John Walter Caldwell

John Walter Caldwell was born March 6, 1838 in Ballybay, Ireland to Alexander and Mary McFarland Caldwell. John served in Johnston's Army during the Utah War and was a veteran of the Indian Wars. John is a Pioneer of Richmond.

History

John's father came to the United States when John was young. While he was crossing the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania on a ferry, he drowned. John was primarily raised by his grandparents, William and Catherine Fulton Caldwell. At four, John's grandparents took John and moved to the United States. At 13, John entered the practice of carpentry.

During hard times, John joined the United States military and was enlisted in the Army in 1855. In 1857, US President James Buchanan sent Albert Sidney Johnston to go to the Utah Territory and quell the "Mormon Rebellion." John joined the army to see what the Mormon people were like. The army entered the Salt Lake Valley on June 16, 1858 and stayed at Camp Floyd.

As John was being discharged sometime in 1860, John was traveling to a dance, and then to the train depot to go home. On the travel to the dance, the stagecoach had too many people, so John got on the coach's roof. The coach tipped over and part of it landed on John's leg, breaking it, and making him miss his train home. While recovering from his injury, John joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He would go on to say that if he hadn't had that accident he would possibly never have joined the church. Soon after, John moved to Bountiful, Utah, and lived with James Fackrel. 

John married Delilah Melissa Kerr on Jan 1, 1864 in Richmond. When John moved to Richmond is unknown. In 1874, the Caldwell family moved to Ogden, Utah.

Indian Wars Service

After the construction of the Richmond Fort in 1860 and other forts in Cache Valley, the Territory of Utah created the Cache Military District on Oct 15, 1861 with Church Apostle Ezra T. Benson as Colonel. On June 16, 1863, Richmond was organized into two companies of Infantry and two squads of Cavalry. John was appointed a Private.

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