Bio: Thomas J. Caldwell, Claiborne Parish, LA
Source:  Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
The Southern Publishing Company, Chicago & Nashville, 1890
Submitted for the LAGenWeb Archives by: Gwen Moran-Hernandez, Jan. 2000


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Thomas J. Caldwell is a merchant and planter, residing in Ward 5, Claiborne
Parish, La., but his native birthplace is Conecuh County, Ala., where he first
saw the light of day in 1835.  His parents are Andrew and Elizabeth (McNeel)
Caldwell, the birth of the former occurring in Jones County, Ga., in 1803. 
His father was James Caldwell, probably a Georgian, and his grandfather was
Andrew Caldwell, who was born in Ireland, and came to America at an early day. 
Andrew Caldwell the father of Thomas J., was in the war with the Creek
Indians, in 1835.  He and his wife became the parents of the following family:
James (now a resident of Central Arkansas, near Camden), William (of Bienville
Parish, La.), Mary (wife of Z. Tilly, of Bienville Parish), Andrew (died in
infancy), Thomas J., Columbus C. (now a resident of Claiborne Parish), George
(died in infancy), Elizabeth (wife of George Crowley, of Bienville Parish),
Lucinda (lived with Thomas J., died October 18, 1890), John D. (who resides
near Liberty Hill, Bienville Parish, La.), Alec H. (a resident of Ward 5, of
Claiborne Parish), and Andrew J. (who died in Arcadia, in 1886).  Thomas J.
Caldwell remained in the State of Alabama until he was sixteen years of age,
then came to Louisiana with his parents, but his early education was obtained
in the former State.  Upon the opening of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company
E, of the Twenty-seventh Louisiana Infantry, under Capt. R. W. Campbell, and
the first engagement in which he took part was at Vicksburg.  He served three
years, at the end of which time he returned home, without having received a
wound.  The year following the close of the war he was united in marriage to
Miss Louisa J. Leatherman, a daughter of Thomas Leatherman, and unto them a
family of ten children has been born, six of whom are living: Tucker W. (died
at the age of fourteen years), Louella (died when three years of age), Thomas
J., James E., Elmore, Edna (died at the age of three years), Maggie L., Bee,
Nina and Lizzie M.  Mr. Caldwell comes of a line of Whigs, but is, himself, an
active advocate of Democracy.  He and his wife are members of the Missionary
Baptist Church, and are substantial and honored residents of the locality in
which they are residing.  Mr. Caldwell does a general merchandising business,
at Old Athens, besides managing his plantation, which consists of about 1,800
acres, of which some 500 acres are under cultivation, excellently adapting to
raising all the products of the South, there being about 100 bales of cotton
raised annually.

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