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Charlotte S. Bridgman was born September 23, 1807, in Wythe County, Virginia. She was the daughter of William Bridgman and Mariam Brown.
Between 1813 and 1815, William moved his family to Campbell County, Tennessee.
Charlotte married Richard Drummond Wheeler on September 16, 1826, in Campbell County, Tennessee. Richard Wheeler was born April 1, 1801, in Virginia, the son of Benjamin C. Wheeler and Pentheselia "Penelope"Gill.
Benjamin Wheeler was born January 29, 1769, in Culpeper County, Virginia and died September 24, 1825, in Campbell County, Tennessee. He was the son of Drummond Wheeler (b. 1726, VA; d. 1791, VA) and Jean Wesley (b. 1726, VA; d. 1799, VA). Penelope Gill was born February 25, 1769, in Culpeper County, Virginia and died April 17, 1846, in Campbell County, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Richard Gill (b. 1738) and Pentheselia Love (b. 1742).
Goodspeed's History of Campbell County, Tennessee, 1887, relates that Benjamin Wheeler migrated to Knox County, Tennessee when Richard was about 6 years old, and moved to Campbell County, Tennessee and settled near present day Careyville about 1812. Benjamin Wheeler was said to have been one of the first settlers of Campbell County.
An article in the book Tennessee Cousins, A History of Tennessee People, by Worth S. Ray, page 186, states: "Richard D. Wheeler, the son of Benjamin Wheeler, married Charlotte Bridgman, who was born in Wythe County, Virginia, about the year 1805, the daughter of a William Bridgman".
The town of Careyville, in Campbell County, Tennessee, was established on lands owned by Richard D. Wheeler. The town was originally called "Wheeler's Gap".
According to Goodspeed's History of Campbell County, Tennessee, 1887, Richard Wheeler was "a prominent citizen of Tennessee....served seven terms in the Lower House of the Tennessee Legislature....and early in life served his county as its Sheriff. He was a man of liberal and broad views, and was a man who assisted many charitable institutions. He commenced his life pursuits without capital, but by integrity and perseverance he scaled the height of want of a capital, and became one of the wealthiest men of his county, before his death. It is to his credit that, though he, at the outbreak of the civil war, owned more than 1,000 acres of land, he tilled, not by slave labor, but by free labor. He was a man who favored education, and accomplished, giving all his children a good education." Richard was also a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity.
The 1850 Campbell County, Tennessee, 17th Subdivision, census shows Richard D. Wheeler, 49, farmer, real estate valued at $5000; Charlotte S., 42; Penelope A. M., 21; John R., 19, farmer; James F., 18, farmer; Benjamin C., 17, farmer; Hugh L., 14; Marquis D., 12; Epraim H. F., 10; Bell Elizabeth, 8; Eliza Jane, 7; Richard A., 3; and Joseph E., 2 years old.
Goodspeed's History of Campbell County, Tennessee, 1887, states that Richard "was a man of liberal and broad views, and was a man who assisted many charitable institutions. He commenced his life pursuits without capital, but by integrity and perseverance he scaled the height of want of a capital, and became one of the wealthiest men of his county, before his death. It is to his credit that, though he, at the outbreak of the civil war, owned more than 1,000 acres of land, he tilled, not by slave labor, but by free labor. He was a man who favored education, and accomplished, giving all his children a good education."
Richard Wheeler died March 9, 1875, in Campbell County.
The 1880 Campbell County census, Jacksboro Township, shows 72 year old Charlotte living with her son, Richard Drummond Wheeler, Jr., who was single at that time. Living with them was Richard, Jr.'s nephew and Charlotte's grandson, J. R. Waisman.
Charlotte (Bridgman) Wheeler died after 1887, in Campbell County.
Goodspeed's History of Campbell County, Tennessee, 1887, relates that Richard and Charlotte had 14 children, ten sons and four daughters, Richard D., Jr. being the twelfth child, and eighth son. Other sources say they may have had as many as 17 children, with some children dying as infants.
Children of Richard D. Wheeler and Charlotte Bridgman
1. William Wheeler, b. abt 1827, Campbell Co, TN; d. 1872, Arkansas Co, AR
2. Penelope Ann Mariam Wheeler, b. Apr 20, 1829, Campbell Co, TN; d. Aug 7, 1909, Anderson Co, TN; m. John Slover Ross on Apr 20, 1852, Anderson Co. John Ross, b. May 18, 1817, TN; d. Apr 3, 1894, Anderson Co, TN, was the son of James Ross and Mary Slover. John Ross was a prosperous farmer and dry goods merchant in Anderson Co. Children included: (1) James Richard Ross, b. Feb 1853, TN; (2) Ebenezer A. Ross, b. Aug 1855, TN; (3) Mary Elizabeth Ross, b. abt 1858, TN; (4) Eliza Belle Ross, b. abt 1864, TN; (5) Robert Ross, b. abt 1867, TN and (6) B. Wheeler Ross, b. July 1871, TN
3. John Randolph Wheeler, b. 1830, Campbell Co, TN
4. James Franklin Wheeler, b. Feb 22, 1832, Campbell Co, TN; d. Apr 2, 1914, Campbell Co; bur. Wheeler Cem, Careyville, Campbell Co, TN; m. Nancy Evelyn White in Feb 1860, in Campbell Co, then m. Virginia L. Dean abt 1899, TN after the death of Nancy. Served from Aug 1, 1861 until Sept 17, 1864 as a Private in Co A, 1st TN Inf. His nephew Charles M. Queener (son of his sister Eliza Jane) lived with him and wife Nancy for a time after the death of Eliza Jane and her husband.
5. Benjamin Calvin Wheeler, b. 1833, Campbell Co, TN
6. Hugh Luther Wheeler, b. Aug 16, 1836, Campbell Co, TN; d. 1889, Campbell Co; m. Tabitha Annie Hunter on Dec 22, 1872, Campbell Co. Annie Hunter, b. Jan 24, 1850, TN; d. Dec 22, 1881, Campbell Co, was the dau. of Squire Hunter (1827-1893 Campbell Co) and Frances "Fannie" Dabney (1818-1880 Campbell Co). (Note: Annie's sister Sarah Hunter m. Hugh's brother, Marquis "Mark" Wheeler.) Hugh and Annie had no children.
7. Marquis "Mark" Daniel Lafayette Wheeler, b. 1837, Campbell Co, TN
8. Mary Wheeler, b. Jan 25, 1839, Campbell Co, TN; d. Nov 24, 1849, Campbell Co.
9. Ephraim H. Foster Wheeler, b. 1840, Campbell Co, TN
10. Belle Elizabeth Wheeler, b. Mar 5, 1842, Campbell Co, TN; d. Aug 10, 1869, Campbell Co; m. James A. Waisman on Aug 16, 1864, in Campbell Co. James Waisman probably d. bef 1870.) One child: James Richard Drummond Waisman, b. abt 1866, Campbell Co, TN (R. D. Waisman, 5 was listed with his grandparents, Richard and Charlotte Wheeler, on the 1870 census and J. R. Waisman, 12, nephew, was listed with his uncle Richard Drummond Wheeler, Jr. on the 1880 census.)
11. Eliza Jane Wheeler, b.Nov 4, 1843, Campbell Co, TN; d. Feb 18, 1871, TN; m. Calvin A. Queener abt 1868, TN. Calvin Queener, b. abt 1846, TN; d. 1875, TN, was the son of Grandison Queener (b. 1818; d. 1866) and Jane L. Keeney (b. 1823; d. 1863). One child: Charles M. Queener, b. Nov 26, 1869, Campbell Co; d. Aug 2, 1893, Campbell Co.
12. Richard Drummond Wheeler, Jr., b. 1846, Campbell Co, TN
13. Joseph Elijah Wheeler, b. Oct 7, 1847, Campbell Co, TN; d. July 16, 1885, Campbell Co; m. Mary Lee Sharp on Dec 6, 1882, Campbell Co. Mary Lee Sharp, b. Apr 15, 1863; d. July 26, 1940, was the dau. of William Dunn Sharp (b. 1815; d. 1880) and Julia Alice Miller (b. 1827; d. 1923). (Note: Mary Lee's sister Lucy married Richard D. Wheeler, Jr.) Joseph and Mary Lee had one child: Nellie Wheeler, b. Dec 1883
14. David H. Wheeler, b. Mar 22, 1852, Campbell Co, TN; d. 1913, Campbell Co; m. Sarah Elizabeth Ann "Bettie" Sharp abt. 1874. Sarah Sharp, b. Aug 1860, TN; d. 1884, Campbell Co, TN, was the dau. of William Henry Sharp (b. 1829; d. 1885) and Sarah Jane Kincaid (b. 1832; d. 1907). (Note: Sarah's sister Anna Sharp married David's brother Ephraim Wheeler.) Children included: (1) William Richard Wheeler, b. 1875; (2) H. L. Wheeler (male), b. 1877 and (3) Thornton Wheeler, b. May 1880