Part of a series of articles titled 12 Soldiers of the Revolution.
Article
James Caldwell: A Legacy of Faith and Fight
The Rev. James Caldwell is a hero whose faith, bravery, and sacrifice helped forge the United States. Known as the “Fighting Parson” (or clergyman) of New Jersey, his service during the American Revolution was a microcosm of the convergence of religious conviction and patriotic action. A Presbyterian minister, he took up military arms alongside his congregation.
Caldwell was a symbol of clerical patriotism in the face of British occupation and Loyalist violence. His dramatic actions—specifically in repurposing the pages of church hymnals into wadding for muskets at the Battle of Springfield—captured the spirit of a people fighting not only for independence, but also for the right to worship and live freely. He was eventually murdered, as his wife earlier had been by the British.
DOI / Andrew King
Biography
James Caldwell was born in April 1734 in Cub Creek, Virginia, to Scots-Irish Presbyterian parents John and Margaret Caldwell. He grew up on the family farm but felt an early calling to the ministry. In 1755, he entered the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), a Christian seminary at the time, graduating in 1759.
He inherited 500 acres of farmland in Virginia, but chose instead to pursue pastoral work in the North rather than working his new lands. He was ordained in 1760, and in 1762 became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, where he would serve for nearly two decades until his tragic death.
In 1763, he married Hannah Ogden and they had nine children. Caldwell quickly became a respected community leader, known for eloquent preaching and strong moral convictions. As tensions with Britain escalated in the 1760s and 1770s, he emerged as a vocal Patriot, organizing resistance to British tyranny and providing supplies for the Continental forces.
Caldwell’s Battle Cry: “Give ‘Em Watts, Boys!”
Caldwell’s most famous contributions in the Revolution came in 1780. New Jersey had become a strategic corridor connecting the northern and southern colonies, so the province suffered frequent British incursions and repeated attacks. Caldwell became a military chaplain when the war began and on multiple occasions personally took part in the local battles.
On January 25, 1780, the British burned his church to the ground. Six months later, on June 7, during the Battle of Connecticut Farms, enemy troops advanced on the village where he lived. His wife Hannah had taken the children to the parsonage for safety, and while she sat praying with her family, a British soldier fired at her through the window, hitting and killing her instantly. The ruthless and callous murder—suspected by some to be a deliberate retaliation against the “Fighting Parson”—galvanized Patriot sentiment and became a rallying cry against British brutality.
Two weeks later, on June 23 at the nearby Battle of Springfield, Continental troops ran short of wadding for their muskets. Wadding was a small paper square stuffed into the barrel of the musket to create back pressure and hold the gunpowder and lead ball in place until fired. To lack wadding had the same effect as running out of gunpowder or ammunition.
Caldwell rushed to a nearby Presbyterian church and gathered its hymnals. The Biblical hymns in those books had been compiled a century earlier by British Congregationalist minister Isaac Watts. Caldwell, returning to his troops with the stacks of hymnals, tore out the pages and distributed them to the soldiers to use as wadding.
Shouting “Put Watts into them, boys!”, he turned those sacred texts into effective instruments of war to use against British repression. His quick-witted action supplied the needed material to turn the course of the battle and greatly boosted morale, helping the Americans ultimately repel the British advance.
Caldwell was not only a chaplain but was also Assistant Commissary General, tasked with procuring vital supplies for New Jersey troops. This was a difficult and often thankless job, especially amid wartime shortages that plagued American forces. Pastor Caldwell’s dual role as spiritual leader and logistical supporter made him indispensable.
Tragically, his own life ended in tragedy. On November 24, 1781—mere weeks after the victory at Yorktown and the close of the war—he was shot and killed by an American sentry during a dispute over inspecting a package. Amid suspicions of Loyalist (pro-British) foul play aimed at silencing the influential minister, the sentry, James Morgan, was convicted of murder and hanged.
James Caldwell’s Role in New Jersey’s Presbyterian Church
In New Jersey, Caldwell was a pivotal figure bridging the civil and religious spheres during the Revolution. As pastor of one of New Jersey’s leading Presbyterian congregations, he mobilized his flock for the Patriot cause, and many of them joined the militia—the all-volunteer force that protected the region and the state.
Pastor Caldwell served in the New Jersey Council in 1781, and acted as a trustee of Princeton from 1769 until his death. His logistical work as assistant commissary ensured supplies reached troops in a theater of war marked by constant British raids. Caldwell’s leadership helped strengthen New Jersey in the critical struggle for independence.
Faith and Conviction
Caldwell, a devout Presbyterian who had been shaped by the First Great Awakening’s emphasis on personal piety and moral action, viewed the fight for liberty as inseparable from his pastoral calling.
He famously preached with pistols laid on the pulpit, ready to defend himself and his congregation against British attackers. His church also served as a hospital for sick and wounded soldiers. His distribution of Watts Hymnals was both practical and symbolic, turning instruments of worship into weapons of resistance.
Even though overwhelmed by grief after his wife’s murder, James continued ministering to soldiers and civilians alike. His faith provided the moral foundation for his patriotism, inspiring countless others to see the Revolution as a righteous cause.
Slavery and Abolition
Like many Revolutionary-era leaders, Caldwell navigated the era’s moral complexities. Born in Virginia, he came from a region where slavery was entrenched. However, there is no evidence that he personally owned slaves either in Virginia or New Jersey. To the contrary, he was part of Presbyterian bodies that began early discussions against slavery. He participated in church efforts that reflected the growing antislavery sentiments among Northern Presbyterians.
The Revolution in New Jersey
The Revolutionary War in New Jersey was among the most destructive in the colonies. British forces occupied and raided the state repeatedly between 1776 and 1780, burning towns, farms, and houses of worship. Presbyterian churches, seen as hotbeds of Patriot sentiment, were frequent targets. Caldwell’s story unfolded against this backdrop of guerrilla warfare, civilian suffering, and fierce local Loyalist resistance.
Tributes to James Caldwell
A statue of James Caldwell stands outside the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, near Independence Hall. In 1846, the 64th anniversary of his death, a monument to James and Hannah was erected in Elizabeth’s First Presbyterian Church cemetery. Schools, parks, and historical sites across New Jersey are named for him. In 1782, two years after Caldwell’s church and home were burned and Caldwell was murdered, a new parsonage was built on the original location and still exists and is used today. It is appropriately known as the Caldwell Parsonage.
Past Centennial Celebrations
During America’s Bicentennial in 1976, New Jersey and Presbyterian communities highlighted Caldwell’s story alongside other Revolutionary heroes. Historical markers and publications recognized the “Fighting Parson” as emblematic of clerical involvement in the fight for independence.
Legacy
James Caldwell’s life and ministry offer a powerful example of how deeply-held beliefs can drive extraordinary action in times of crisis. From the pulpit to the battlefield, his unwavering support for independence—at great personal cost—illustrates the vital role that religious leaders played in securing American liberty. His story reminds us that the Founding Era was shaped not only by generals and statesmen, but also by people of faith willing to risk everything for freedom.
Last updated: June 3, 2026