Catharine Frances O’Reilly was born in Kentucky on the 21 Dec 1811.  She was married in 1829 in Indiana and came to the Republic of Texas with her husband, James Alfred Caldwell, who served the Republic as a Methodist circuit rider and farmer.  He received a 3^rd class Headright and was on the tax rolls of 1846 in Travis County, Texas.

They came to Texas from Missouri.  A note found in the preacher’s old Bible indicated the route taken to Texas, “Came by boat down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, into Guff of Mexico to Galveston, the boat was pushed up the byo to Huston by a little tug boat.  Was met by a waggon train drawn by oxen to take family and household goods to a new country, Travis County to a double log house.  The wagon train was garded by two men on horses carrying cap ball rifels to each wagon to protect it from the Indians and wild animals that roamed the vast wilderness of the day.”  This note stayed in the book until October 1, 1932.  Catharine was a great record keeper.  Original records were found from June 11, 1835.  This also included letters from her family who were in Indiana, and her sons serving in the Confederate army writing home from the battle lines, and receipts, tax records, etc.  She kept these documents in a cloth roll, still in family possession, found in the the double log house where she resided from arrival in Texas until her death on October 18, 1902.  Her husband, Alfred, died of pneumonia in 1854.  her determination kept her in Texas, raising her children and farming the land.  The double long house has been donated by the family to the museum in Lockhart, Texas.  The home place and land is still in the Caldwell family.

The double log house had holes in the walls through which gun barrel could be poked in case of attack.  Preacher Caldwell would often be gone for long periods on his preaching trips, leaving his wife alone with the children.  Indians would have a way of hanging around and keeping themselves hidden from sight.  Many redmen were very fond of milk.  Catharine would set crocks of it outside overnight when she sensed that Indians were around.  One morning when she and the children awoke, they found the inside-bolted door unbolted and her own mile supply in the kitchen gone.  Entrance could not have come from outside, except through the chimney.  No one was awakened.*

*Excerpt from A Caldwell Story, Bastrop Advertiser, August 8, 1974.

Sylvia Kennedy, Descendant