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Below is a family biography included in County of Trigg, Kentucky, Historical and Biographical edited by William Henry Perrin and published by F. A. Battey Publishing Co. in 1884.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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JOHN H. CALDWELL was born August 22, 1842, in Trigg County, and is a son of John H. and Martha W. (Barkasdale) Caldwell; the former was born June 6, 1817, in Halifax County, Va.; he died December 27, 1848; they were married May 16, 1838, and emigrated to Trigg County in 1841; the latter was born June 11, 1821, also in Halifax County, Va. She died July 18, 1846. The subject of this sketch is the eldest of a family of three. After the death of their parents, they were reared by their guardian, Capt. C. W. Roach. John’s early education was received at Cadiz, Q. M. Tyler and James Rumsey being his teachers, after which he attended the Bethel College three years. After five months’ study at the Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tenn., he returned to the Bethel College, Russellville, there graduated in the class of 1861; he then entered the Confederate Army, Company A, Ninth Kentucky Infantry, commanded by Col. Thomas H. Hunt, of Louisville, and served to the end of the war; he participated in the battle of Shiloh, was under fire at Vicksburg, battles of Baton Rouge, Murfreesboro, Jackson and all the battles from Dalton to Atlanta, and Jonesboro; after the battle near Statesboro, S. C., on capitulated terms of surrender, they were paroled at Washington, Ga., May 6, 1865, and were the last troops that fired a gun east of the Chattahoochee, where they surrendered; he then returned to Trigg County, where he has since been engaged in agricultural pursuits, except two years as teacher of the Wallonia Institute. He was married December 16, 1868, to Cornelia F. Boyd. She was born June 21, 1848, in Trigg County; she died September 6, 1881, leaving a family of four children—two sons and two daughters. His brother Thomas B. was killed at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, April 6, 1862; his brother Dr. J. W. Caldwell served during the late war in Company A, Woodward’s Cavalry, after which he attended the University of Virginia, and graduated at the Baltimore Medical College in 1866. He then engaged in the practice of his profession in Belleview, Christian County; after practicing several years he went to Louisville for the purpose of having an operation performed, from which he died November 4, 1873.

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This family biography is one of 185 biographies included in The History of Trigg County, Kentucky published in 1884.  For the complete description, click here: Trigg County, Kentucky History and Genealogy

View additional Trigg County, Kentucky family biographies: Trigg County, Kentucky Biographies

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