As we continue to move toward our nation’s semiquincentennial, I continue to consider elements of the Revolutionary War effort of attaining independence and the related contributions and connections of families of the Fork, the Knox County lands between the French Broad and Holston rivers.

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 107:8-9

Thanksgiving is upon us, and we focus our thoughts more intentionally on being grateful, which the Bible tells us we should be for all things and in all circumstances. But how do you bolster the morale of starving soldiers and meet their spiritual needs in the midst of war? Thus was the challenge of the pastors, preachers, ministers, parsons, rabbis, and priests who became Revolutionary War chaplains.

Some men of the cloth were called to leadership positions when the Continental Congress met in 1774 because the founding fathers knew that, though educated, they still needed spiritual guidance. Throughout the war, chaplains not only preached to soldiers and prayed with them, but they also ministered to the sick, wounded, and dying, often writing letters home for those who couldn’t. Sometimes, they even participated in battle.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

As I looked for records pertaining to the Revolutionary War service of early Fork settler Robert Armstrong II, I came across the records for James Francis Armstrong, who was a war chaplain. So, I went down the rabbit hole to learn about what being a war chaplain entailed. Among the several sites telling the history of Revolutionary War chaplains, I stumbled upon another familiar Fork surname: Caldwell. What were the chances that this guy had connections to the Fork?

Did you know that rabbit holes, which are actually called “warrens,” have multiple passageways? It’s the story of my life, these tangent topics that lead here, there, and everywhere. Sometimes I even have to explain to my hubby how I got from here to there in a conversation — tangent thoughts.

Anyway, I was off to find whether the Rev. James Caldwell, known as “the Fighting Parson of the Revolution,” was kin to any of the many Caldwells of the Fork.

Although he first lived in Virginia, the Rev. Caldwell served as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in what was then called Elizabethtown, New Jersey. When the fighting began, he enlisted as a chaplain for the militia. He was present when the British shot through the window of his home and killed his wife on June 7, 1780. Whether it was intentional or an accident, it fueled his decision to pick up his Bible in one hand and his gun in the other and join the resistance at nearby Springfield a few days later.

A 120+ year-old church pew in the Fork

We’ve already talked about the Patriots’ frequent lack of supplies. When the Rev. Caldwell’s comrades ran out of paper wadding for pouring the powder and tamping down the ammunition in their muskets, Caldwell ran to the local church and grabbed the books of Isaac Watts’ hymns and distributed them, telling the soldiers as they tore out the pages, “Now, boys, give ‘em Watts! Give ‘em Watts!” I love it.

Do any of our Caldwells of the Fork descend from the Fighting Parson? I doubt it, but I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure it out. So, I’m writing about him anyway, because it’s a great story from the Revolution. Perhaps he was a great uncle of one of their Jefferson County ancestors.

My daughter recently asked online what people are thankful for, and on that particular day, I stated that I’m thankful for the time, ability, and opportunity to do what I love, to research and write about what’s been forgotten in the Fork. Yes, I’m thankful for rabbit holes and tangent thoughts, whether they lead where I hope or not!

May you have what you need, share with those who don’t, and spend a little extra time thinking of what you’re thankful for.

Jan Loveday Dickens is an educator, historian, and author of Forgotten in the Fork, a book about the Knox County lands between the French Broad and Holston Rivers, obtainable by emailing ForgottenInTheFork@gmail.com.

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