Chasing the Past

Absalom Caudle is an enigma to me. What am I overlooking? Is this a case that one person said many years ago that his parents are Benjamin and Mary Adams Caudill and the multitude simply took it as fact? Or am I missing something?

What I think I know:

Absalom Caudle was born 1759 in Halifax County, Virginia.¹ Halifax County in 1759 encompassed present day Halifax, Pittsylvania, Henry, Patrick, and Franklin counties.² In November 1775, he lived in Bladen County, North Carolina and enlisted as a Private in the Revolutionary War.

Bladen County in 1775 encompassed present day Bladen, Robeson, and parts of at least Columbus, Cumberland Hoke, and Pender counties.³ Because he enlisted at Cross Creek (Fayetteville), it is feasible that he was living in the northern part of Bladen County.

His pension statement that he remained in Bladen for five years after the war is supported by when he first appears in Anson County. This is supported by his receiving a land grant in Bladen in 1784.⁴ So far, I have been unable to find when/if he sold that land.

This land grant states the 100 acres is on the South West side of the North West river and on the South East side of Ashbey’s Creek. The only other reference I have found (so far) to this place is in an 1875 deed. This deed refers to 120 acres lying on “both sides of Ashby’s Creek about nine miles from Fayetteville on the Elizabeth Road.” Because of this, I believe Absalom was in present day Cumberland County.

Parents

Many trees have his father as some variation of Benjamin Stephen Caudill who died sometime between 1771 and 1776. Some state he died at the Battle of Alamance while others state he died in Anson County. While narratives about this man provide little documentation outside of the information found on a FindAGrave memorial. For a few reasons, I have my doubts that the man described on the FindAGrave memorial is Absalom’s father. According to one site, a “Dr. William Caudle of Tampa, Florida has verified that” Absalom is the son of Benjamin Caudill.⁵ Despite this claim, I have found, so far, nothing to substantiate this claim.

There are a few things that I feel have been overlooked.

Location

Why would Benjamin be in Anson County in 1771 while Absalom remained in Bladen? Absalom would have been a minor. If Benjamin died in 1771, why did Absalom and mother, Elizabeth, head to Bladen County, NC then Anson when the rest of the family seem to have gone to have gone west?

As mentioned, finding actual records or documents for Benjamin has been quite difficult.

Jesse Caudle

Second, a Jesse Caudle applied for a land grant which was issued on 25 August 1786⁶. Note the spelling of the name. This land is on both sides of Lanes Creek in Anson County. This is exactly where Absalom was a few years later. In fact, in Absalom’s land grant of 1801, the survey indicates “his own line”. This means Absalom already had land on Lanes Creek at this time. Jesse Caudle is not on the 1790 census. The only two Caudles (or any variation thereof) in Anson County in 1790 are Absalom and Elizabeth.

With Elizabeth was one male older than 16. I believe this male to be John Caudle. I believe Jesse Caudle died between 1786 and 1790. Sometime before 1793, John had moved to Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

Wait..John Caudle?

I suppose you are wondering where John Caudle came from? On 20 November 1793, John Caudle of Chesterfield County, South Carolina sold a parcel of land to Thomas Ashcraft. This was the same tract of land which was granted to Jesse Caudle in 1786.⁷

It is feasible that after Jesse died, his son John moved and sold the land. Is Jesse a brother or father to Absalom?

Conclusions

Absalom’s oldest son was named Jesse. He could be named after a grandfather or uncle. None of Absalom’s children are named Benjamin or Stephen.

Exploring Jesse is important. It can lend clues as to when the Caudles came to southern North Carolina. Second, Jesse Caudle is in Anson County at the right time whereas I haven’t been able to place Benjamin there at all.

Have Jesse and John been overlooked or am I missing something? Caudle/Caudill/Cordell researchers, let me know!

Questions and Next Steps

• Research Jesse Caudle in areas near Halifax County, Virginia. Try to figure out if this Jesse Caudle ended up in Wilkes County or if he died in Anson County.
• Continue trying to find actual records for Benjamin Caudill.
• Research John Caudle of Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
• Research “James Jimmie Caddle”. DNA certainly indicates a connection to the Caudle/Caudill family of Wilkes County, NC and Kentucky. There are several aDNA matches to his descendants. It suggests James and Absalom could be brothers but no documents or trees support this.

Sources:

1. Absalom Candel (Private, Captain Roan’s company, Col. Clark’s Regiment, Revolutionary War), Revolutionary War Pension Application File W. 10,589. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, Microform M804, Roll 463. National Archives, National Archives, Washington DC (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/54149662: accessed 20 January 2025); ↩︎
2. Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library (https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/map/map.html#VA: accessed 20 January 2025)  ↩︎
3. Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library (https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/map/map.html#NC: accessed 20 January 2025) ↩︎
4. “NC Land Grants” State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh NC, microfilm call microfilm call # S.108.160.16N frame 778, database NC Land Grant Images and Data (https://nclandgrants.com/grant/?mars=12.14.33.4003&qid=1130705&rn=1: accessed 20 January 2025). State of NC to Absalom Caudell. Bladen Co File no 4005 ↩︎
5. “The Caudles of Anson County, North Carolina” Pathway to Ascension. Website ↩︎
6. “NC Land Grants” State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh NC, microfilm call #S.108.408 frame 249. database NC Land Grant Images and Data (https://nclandgrants.com/frame/?fdr=183&frm=249&mars=12.14.27.4651: accessed 20 January 2025). State of NC to Jesse Caudle ↩︎
7. “Anson, North Carolina, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9Z1-N39W?view=explore : Jan 21, 2025), image 205 of 856; . John Caudle to Thos Ashcraft. ↩︎