The following story is told of his wife Rebecca Parks Walkup Caldwell (submitted to
DAR in 1974 by Ann Roy):

Rebecca Parqu (Park) was born 1707 in County Antrim, Ireland, the daughter of a Hugenot
refugee, Jaques Parque (James Park). At the age of sixteen seh was married to John Walkup, a marriage arranged by her father and the groom who was 52 years old at the time. Four months after the wedding, Rebecca was a childless, penniless widow. In 1724 she married William Caldwell in Ireland. William had been schooled in Scotland at an early age and was considered educated, a man intensely proud of his heritage and possessing charm and tremendous physical strength. William and Rebecca came to America in 1727 with the Caldwell family and had children born in PA and VA, Margaret in 1728, Martha in 1730, Rebecca in 1738, John in 1740, Eleanor, William Thomas in 1748, Sarah and James in 1755, Elizabeth in 1757, and David Robert in 1760.

When William died in 1761 (in Virginia), leaving Rebecca with so many young children, he
stipulated that their slave, Sambo, be her possession until her death. Within the next ten years, the entire family had moved to South Carolina and shortly thereafter the Revolutionary War started.

During the War, a Tory by the name of Bloody Bill Cuningham swept through the western side of Newberry County, S.C. A negro gave the alarm that the Tories were coming. James Creswell,
afterward to become Col Creswell, was at the Caldwell home at the time. Because James Creswell was so openly hostile to the Tories, Rebecca had to think fast. She told her daughter, Elizabeth, to hide and dressed James in the clothes of Elizabeth. She ordered horses to be saddled for herself and her "daughter." As the Tories approached the homestead, Mrs. Caldwell was seen calling out, "Betsy, come along I am in a hurry." Out walked Creswell, hiding his face under the bonnet. He and Mrs. Caldwell mounted in the presence of the Tories and rode away on a pretend visit to Mrs. Neely.

The Tories searched the area for James Creswell and found Elizabeth in hiding. In retaliation,
they carried away most of the Caldwell household belongings. One of the Tory remarked about the
long strides the pretender had taken to approach and mount the horse.

In the 98th year of her life, Rebecca Park Walkup Caldwell conceived of a plan for a family
reunion and wanted every person of the family present. When she told her family of her wish the reply was that there was no house that could accomodate such a crowd. Her reply was, "I have all my children near me except those in Abbeville (William, James, Elizabeth, Dr. Martin, and Sally, John Moore and Eleanor). You all do not live in excess of five miles in a circle with all your children and grandchildren in adjoining districts. None lives so far that they can't find welcome in their family's homes nearby. William, James and David, build me a snug shelter in case of rain, for a dining hall and a smaller one for the children to play. I shall never meet them agian on earth. I am now 98 years old and will be happy if you would give me this pleasure before I die." Her plans were carried out.

Rebecca Caldwell died one year later in 1806 at the age of ninety-nine. She is thought to be
buried with her son John who was killed by William (Bloody Bill) Cunningham. That burial site is on the former grounds owned by John Caldwell between Mudlick Creek & Little River, Newberry Co., South Carolina.