My Genealogy Hound

DR. SAMUEL B. CALDWELL is a native of Henry County, Tenn., and was born November 2, 1824, to John L. and Myra (Morgan) Caldwell, natives of South and North Carolina respectively. Their respective parents removed from the Carolinas to Logan County, this State, about 1814, and the parents of our subject moved to Henry County, Tenn., soon afterward. The father was a farmer by occupation and had served as constable in Calloway and McCracken Counties. To the parents were born eight children, of whom four survive: Samuel B., Elizabeth (married to John M. Johnson), H. R. and Charles M. Dr. Samuel B., the subject of these lines, removed from his native county to Calloway County, this State, with his parents in 1825, and in March, 1834, came to this county, where he has since resided. He commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Van Zandt, of St. Louis, Mo., and afterward took a course of lectures at the Missouri University. Mr. Caldwell suffered at the time from a tendency to blindness, and had found no relief until the services of Dr. Van Zandt were enlisted. He thereafter made a specialty of the eye himself, and returning to this county offered his professional services in this direction, but finally drifted into a general practice, which he continued for about fifteen years. He had studied surveying also in early life, and previous to practicing medicine was engaged in laying out towns and lands in Texas and elsewhere, and has been county surveyor of McCracken County several terms. Of late years he has devoted his attention more to his farming interests. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having been a member of the R. A. C. for over thirty years, and was one of the charter members of the Oakland Lodge. He married Miss Elizabeth J. Napier, a daughter of John Napier, of Casey County, Ky., who was for two terms a member of the State legislature. Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell have four children: James H., Samuel B., Mary B. and Reuben D.