Mathew Caldwell
Encyclopedia
Mathew Caldwell, also spelled Matthew Caldwell was a 19th century Texas settler, military figure, Captain of the Gonzales - Seguin Rangers and a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...

. Because of his recruitment ride ahead of the Battle of Gonzales
Battle of Gonzales
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops....

, some have called him the Paul Revere of Texas.

Early life and family

Mathew Caldwell nicknamed "Old Paint" was born in Kentucky on March 8, 1798. He moved to Missouri with his family in 1818, where he traded, fought and learned the ways of the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

. He, wife and family, arrived in Texas in the Green DeWitt
Green DeWitt
Green DeWitt was an empresario in Mexican Texas. He founded the DeWitt Colony, one of the most successful.-Early years:...

 Colony on February 20, 1831. On June 22, 1831, he received the title to a parcel of land near the Zumwalt Settlement, southwest of current Hallettsville, Texas
Hallettsville, Texas
Hallettsville is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,345 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lavaca County. The town is home to the Texas Championship Domino Hall of Fame and also hosts a dominoes tournament every year in January...

. Settling in Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...

, Caldwell acquired the original James Hinds residence on Water Street and soon became a person of notoriety.

Texas Revolution

Actively recruiting before the battle of Gonzales
Battle of Gonzales
The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army troops....

 in October 1835, he rode from Gonzales to Mina
Bastrop, Texas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there are 5340 people in Bastrop, organized into 2034 households and 1336 families. The population density is 734.8 people per square mile . There are 2,239 housing units at an average density of 308.1 per square mile...

 informing colonists of the dire need of their support in the volunteer army. Because of this, some have called him the Paul Revere of Texas. As a participant at the battle, he would serve as a scout and mediator. On Nov. 3, 1835, the delegates of the citizens of Texas established the provisional Texas government by the Consultation of 1835. The Consultation authorized the recruitment of 25 Rangers and later was increased to three companies of 56 men each. Caldwell was appointed a subcontractor to the Texian Army
Texian Army
The Texian Army was a military organization consisting of volunteer and regular soldiers who fought against the Mexican army during the Texas Revolution. Approximately 3,700 men joined the army between October 2, 1835 during the Battle of Gonzales through the end of the war on April 21, 1836, at...

 by the Provisional Government of Texas, to supply and administer a volunteer army at the siege of Bexar
Siege of Bexar
The Siege of Béxar was an early campaign of the Texas Revolution in which a volunteer Texan army successfully defeated Mexican forces at San Antonio de Béxar . Texians had become disillusioned with the Mexican government as President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's tenure became increasingly...

 and the Alamo.

On the 1st of February 1836, he and John Fisher were elected delegates from Gonzales to the Texas Independence Convention of 1836
Convention of 1836
The Convention of 1836 was the meeting of elected delegates in Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas in March 1836. The Texas Revolution had begun five months previously, and the interim government, known as the Consultation, had wavered over whether to declare independence from Mexico or pledge to...

 at Washington on the Brazos and both were signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Texas Declaration of Independence
The Texas Declaration of Independence was the formal declaration of independence of the Republic of Texas from Mexico in the Texas Revolution. It was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, and formally signed the following day after errors were noted in the...

, on March 2. The convention appointed a committee of three, of which Caldwell was a member, to assess the situation of the enemy on the frontier and the condition of the Texian army. They then dispatched couriers with the message of independence and Caldwell went along with them, paying close attention to the state of the new republic as they passed through numerous settlements.

On February 4, 1836, Mathew Caldwell was named along with Byrd Lockhart
Byrd Lockhart
Byrd Lockhart , was a 19th-century Texas surveyer, Alamo defender, courier, and Texian officer during the Texas Revolution.-Early life and family:...

 and William A. Mathews
William A. Mathews
William A. Mathews was a 19th-century Texas colonist, soldier, courier and quartermaster in the Texas Revolution.-Early life and family:...

 as commissioners to raise a group of volunteers for a Gonzales Ranging Company. The company was mustered by March 23, 1836. The muster list of 23 rangers is shown here.

Officers
Capt. Byrd Lockhart,
Lt. George C. Kimble,
First Sargent William A. Irvin

Privates
John Ballard, John Davis, Andrew Duvalt, Jacob Darst, Frederick C. Elm, Galba Fuqua, William Fishbaugh, John Harris, Andrew J. Kent, David B. Kent, John G. King, Daniel McCoy, Jesse McCoy, Prospect McCoy, Isaac Millsaps, William Morrison, James Nash, Marcus L. Sewell, William Summers, Robert White

When the call for immediate reinforcements came from Lt. Col. William B. Travis
William B. Travis
William Barret Travis was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army...

 by way of courier Captain Albert Martin on February 25, Lt. George C. Kimble responded on the 27th with 12 of the original rangers mustered and 20 more men joined as they worked their way to the Alamo.

1836 Alamo relief force

The Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers company primarily consisted of family men from Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...

 and DeWitt's Colony
Green DeWitt
Green DeWitt was an empresario in Mexican Texas. He founded the DeWitt Colony, one of the most successful.-Early years:...

, who had gathered when the call for support was issued. After receiving Travis's "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World" appeal on March 25th, the Gonzales Rangers would leave the town of Gonzales on the evening of Saturday, February 27, led by commanding officer Lieutenant George C. Kimble and Captain Albert Martin, who had been the Alamo courier to deliver Travis's appeal at Gonzales. Of the 23 original members who were mustered into the Gonzales Ranger Company on the 23rd, a total of 12 are thought to have entered the Alamo with the final Relief Force on March 1 and all but one died there. Lockhart, Sowell, John William Smith
John William Smith
John William Smith was a Texas political figure and the first mayor of San Antonio, Texas. He supported and served Texas during the struggle for Texas Independence.-Early life:...

 and others would accompany the 32 Rangers into the Alamo and later depart, at night, as other couriers left.

According to one account, a group of 25 men left Gonzales at two in the evening on the 27th. As they passed through Green Dewitt's Colony toward the Umphries Branch
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...

 community and on to the Cibolo Creek, the company would gain 8 more members, increasing the company to 32 men. The youngest member of the Alamo defenders, William Philip King, only 16 years old, would become a part of this group. Due to family illness, he had substituted in his father's place. On the 29th, the group searched to find a way into the Alamo and through the Mexican lines. Then at three o'clock, in the early hours of March 1st, they made a wild dash into the fort while being shot at by Alamo sentries. One man was slightly wounded and after a few rash words, the Alamo gates flew open for the Gonzales force to enter.

The list of the 32 immortals are:
Isaac G. Baker,
John Cain,
George Washington Cottle
George Washington Cottle
George Washington Cottle was a Republic of Texas soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo.Cottle was born in Missouri and arrived in Texas with his parents, Jonathan and Margaret Cottle, several siblings, and three cousins July 6, 1829 where he settled in DeWitt's Colony on the Lavaca River...

,
David P. Cummings,
Jacob Darst,
John Davis,
Squire Daymon (Damon),
William Dearduff,
Charles Despallier,
William Fishbaugh,
John Flanders,
Dolphin Ward Floyd,
Galba Fuqua,
John E. Garvin,
John E. Gaston,
James George,
Thomas J. Jackson,
John Benjamin Kellogg II,
Andrew Kent,
George C. Kimble
George C. Kimble
George C. Kimble defender and officer of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, was born in 1803 and died at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. Kimble County in the hill country of Texas is named in his honor....

,
William Philip King,
Jonathan L. Lindley,
Albert Martin http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fma57,
Jesse McCoy ,
Thomas R. Miller,
Isaac Millsaps ,
George Neggan,
Marcus L. Sewell ,
William Summers ,
George W. Tumlinson,
Robert White,
Claiborne Wright.

Although knowing their chance of survival was slim, the Gonzales Rangers remained in the Alamo, serving as possibly the only reinforcements to make it into the Alamo during the siege. The 1836 Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers
Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers
The Immortal 32, the Gonzales Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers were a group of Texian militia organized as a relief force for the besieged men of the Alamo in early 1836, during the Texas Revolution.-Background:...

 would all perish in the battle of the Alamo
Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar . All but two of the Texian defenders were killed...

. For their heroic effort to support the besieged and outnumbered Texians, they are remembered as the "Immortal 32".

Republic years

After the revolution, Caldwell would serve as the first law officer or Sheriff of Gonzales (Guadalupe, Dewitt, Caldwell, Lavaca) County.

City Founders

In 1838, he and his fellow rangers founded the town of Walnut Branch
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...

, a sparsely populated area in northwest Gonzales County. The area was well favored and had been a former ranger campground years before the revolution.

Frontier defender

Rumors of a Mexican retaliation soon flourished and Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau B. Lamar
Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar was a Texas politician, diplomat and soldier who was a leading Texas political figure during the Texas Republic era. He was the second President of the Republic of Texas, after David G. Burnet and Sam Houston.-Early years:Lamar grew up at Fairfield, his father's...

 would appoint Caldwell, on January 15, 1839, as a captain, to recruit a company of Gonzales Rangers, to defend the Texas frontier. Two months later he had raised his company of rangers and on March 23, 1839, Caldwell became captain of a company in the First Regiment of Infantry of Texas. On March 29, 1839, a company of 80 men commanded by General Edward Burleson had defeated Vicente Córdova
Cordova Rebellion
The Córdova Rebellion, in 1839, was an uprising instigated in and around Nacogdoches, Texas. Alcalde Vicente Córdova and other leaders supported the Texas Revolution as long as it espoused a return to the Constitution of 1824, but after declaring independence they sought to forcefully oppose the...

 and his rebels during a fight near Seguin, Texas
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...

, at "Battleground Prairie". Córdova survived, but was pursued by Caldwell's Rangers, Seguin militia and then joined by members of the Henry Karnes company, insuring his departure from Texas.

Caldwells Gonzales & Seguin Rangers 1839

During this time, 1st Lt. James Campbell would be stationed at the Seguin outpost with half of the Caldwell Rangers, providing protection for the new town and others stationed close to Gonzales.
The officers of the Rangers were:
Captain Mathew Caldwell,
1st Lt. James Campbell,
2nd Lt. Canah C. Colley,
1st Sergt. George D. Miller,
2nd Sergt. John R. King,
3rd Sergt. William N. Henry,
4th Sergt. John Archer.
The privates were:
M. L. Baber,
Seth Baldridge,
Nathan Burgett,
Curtis Caldwell,
William Clinton,
James M. Day
James Milford Day
James Milford Day was a 19th-century Texas military figure. He was a member of Mathew Caldwell's and Jack Hay's Seguin Rangers and a participant in the Mexican-American War.-Early life and family:...

,
Miles G. Dikes,
A. S. Emmitt,
James Forrester,
Daniel Gray,
John B. Gray,
Thomas Grubbs,
Frederick W. Happle,
Everett H. Harris,
Vaughter Henderson,
David Henson,
John S. Hodges,
Maury Irvin,
E. R. Jones,
William H. Killin,
Henry B. King,
Henry Eustace McCulloch
Henry Eustace McCulloch
Henry Eustace McCulloch was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, a Texas Ranger, and a brigadier general in the army of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.-Early life:...

,
T. N. Minter,
G. H. Nichols,
George W. Nichols,
James W. Nichols,
John W. Nichols,
Sol. G. Nichols,
Thomas R. Nichols,
William S. Osbourne,
James Pinchback,
D. M. Poore,
William Putman,
David Reynolds,
Abram Roberts,
Alexander Roberts,
James B. Roberts,
Jeremiah Roberts,
Russell, D. W.
Russell, John H.
Ezekiel Smith,
French Smith,
William Smith,
A. J. Sowell,
Asa J. L. Sowell,
J. N. Sowell,
John S. Stump,
James A. Swift,
T. W. Symonds,
Nathan Wadkins,
Isaac Wallace,
John D. Wolfin

1840s defense and imprisonment

Indian attacks continued to plague the new Republic and in March Caldwell participated in a meeting to trade captives with the Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...

s. However, the meeting turned violent and the Council House Fight
Council House Fight
The Council House Fight was a conflict between Republic of Texas officials and a Comanche peace delegation which took place in San Antonio, Texas, on March 19, 1840. The meeting took place under a truce with the purpose of negotiating peace after two years of war. The Comanches sought to obtain...

 erupted, where he was wounded. He had recovered in time to lead a company at the battle of Plum Creek
Battle of Plum Creek
The Battle of Plum Creek was a clash between militia and Rangers of the Republic of Texas and a huge Comanche war party under Chief Buffalo Hump, which took place near Lockhart, Texas, on August 12, 1840, following the Great Raid of 1840 as the Comanche war party returned to West...

 on August 12, 1840.

As captain of Company D of the scouting force in the Texan Santa Fe expedition in 1841, he was captured with other members and imprisoned in Mexico. He was soon released and headed to San Antonio to confront the invading Mexican forces there.

On September 18, 1842, Caldwell commanded a force of 200 men from Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...

, Seguin
Seguin, Texas
Seguin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas, in the United States. It is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,011; the July 1, 2009 Census estimate, however, showed the population had increased to 26,842...

, San Antonio and other near settlements, confronting and defeating General Adrián Woll
Adrián Woll
Adrián Woll was a French soldier of fortune and mercenary who served as a general in the army of Mexico during the Texas Revolution and the Mexican-American War.-Biography:...

, at the battle of Salado Creek
Battle of Salado Creek (1842)
The Battle of Salado Creek was a decisive engagement in 1842 which repulsed the final Mexican invasion of Texas. Colonel Mathew Caldwell of the Texas Rangers led just over 200 militiamen against an army of 1,600 Mexican Army troops and Cherokee warriors and defeated them outside of San Antonio de...

.

Personal life and death

On May 17, 1837, he married Hannah Morrison in Washington County, Texas and had three children.

Mathew Caldwell died at his home in Gonzales on December 28, 1842, and was buried with honors as a military hero.

Legacy

Caldwell County, Texas
Caldwell County, Texas
Caldwell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. In 2000, the population was 32,194. Its county seat is Lockhart...

 was established in 1848 and named in his honor. In 1930, he was honored by the state of Texas, when a monument was placed at his grave site at Gonzales
Gonzales, Texas
Gonzales is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,202 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Gonzales County.-Geography:Gonzales is located at...

. The 1936 Texas Hall of State
Hall of State
The Hall of State is a building in Dallas's Fair Park that commemorates the history of the U.S. state of Texas and is considered one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in the state.-History:...

 Building, in Dallas, commemorates Caldwell's past on the exterior historical figure frieze.

See also

  • Timeline of the Republic of Texas
    Timeline of the Republic of Texas
    This is a timeline of the Republic of Texas, spanning the time from the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836 up to the transfer of power to the State of Texas on February 19, 1846.-1836:Texas Declares Independence...

  • Córdova Rebellion
    Cordova Rebellion
    The Córdova Rebellion, in 1839, was an uprising instigated in and around Nacogdoches, Texas. Alcalde Vicente Córdova and other leaders supported the Texas Revolution as long as it espoused a return to the Constitution of 1824, but after declaring independence they sought to forcefully oppose the...

  • Council House Fight
    Council House Fight
    The Council House Fight was a conflict between Republic of Texas officials and a Comanche peace delegation which took place in San Antonio, Texas, on March 19, 1840. The meeting took place under a truce with the purpose of negotiating peace after two years of war. The Comanches sought to obtain...

  • Great Raid of 1840
    Great Raid of 1840
    The Great Raid of 1840 was the largest raid ever mounted by Native Americans on white cities in what is now the United States. It followed the Council House Fight, in which Republic of Texas officials attempted to capture and take prisoner 33 Comanche chiefs who had come to negotiate a peace...

  • Battle of Plum Creek
    Battle of Plum Creek
    The Battle of Plum Creek was a clash between militia and Rangers of the Republic of Texas and a huge Comanche war party under Chief Buffalo Hump, which took place near Lockhart, Texas, on August 12, 1840, following the Great Raid of 1840 as the Comanche war party returned to West...


Citations

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