VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY
735
olutionary sires gain her admission to all
patriotic societies, while her own desires and
inclination lead her to deep and perma-
nent interest in the preservation of genea-
logical and historical records and facts. She
was the founder and is present regent of
Joseph Hedges Chapter of the Daughters of
the Revolution of Emporia. \'irginia, found-
er and regent of the first \'irginia Chapter
of the United States Daughters of 1812, and
first vice-president of the state society. She
is also a member of the National Genealog-
ical Society, the X'irginia Society for the
Preservation of Antiquities, Mary Baldwin
Alumnae Association. Jef¥erson-Monticello
Association, Colonial Dames of \'irginia in
America, First Families of \ irginia, United
Daughters of the Confederacy. American
Clan Gregor, Daughters of Founders and
Patriots of America, Colonial Daughters of
the Seventeenth Century, Americans of
Armorial Ancestry, Americans of Royal De-
scent, Colonial Lords of Manors in Amer-
ica. Her membership in the Daughters of
the Revolution is remarkable that her in-
signia contains ten bars, each one denoting
a difterent ancestor, to whom she can trace
with certainty. She possesses a rare fund
of old and historical documents, commis-
sions, etc., many of them dating to early
colonial days.
B. Roscoe Caldwell, M. D. Caldwells emigrated from England. Scotland and Ire- land to America and established early homes in New England, New Jersey and the South. The name has been common in the coun- tries named and in France for centuries, the name in England appearing on Domesday Book as Caldennuelle. In Scotland the Caldwells of Ayrshire, were prominent as early as 1349, a chancellor of Scotland bear- ing that name. In Scotch the name signi- fies Coldwold, the Hazelwood or divining rod. in English Coldwell.
John Caldwell, of Scotch ancestry, but Irish birth, came from Antrim, Ireland, set- tling first at Chestnut Level, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, soon afterward re- moving to Charlotte county, Virginia, the family home there being known as the Cald- well settlement. He had seven children, the youngest being Rev. James Caldwell, born in Charlotte county, \^irginia, in April, 1734, whose wife, Hannah (Ogden) Caldwell, was killed by the British at the battle of Spring- field, New Jersey.
Nothing more did I say Wait one moment you've
heard 0{ Caldwell the parson, who once preached the word Down at Springtield? What, no? Come — that's bad;
why he had All the Jerseys aflame ! And they gave him the name Of the "Rebel high priest." He stuck in their gorge, For he loved the Lord God, and he hated King
George. — Bret Harte.
One of the sons of Rev. James Caldwell, "the rebel high priest," was taken to France and educated by Lafayette. Martha Cald- well, a niece of Rev. James Caldwell, marr ricd Patrick Calhoun, and was the mother of the famous statesman, John Caldwell Cal- houn, of South Carolina.
Caldwells have been prominent in Vir- ginia in different walks of life, public and I)rivate. In the present day they are repre- sented in New Castle, Virginia, by Dr. B. Roscoe Caldwell, a leader in the medical profession, son of John Pendleton Caldwell, and grandson of x\ndrevv Caldwell, of Craig county, \' irginia. who was the father of seven children : John Pendleton, of whom further: Oscar, a farmer of Craig county, \'irginia; William, deceased; Ann. Jane. .Adeline. Armita.
John Pendleton Caldwell was born in Craig county in 1846. During the war be- tween the states he served for eight months in a Virginia regiment, fighting at Cedar Creek. Malvern Hill, and elsewhere. After the war he became a merchant, also was ])roprietor of a hotel. He was elected a member of the Virginia legislature, serving during the sessions of 1887-88. He was com- missioner of internal revenue for Craig county, assessor of taxes for New Castle, and postmaster of that city for four years, appointed by President Cleveland. He mar- ried \'ictoria. daughter of Daniel Hofifman. of Craig county, she born in 1852. died in October. 1910. Her brothers. Ransom. Maz- erine. Dexter and Palse, all served in the Confederate army ; Ransom, a private in the Twenty-eighth Regiment Virginia Infantry, was wounded in battle ; Mazerine was sec- ond lieutenant of a regiment recruited in New Castle county, was captured with his entire company by the Union forces, con- fined in Fort Delaware, later exchanged and was in the service until the end : Dexter served during the latter part of the war in a \'irginia regiment and is now a farmer of West Virginia ; Palse is now residing in Portland. Oregon. Children of John Pendle- ton and Victoria (Hofifman) Caldwell: B.
