on January 29, 1782 in Westfield, New Jersey, amid rumors that he had been bribed to kill the chaplain. There were nine orphaned children of Hannah and James Caldwell, all of whom were raised by friends of the family.

Legacy

A monument to Caldwell in Elizabeth, New Jersey was dedicated in 1846.
Three towns, known collectively as The Caldwells are named for James Caldwell:
James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell also carries his name, as does James Caldwell Elementary School in Springfield, New Jersey.
Hannah Caldwell Elementary School in Union, New Jersey, which carries his wife's name.

References

↑ Union County officials battle activist over use of controversial county seal July 10, 2011.

For the date of the murder, see New Jersey Supreme Court, case number 37028, New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, NJ

External links

Authority control	VIAF: 16253882

Persondata
Name	Caldwell, James
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1734
Place of birth	Charlotte County, Virginia, U.S.A.
Date of death	November 24, 1781
Place of death	Elizabethtown, New Jersey, U.S.A.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.