Charles Caldwell and Elizabeth [Unk]

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Husband Charles Caldwell ¹

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           Born:  - County Derry, Ireland
     Christened: 
           Died: Spring, 1799 2
         Buried:  - Hart's Log Cemetery, near Alexandria, Huntingdon Co, PA

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         Father: [Father] Caldwell (      -      )
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: 

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Wife Elizabeth [Unk] ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1821 2
         Buried:  - Hart's Log Cemetery, near Alexandria, Huntingdon Co, PA

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Children

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1 M Capt. David Caldwell ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Abt 1816
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Jane [Unk] (      -1831) 2

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2 M Robert Caldwell ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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3 M Charles Caldwell ³

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1840 - ? Mercer Co, PA 3
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Isabella Stitt (      -1844) 2
           Marr: 9 Jun 1795 2

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4 F Elizabeth Caldwell ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: John Spencer (      -      ) 2
           Marr: 20 Jan 1801 2

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5 F Ann Caldwell ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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6 F Jean Caldwell ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - Charles Caldwell

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He was born of Scotch parentage. After arriving at manhood, he and his brother, Robert, emigrated to America, and for a time resided near Greencastle, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. In the summer of 1754 they left Greencastle to explore the upper Juniata Valley. They took the Tuscarora path, by the way of Burnt Cabins, Shade Gap, Black Log, Croghan's Fort (then a mere stockade), Jack's Narrows, and Standing Stone, and selected spots for homes for themselves and their families in what is now Porter township, Huntingdon County.
After constructing rude log huts they returned, and in the spring following (1755), with their families and all their worldly effects on pack-horses, made their way to their new homes, in what later came to be called Hart's Log Valley, and remained there unmolested until 1778, when the Indian troubles began.
Charles settled on the south side of the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata, opposite where the town of Alexandria was later established.
There were no white women west of Aughwick at the time Robert and Charles brought their families to Hart's Log Valley.
The brothers and their families lived on the most friendly terms with the Indians until the Revolutionary war broke out, when the latter, instigated by the Tories, began to murder and plunder the settlers. Then these brothers became the sworn and determined foes of the "redskins," as the hostile natives were then termed, and were active participants in the struggle then inaugurated for the supremacy of the white race in the valley.
These men by their courage and kindness won the esteem of the natives who dwelt in their vicinity, and who for years were their only neighbors. They were always warned by some of these natives when danger from incursions of unfriendly Indians into the valley was imminent, and were therefore enabled to provide against impending peril and arrange for the protection of themselves and their families. They only forted once during the Indian troubles, and then for a short time only at the earnest solicitation of Logan, a chief among the Indians of the Juniata Valley, who in the dusk of the evening came to the house of Charles, and told Mrs. Caldwell, her husband being absent at the time, that the family must go to the fort at once, as the Kittanning Indians were on the war-path, and on a certain day would overrun the whole valley and plunder and murder all the white settlers found therein. With tears in his eyes he begged her to go at once, and not to tell who gave her warning; that the hostile Indians would kill him if they knew that he had told them of their plans. Mrs. Caldwell sent word to Robert's family, and commenced preparing for immediate departure. On the arrival of her husband, they at once started with their families and their stock for the fort, and were safely housed there when, on the day named by Logan, the war-whoop of the Kittanning Indians resounded through the valley, and plunder, rapine, and murder was the order of the day, and many of the settlers who had not sought safety in the forts of the valley were massacred and their homes pillaged and burned. This raid only lasted a short time, and after the Indians departed the families left the fort, and returning to their homes remained there, frequently in great danger, but they stood by their homes and firesides, and successfully defended them during the remaining years of the Indian troubles.
The wives of Robert and Charles were, like their husbands, hardy, brave, and determined, and were well fitted for frontier life and the exigencies of the times in which they lived.
On one occasion, soon after these families settled in Hart's Log Valley, in the fall of 1755 or 1756, Mrs. Charles Caldwell, having been engaged in outdoor work during the day, found, on going to prepare the frugal evening meal for the family, that the fire had "gone out," and that there was not a bit of punk or flint with which to "strike a light." Matches were unknown, the Juniata River between her and her nearest neighbor, Robert Caldwell's, three miles distant, and no canoe at hand, her husband having used it to carry himself over in the morning, and had left it on the other side to use on his return home in the evening. She found herself in a "fix," as she termed it, but not discouraged, notwithstanding the shades of night were approaching, resolved that she would not await the arrival of her husband, but would have fire if she had to "wade" for it, and with her to resolve was to do. She waded the river and went to Robert's house, procured a burning brand and some live coals, which she carried to her home, thus relighting the fire on her own hearthstone. This incident of her life, with many others, she related to her grandnephew, David Caldwell, of Blair County, shortly before her decease in 1821. The Caldwells were stanch Presbyterians, and among the principal subscribers to a fund for the erection of the first church, or meeting-house, as it was called at that date, 1786.

1 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 411.

2 J. Simpson Africa, The History of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: Louis H. Everts, 1883), Pg 412.

3 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 850.