Caledonia (Callie) Coleman

  General Notes:

According to son Albert Earl Garrett, Sr., Callie Coleman, was left an orphan at 2 or 3 years old. Her father, George Coleman, was last heard from in a letter written just before the battle of Gettysburg. After hearing of her husband's death, Callie's mother, Fannie Haygood, sent her three children to live with their Uncle Jimmy Haygood and killed herself. (see notes on George Coleman)

It is a fact that the 1880 Federal Census, North Carolina, Rockingham County, Oregonville, shows a Caledonia Haygood (grand daughter - 18) living with a James Haygood (73) family. This is our Callie Coleman, soon to be wife of Joseph Walton Garrett. (See notes on Callie's mother, Sarah Fannie Ha(y)g(w)ood.) Albert Garrett's family story about "Uncle Jimmy" and Fannie with the shotgun after Gettysburg are apparently not true. "Uncle Jimmy" seems to be "Grand Dad Jimmy" (1880 census) and Fannie (Sarah) is alive and well as recorded in the 1870 census. However, George is not with the family at that time in 1870. I believe our George is the George Coleman of record who mustered into the 45th North Carolina in Feb. 1864. He was captured at Spotsylvania Court House in May 1864, taken to Point Lookout Prison and died in June 1864. (See notes on George Coleman, Callie's father.)

Notes from Clara Garrett Fountain in Oct. 2003 indicate:" Jim Hagood reared Caledonia Coleman. Taylor Hagood reared Nannie and Jeff Coleman and Dr. Raine reared George Coleman." It should be noted that George Anderson Coleman later married Catherine Troxler and named their first born daughter Anne Raine Coleman ... however George can not be found in the 1880 census. A Dr. John Raine is found with his wife Lucy but George is not living with them. That same census confirms Nannie living with Taylor Hagood but Jeff is no where to be found.


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The following is taken from a Christmas Letter written by Clara Garrett Fountain ca 2000 and was sent to many of her cousins in an effort for those relations to have a more intement knowledge of their ancestor, Caledonia "Callie" Coleman Garrett.

Caledonia Coleman, 1861-1895

This is a photograph of Caledonia Coleman (mother of A. E. Garrett, Sr.) with a cousin, probably Augustus W. Hagood. [Photograph was enclosed in the letter]

Caledonia (Callie) Coleman was born in 1861 in Rockingham County, N.C., on the old James Hagood farm on the south side of Dan River and east of Draper, N.C. She was the daughter of Fannie Hagood and George Coleman.

Caledonia Coleman was one of four children born to Fannie Hagood and George Coleman: Edgar Jefferson Coleman, b.1858; Nannie Elizabeth Coleman, b.1860(?); Caledonia Coleman, b.1861; and George Anderson Coleman, b.1863. Fannie died a few years after the birth of her fourth child. Albert E. Garrett, Sr., claimed that "Granddaddy Jim Hagood reared Caledonia Coleman, Taylor Hagood reared Nannie and Jeff Coleman, while Dr. Raine of Wentworth reared George Coleman."

On February 15, 1880 or 1881, Caledonia married Joseph Walton Garrett in Rockingham County, N.C. They had three children: Albert Earle Garrett, Sr. (1882), Nannie Pearl Garrett (1885), and an infant son who was born dead and never named.

One night while playing a game of set-back with Ralph Sharp and someone else, Callie took sick very suddenly. She had a spell, fainted, and was put to bed. The doctor came the next morning (she had two doctors, a Dr. Carter and a Dr. Motherson). Callie was sick for several months, in bed all the time. Nannie Coleman Setliff, her sister, helped tend her. Caledonia Coleman died at age 34, of heart trouble and consumption. She died in May 1895 and was buried on the Garrett farm in Rockingham County, NC.

There is very little else known about this woman, the mother of A. E. Garrett. I have two letters that she wrote to Joseph Walton (Joe) Garrett, or rather she had someone else write at her dictation as Callie could neither read or write.

May 30th 1880
Mr. J. W. Garrett,

I was somewhat surprised at the receipt of your note this morning & I am so much oppose to writeing that I am at a loss to know what to say in reply to it. Friend, Joe, I think a great deal of you as a friend and will from my affections for you. I will acknowledge that I am a little fickle minded but hope to become more esettled. I guess you think me quite plain, but I don't believe in deceit, especially on the love subject. Excuse all mistakes, bad writing and spelling.

From your true Friend,
Callie

[On the back of the letter is this poem: Let thy heart be ever with me Pure and true as sunlight ray May no harm on earth befall thee Till we meet another day.]



Wednesday Morning
March 18th, 1880
Mr. Joe Garrett,

Kind Friend, As I do not approve of conversing in the way of letter writing, but as you insist on me answering your letter, I will do so and if it was not for the confidence that I place in you believing that you will not expose the contents of this by either way showing or telling it. Joe, I have allways heard love on first sight soon dies away and as for myself I have allways respected you verry highly ever since I first met with you. I think you must be gesting when you say you love me. Don't you think it would be best for us to let the love subject rest awhile untill further considered as we both are young and our minds might change verry much from what they are now as we get older. Please let no one see this. Excuse bad writing and spelling and dictating. So good bye.

Your Friend as ever,
Callie..4.3 ... ... (I have no idea what the numbers and dots mean!)

[On the back of this letter is another poem:
Remember me today
Remember me tomorrow
Remember me in all your prayers
Remember me in sorrow..343 ](?)

Since I am in possession of the large cotton spinning wheel that belonged to Fannie Hagood Coleman (which used to be in the attic at 325 Linden Drive), I would love to know more on the history of the Coleman and Hagood families. Does anyone in the family have further documentation on these families? Please share with me. Thanks.

Merry Christmas,
Clara

Caledonia married Joseph Walton Garrett Sr., son of Jarrett Bolyn (Bouldin/Bolden) Garrett and Clarissa Walton Hill, on 15 Feb 1881 in Rockingham Co, NC. (Joseph Walton Garrett Sr. was born on 12 May 1858 at Old J. B. Garrett Farm Near Madison, Rockingham Co., N.C, died on 14 Nov 1947 in 325 Linden Dr. Danville, VA. of Heart Trouble & Pneumonia and was buried on 16 Nov 1947 in Family Cemetery on The Garrett Farm Near Madison in Rockingham Co., NC.) The cause of his death was Cardiac decompensation / Heart Disease / Senility / Pneumonia.