Notes for Caleb Nelson Headley: Entered service as private Nov. 1863 at Montevallo, Ala. in Co H 63rd Ala. Inf. He was in Yandell Hosp April 15, 1865 in Meridian Miss.
The 62nd and 63rd Regiments fought in General Thomas' Brigade at Fort Gaines and at Spanish Fort, where a large number of their members were killed or wounded. Private Headley was severely injured at the Battle of Spanish fort, suffereing wounds in the eye, hip and leg. He recieved a Confederate Pension for his gallant service from the state of Alabama.
Caleb Nelson Headley was between 5-6 years old when his father (Willis Headley) died. It later became necessary for him and his 2 sisters to be bound out to James Huckaby and Phillip Coker & wife to receive care and be taught housekeeping and farming according to the 1854 legal document found along with R. Jane Headley's 2nd marriage license in 1856, Shelby County, AL to James Huckaby (who was 26 years older than she was).
Caleb joined the Confederate Army at 17-18 years old. His unit was Company H, Alabama 63rd Infantry and was in the Battles of Mobile. He was seriously wounded at Spanish Fort (leg wound and almost blinded). He had a bad limp and walked with a cane, and had to be led around in later years because of his blindness. Caleb's 100+ acre farm was near Union Grove Cemetery off I-65, now still owned by the Smith Family who purchased it from Caleb.
As the years passed it was necessary that he (Caleb) live with his son Robert Edward (Ed) Lee Headley and his wife Ada. Caleb's wife Caroline Louisa Ann "Ludie" Headley lived with their oldest child, Willis R. Headley and his 1st wife Kate (Garner) Headley, living then in Florence, Alabama. Kate and Willis R. were both school teachers and had no children. Kate Garner Headley was born 1876 and died 1912 (age 36), buried Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, AL.
Caleb's father Willis Headley died 1850 in Alabama. Our research located legal documents in the Shelby County Historical Society in Columbiana, AL, indicating that Willis Headley was deceased in 1850 and four years later (apparently R. Jane Headley could no longer care for their 3 children) on November 15, 1854, the Judge of Probate of Shelby County signed a document that bound Martha Ann Headley, about 11 years old and Caleb Nelson Headley, not quite 8 years old, to James Huckabee, "to feed, clothe, treat with humanity, to teach to read, write and cypher to the rule of 3, the girl to be housekeeping and the boy farming - Martha Ann until age 16, Caleb to age 21, then bond to be void."
The document was signed James Huckabee & Phelise Coker. Judge J.M. McClanahan, Probate Court. On the same document, Mary J. Headley, not quite 6 or 7 years old was bound out to Phillip Coker under the same conditions to be taught housekeeping. Bond to be void at age 16. This document was signed also by Phelise Coker.
R. Jane Headley (widow of Willis Headley) married James Huckabee June 20, 1856 in Shelby County, AL. R. Jane was 32 years old, James Huckabee was 61, b. 1795 in NC. (He had two other marriages to sisters - 1st Catherine Clower and 2nd her sister Elizabeth Clower Green.
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ALEB & "LUDIE" HEADLEY'S FARM IN CHILTON COUNTY, ALABAMA From Hazel and Woody Headley, Birmingham, AL 1993:
"Caleb Nelson Headley and Caroline Louisa Ann "Ludie" Estes Headley raised a family of six sons and six daughters on their farm in the Union Grove Community in Chilton County, Alabama.
The Headley farm of 100+ acres is said to have had a natural spring with great drinking water which Caleb found and had placed large rocks around the water hole and which remain in place even today just as Caleb placed them.
Hazel and Woodrow Headley visited the farm site in 1991 and was given a very cordial tour over the land and old homesite area by Merlin Smith who owns the land now. His father, Nat Smith (Nathaniel Green Smith) bought the farm from Caleb at an auction on the Chilton County Court House steps in Clanton, Alabama in 1919 for $900 and the land still remains in the Smith family today!
Merlin Smith pointed out to us during that visit to the farm where at least two other dwellings had stood nearby the Headley home site on the farm. He said that it is believed that Caleb Headley's older sons/daughters and their families lived there at times. Merline said there may have been other smaller houses on the farm for farm hands that helped Caleb.
It is believed that because of his age and health conditions Caleb was unable to maintain crops to pay the taxes on his land forcing forclosure at auction on the Chilton County Court House steps. Caleb's health failed and so did his Ludie's until they could no longer care for each other and the farm was gone, so Caleb went to live for a time with a daughter Emma (Headley) Motes-McNeal in Birmingham (she had lived with her parents on the farm with her 2 small children after the loss of her husband, William W. Motes).
Later, Caleb lived with his son, Robert Edward "Ed" Lee Headley, and wife, Ada Virginia Falkner Headley and children (one being, their youngest of 5 sons, Woodrow Washington Headley) in Birmingham, Alabama. "Ludie" went to live with their son Richard and his wife Effie and then later with their oldest son, Willis R. Headley and his wife Kate Garner Headley in Florence, Alabama. Willis and Kate were both school teachers.
Caleb and "Ludie" may have lived for short periods of time in their own place - thought to be in the Woodlawn area of Birmingham, but now Caleb and "Ludie" are reunited in burial gravesites in the Union Grove Baptist Church Cemetery so very near the site of their farm and homeplace one can almost see it from the Church and Cemetery! Their oldest child, Martha F. "Mattie" Headley Chandler - wife of Jesse Chandler - is buried nearby them.
More About Caleb Nelson Headley: Burial: Unknown, Union Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.
More About Caleb Nelson Headley and Caroline Louisa Ann Estes: Marriage: February 14, 1874, Father's house, Taledega, AL.
Children of Caleb Nelson Headley and Caroline Louisa Ann Estes are:
Caleb Nelson Headley (b. March 08, 1846, d. August 28, 1921)
Notes for Caleb Nelson Headley: