Person:John Caldwell (58)

John Caldwell

After moving to the Nelson County, Kentucky area, John Caldwell pursued military, business, and political interests and rose to a position a great prominence in the early days of Kentucky. He started his military career as a private but rose to the rank of Major General in 1793. Most notably, Major General John Caldwell along with 350-400 men under his command served under Anthony Wayne in the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Among Ohio historians, the Battle of Fallen Timbers that took place on August 20, 1794 about 11 miles south of Toledo where a force of over 2,000 Indians were soundly defeated in one hour is very much celebrated as the beginning of the State of Ohio. The overwhelming defeat of the Indian tribes in this battle cleared the way for the settlement and eventual Statehood of Ohio in 1803.^S1

Before Kentucky became a State, John Caldwell represented Nelson County in the 1787 and 1788 Constitutional Conventions that were held in Danville, Kentucky. When Kentucky became a State in 1792, Washington County was formed from Nelson County and the land occupied by the Caldwell family fell into the newly formed Washington County. However, John Caldwell was elected as the 1st Senator of Nelson County in 1792 before Washington, County was formed. In 1796, John Caldwell was elected to the House of Representatives, representing Washington County, Kentucky.^S1

In 1796, General John Caldwell along with Reverend Terah Templin, led a group of settlers to the western part of Kentucky from Washington and Nelson Counties to settle in the western most part of Logan County. This part of Logan County later formed Christian County, Kentucky.

On July 16, 1798, John Caldwell of Christian County was appointed by President John Quincy Adams to serve as a Commissioner. A Commissioner was to provide for the valuation of lands and houses, and for the enumeration of slaves in their jurisdiction.^S1

The election of 1801 was a joyous occasion in the Caldwell family for John Caldwell was elected Senator representing Livingston, Henderson, Muhlenburg, and Ohio Counties and his brother, Robert Caldwell was elected Senator representing Madison County. The election results appear in the November 6, 1801 edition of the Kentucky Gazette.^S1

At some point during 1803, John Caldwell made the decision to run for office of Lieutenant Governor in the upcoming 1804 election. On July 31, 1804, a letter from John Caldwell to the citizens of Kentucky appeared in the Kentucky Gazette, announcing his intentions of running for this office. John Caldwell won the 1804 election and became the 2nd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky but he was the first Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky to be elected by popular vote.^S1

Lt. Governor John Caldwell and family were residents in Livingston County, Kentucky (formed from Christian County) at the time of his death on November 9, 1804 in Frankfort, Kentucky. The 1804 Livingston County, Kentucky tax list shows John Caldwell with 600 acres, 10 blacks, 7 horses, 2 white males 21+, and 1 white male 16+. John Caldwell and his wife Judith had four children, three sons and a daughter.^S1

On May 1, 1809, Caldwell County, Kentucky was formed from Livingston County, Kentucky. Caldwell County, Kentucky was named for Lt. Governor John Caldwell, a man who had dedicated his adult life to serving the citizens of Kentucky. In 1831, the Kentucky Legislature erected a monument to honor Lt. Governor John Caldwell in Frankfort, Kentucky.^S1

On August 3, 1808, Judith Caldwell, the widow of General John Caldwell, married Alexander Johnston. The marriage ceremony officiated by Rev. Terah Templin. The Livingston County, Kentucky 1809 tax list shows Alexander Johnston with 200 acres entered and surveyed in his own name and 200 acres on Livingston Creek entered in the name of John Caldwell. Poor Judith, this must have been a very unhappy marriage since she left Alexander Johnston prior to February 28, 1810. Alexander Johnston posted an ad that appeared in the February 28, 1810 edition of “The Farmer’s Friend” published in Russellville, Kentucky stating his wife Judith had left him to live with friends and he would not be responsible for any of her debts. The 200 acres of John Caldwell does not appear with Alexander Johnston in the 1810 Livingston County, Kentucky tax list. Alexander Johnston must have died that year as well. In August and September of 1810, Alexander Johnston, a Revolutionary War veteran who was advanced in years transfers his estate to his children, Mary and Thomas, in return for his care. No records have been found to exist for Judith Caldwell Johnston after 1810 so it is likely that she died in this year.^S1

The motion of Hiram McDaniel on July 19, 1819 in Livingston, Kentucky, certified that Robert S. Caldwell, Terah T. Caldwell, Nancy Ross, and John Caldwell were the proper and only heirs of John Caldwell, deceased, with satisfactory proof made that he died without any last will and testament...^S1

1.   The Life and Family of Lt. Gov. John Caldwell by Sandy Caldwell, in Kentucky ancestors: genealogical quarterly of the KentuckyHistoricalSociety
   Vol. 40, No. 3, Pages 118 to 123, Spring 2005.

   The author Sandy Caldwell is a g-g-g-g-granddaughter of Lt. Gov. Caldwell.

2. ↑ Major John Caldwell's Battalion, which was under Major General Charles Scott's Command (a Kentucky militia unit), which was part of General Anthony Wayne's campaign against the Indians at Ft. Miami.