Biography of William Anderson

	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1898. Pages 393-395

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 



WILLIAM ANDERSON, an honored veteran of the Civil war, and one of the 
most highly esteemed citizens of Brookings, was born at Urbana, 
Champaign county, Ohio, October 4, 1821, a son of John and Nancy (Lower) 
Anderson, both natives of Shenandoah county, Virginia, and both born in 
1797. They were married at the age of eighteen, and being disgusted with 
the slavery which prevailed in their native state, they at once set out 
for Ohio. Mr. Anderson had means sufficient to buy a horse and saddle 
for his wife, but he was obliged to walk to what was then the frontier 
of the Buckeye state, where they lived on a farm at Urbana until their 
deaths, Mr. Anderson reaching the age of eighty years, and his wife 
nearly eighty-four. When a boy he entered the regular army and served 
one year in the war of 1812, during which he was at times obliged to 
march with his comrades barefooted until they left their footprints 
stained with blood. His father, Jacob Anderson, served in the 
Revolutionary war.

	In 1850 William Anderson, the subject of this sketch, moved from 
Ohio to Somerset, Wabash county, Indiana, where his father purchased 
land of the Indians. This was then all unbroken forest, but he cleared 
up a fine farm and lived there until 1882, when he sold out and came to 
Brookings county, South Dakota, and bought 480 acres in Brookings 
township, which produced 13,200 bushels of grain the second year he 
cultivated it. He operated this farm seven years, and still owns 160 
acres of same, but has always made his home in Brookings, where he 
erected one of the finest dwellings in the village. His present home was 
built in 1890. While a young men he joined the Ohio militia, and was 
commissioned captain of a company. During the Mexican war this company 
volunteered, but were not called into service. In September, 1861, he 
enlisted in Company F, Second Indiana Cavalry, Forty-first Regiment, and 
served three years in the Army of the Cumberland, riding all over 
Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and a part of Kentucky, under 
Colonel Ed McCook. He was made wagon master of his regiment, and did a 
great deal of foraging, making many excursions into the enemy's country, 
with but few or no companions. While encamped at Murfreesboro, 
Tennessee, he was sent out with a train of about forty wagons to secure 
provender for the horses. About ten miles from the camp they succeeded 
in filling the wagons with hay and corn, and had started to return when 
attacked by a detachment of cavalry. Several of his men were killed, and 
the others fled, but Mr. Anderson succeeded in capturing the major in 
command of the Confederates, and marched him to the. Union lines, where 
he obtained assistance and returned for the wagons. A few days after 
this he was captured by the notorious John Morgan's band at Hartsville, 
Tennessee, but was soon paroled, and went home until he was exchanged 
two months later, when he again joined the army. He took part in many 
cavalry fights and two general engagements, and was exposed to almost 
constant danger, yet he escaped without serious wounds.

	In March, 1847, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Susan 
Turner, daughter of William and Amanda Turner, of Urbana, Ohio. Mrs. 
Anderson died in January, 1857, at the age of twenty-six years, leaving 
six children, one of whom died in infancy. Of the five who reached 
maturity we have the following record: Mrs. Mary Crane, Pierson, Ohio; 
Angeline, wife of O. A. Pierson, Jersey, Ohio; John, Urbana, Ohio; 
William, deceased; and Perry, of Jersey, Ohio. Mr. Anderson was 
subsequently married to Miss Rhoda Lawshe, daughter of Isaac and Nancy 
Lawshe, of Somerset, Indiana. Of the four children born to this union, 
Elmer, a well-known citizen of Brookings, is the only survivor. The 
deceased are: Belle, for sixteen years a school teacher and who taught 
the last three years of her life in the city schools of Minneapolis, 
Minnesota, where she commanded the highest respect and esteem of her 
associates. She died in Minneapolis, March 9, 1897, at the age of 
thirty-one years; Libby died in 1888, at the age of sixteen years, and 
Bessie died in Indiana, in 1876, at the age of five years.

	The family has been identified with the Baptist church for many 
years and Mr. Anderson is a trustee of the society at Brookings. He is 
also a member of the R. L. McCook post, G. A. R., of which he was 
commander for several years. He has been a member of the Masonic order 
since March, 1842, being the oldest member of the order residing in the 
state of South Dakota, and holds membership in the blue lodge, chapter 
and commandery, Knights Templar, all of Brookings. He was forty-five 
years a member of the I. 0. O. F., but has never joined any lodge in 
this state. Mr. Anderson is a Republican in political views and has 
served the people of Brookings in the capacity of police justice for 
three years, during which time he, without fear or favor, enforced the 
prohibition law in the town which had previously been a dead letter. He 
is a man of decided views and outspoken in their expression. commanding 
alike the respect of his adversaries and colleagues in whatever he 
undertakes.