Henry Clay Caldwell (September 4, 1832 – February 15, 1915) was a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...
of the
and the
and later was a United States Circuit Judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts:
* Eastern District of Arkansas
* Western ...
and of the
United States Circuit Courts for the Eighth Circuit.
Education and career
Born on September 4, 1832, in
Marshall County,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
(now
West Virginia
West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
), Caldwell
read law
Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...
in 1851. He entered private practice in
Keosauqua,
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
from 1852 to 1856. He was prosecutor for
Van Buren County, Iowa from 1856 to 1858. He was a member of the
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...
from 1859 to 1861.
He served in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
from 1861 to 1864, during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
.
As a Colonel he commanded the
3rd Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment that fought against Colonel
Joseph C. Porter who was commanding the
1st Northeast Missouri Cavalry.
[ (Google books)]
Federal judicial service
Caldwell was nominated by President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
on May 2, 1864, to a joint seat on the
and the
vacated by Judge
Daniel Ringo
Daniel Ringo (October 27, 1803 – September 3, 1873) was a justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, and later a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arkansas, the United States District Court for th ...
. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
on May 28, 1864, and received his commission on June 20, 1864. On March 3, 1871, Caldwell was reassigned by
operation of law
The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...
to serve only in the Eastern District. His service terminated on March 13, 1890, due to his elevation to the Eighth Circuit.
Caldwell was nominated by President
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a ...
on February 27, 1890, to a seat on the
United States Circuit Courts for the Eighth Circuit vacated by Judge
David Josiah Brewer
David Josiah Brewer (June 20, 1837 – March 28, 1910) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1890 to 1910. An appointee of President Benjamin Harrison, he supported states' righ ...
. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 4, 1890, and received his commission the same day. Caldwell was assigned by
operation of law
The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...
to additional and concurrent service on the
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts:
* Eastern District of Arkansas
* Western ...
on June 16, 1891, to a new seat authorized by 26 Stat. 826 (
Evarts Act
The Judiciary Act of 1891 (), also known as the Circuit Court of Appeals Act of 1891, or the Evarts Act after its primary sponsor, Senator William M. Evarts, created the United States courts of appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most r ...
). His service terminated on June 4, 1903, due to his retirement.
Death
Caldwell died on February 15, 1915, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
See also
*
List of United States federal judges by longevity of service
These are lists of Article III United States federal judges by longevity of service. Senate confirmation along with presidential appointment to an Article III court entails a lifelong appointment, unless the judge is impeached, resigns, retires, ...
Works
* "Railroad Receiverships in the Federal Courts of the United States: Remarks of the Hon. Henry C. Caldwell before the Greenleaf Club." St. Louis, 1896.
* "Trial by Judge and Jury." ''American Federationist,'' vol. 17 (May 1910), pp. 385–389.
Sources
*
* Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1888
* Harper's Weekly, January 1864
* Joseph A. Mudd, With Porter in Northeast Missouri (1909)
* Richard S. Arnold, George C. Freeman, III JUDGE HENRY CLAY CALDWELL 23 U. Ark. Little Rock L. Rev. 317 Winter, 2001
*
*
References
Further reading
* J.B. Follett
"A Just Judge: Being a Brief Sketch of Henry Clay Caldwell of the United States Circuit Court."''The Arena,'' vol. 16, whole no. 80 (July 1896), pp. 177–185.
* Larry Winter Roeder
''Judge Henry Clay Caldwell.''Amazon: 2011.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caldwell, Henry Clay
1832 births
1915 deaths
Judges of the United States circuit courts
Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives
People from Keosauqua, Iowa
Lawyers from Little Rock, Arkansas
People from Marshall County, West Virginia
People of Iowa in the American Civil War
United States federal judges appointed by Abraham Lincoln
United States federal judges appointed by Benjamin Harrison
United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law
District attorneys in Iowa
19th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly