John Henry Caldwell (April 4, 1826 – September 4, 1902) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Early life and education

Born in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...

, Caldwell attended the common schools of Huntsville and Bacon College,

Harrodsburg, Kentucky Harrodsburg is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 9,064 at the 2020 census. Although Harrodsburg was formally established by the Virginia House of Burgesses after Boo ...

Teaching career

He taught school in

Limestone County, Alabama Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 103,570. Its county seat is Athens. The county is named after Limestone Creek. Limestone County is included in the Huntsville, AL ...

, four years. He moved to

Jacksonville, Alabama Jacksonville is a city in Calhoun County, Alabama, Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,385, which is a 14.6% increase since 2010 and a 71.2% increase since 2000. It is included in the Anniston-Oxfo ...

, in 1848. He was principal of the Jacksonville Female Academy 1848-1852 and of the Jacksonville Male Academy 1853-1857. Caldwell edited the Jacksonville Republican in 1851 and 1852 and assumed the editorship of the Sunny South in 1855. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1857 and 1858.

Legal career

He studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1859 and commenced practice in

American Civil War

During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

enlisted in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

and organized Company A of the Tenth Alabama Regiment, from St. Clair and Calhoun Counties, and served throughout the war. He was promoted to major and then to lieutenant colonel. He served in the Army of Virginia.

Political career

Caldwell was elected solicitor for the tenth judicial circuit in 1863 but was deposed by the Provisional Governor in 1865. He was reelected the same year, and in 1867 was removed from office for refusing to obey military orders. Caldwell was first elected to congress on November 5, 1872 as a fusion candidate of the Liberal Republican and Democratic parties. He received 62.62% of the vote. He was elected to represent

Alabama's 5th congressional district Alabama's 5th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It encompasses the counties of Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Jackson, and ...

, which at the time encompassed the most north-eastern part of Alabama. He was re-elected in 1874 as a straight Democrat with 59.19% of the vote. Caldwell was a member of the Forty-third and Forty-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1877). He served as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture (Forty-fourth Congress). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1876.

Later life and death

He resumed the practice of law. He died in

, September 4, 1902. He was interred in Jacksonville Cemetery.

References

* Dubin, Michael J. "United States Congressional Elections, 1788-1997: The Official Results". McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Jefferson, North Carolina. 1998. * The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. {{DEFAULTSORT:Caldwell, John Henry 1826 births 1902 deaths Politicians from Huntsville, Alabama Lawyers from Huntsville, Alabama American people of Scotch-Irish descent Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama People from Jacksonville, Alabama Confederate States Army officers Military personnel from Huntsville, Alabama 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Alabama Legislature