Civil War Veterans Buried In Washington State - James Andis

3^rd BATTALION TENNESSEE (CONFEDERATE) VOLUNEER CAVALRY
Organized: 8/1861
Consolidated/Merged: 11/1862
 

1^st TENNESSEE (CONFEDERATE) VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
Organized:  11/1862
Mustered In: Inf. Not Available
Disbanded:  Spring, 1865 Virginia
 

2^nd UNITED STATES VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Organized: 2/1865Rock Island, IL
Mustered In: 2/1865 Rock Island, IL
Mustered Out: 11/7/1865 Ft. Leavenworth, KS

BATTALION HISTORY (3^rd)

The history of this unit is, at best, murky. It appears that at the time of its origins during 8/1861 it was originally designated as the 3^rd, or “Brazelton’s, Battalion” Tennessee Cavalry. Initially formulated for twelve months, it was apparently also known as the 2^nd and/or 5^th Battalion Tennessee Cavalry.

On 5/12/1862 the unit was re-organized and - officially - recognized as the 14^th Tennessee or “Carter’s Battalion” Tennessee Cavalry. Most of the members of the unit’s six companies were from the Tennessee counties of McMinn, Rhea, Union, Knox, Hamilton, Bledsoe and Jefferson.

The battalion initially served in the Confederacy’s Department of East Tennessee. It skirmished in Kentucky, then saw action at Cumberland Gap. (9/ 7-9/1863).

 In 11/1862 the 3^rd was merged/consolidated into the 1^st Regiment (Carter’s) Tennessee Cavalry. The “new” organization was designated the 1^st.

BATTALION LOSSES:
Loss Numbers Not Available.

REGIMENTAL HISTORY:    (1^st)

The 1^st Tennessee Cavalry – Also known as “(Colonel) Carter’s Tennessee Cavalry” – was organized in 11/1862 using the 3^rd Tennessee Cavalry Battalion as it nucleus. As noted above, the men of the 3^rd were primarily from the Tennessee counties of Rhea, Bradley, McMinn, Roane, Bledsoe, Union, Knox, Jefferson and Claiborne.  Some, however, had been “recruited” behind enemy lines while a few had served in Thomas’ North Carolina Legion.

One company was captured at Vicksburg, MS (7/4/1863). Another took part in the Atlanta, GA campaign of 1864. 

Attached to various brigades, the 1^st fought at Murfreesboro, TN (), skirmished in other parts of the state and in Kentucky before moving into Virginia. There, it saw action at Piedmont and various other points of the Shenandoah Valley with Gen. J. A. Early before being disbanded during the spring of 1865.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Loss Numbers Not Available.

REGIMENTAL HISTORY: (2^nd)

The organization which became the 2^nd was authorized in 10/1864 at Rock Island Barracks, P.O.W. camp in Illinois. Composed of Confederate prisoners of war, the unit was finally organized for l year in 2/1865.

Composed of “Galvanized Yankees” the organization was assigned to duty in the District of Missouri and sent by rail to Ft. Leavenworth, KS.  There it was assigned to the District of Upper Arkansas and served along the Santa Fe Trail from the Little Arkansas River to Ft. Dodge, KS. Another area of service was along the Cimarron Crossing to Ft. Lyon, CO. 

From Ft. Leavenworth the unit marched to Ft. Riley and stationed companies there as well as at Salem, Ft. Ellsworth, Ft. Larned, Ft. Zarah and Ft. Scott KS.

Unit assignments included scouting duties, wagon train escort and operations against Native American Indians. In this role, members of the regiment were present as guards during the signing of the Little Arkansas Treaty (10/14 & 18/1865). The regiment was mustered out at Ft. Leavenworth, KS on 11/7/1865.

REGIMENTAL LOSSES:
Loss Numbers Not Available.

SOLDIER:  (3^rd)
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.  Age:
Enlisted/Enrolled: 8/8/1861 Knoxville, TN   Rank:  Pvt.
Mustered In: Inf. Not Avail.
Transferred Out: Pvt.
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Discharge: Pvt.
 

SOLDIER: (1^st)
Residence: Inf. Not Avail.   Age:
Enlisted/Enrolled: Inf. Not Avail.   Rank: Pvt.
Mustered In:  Inf. Not Avail.
Captured: 10/28/1863 Knox County, TN
Highest Rank: Pvt.
Rank At Parole:  Pvt.

SOLDIER: (2^nd)
Residence:  Inf. Not Avail.   Age: 21
Enlisted/Enrolled: 6/13/1864 Rock Island Barracks Rock Island, IL   Rank: Cpl. 
Mustered In: 6/13/1864 Rock Island Barracks Rock Island, IL
Mustered Out: 11/7/1865 Ft. Leavenworth, KS
Highest Rank: Cpl.
Rank At Discharge: Cpl.

JAMES W. ANDIS
3^rd BATTALION TENNESSEE CONFEDERATE AVALRY Co. “F”

1^st TENNESSEE CONFEDERATE CAVALRY Co. “E”

2^nd UNITED STATES VOLUNTEER INFANTRY Co. “H” 

PERSONAL/FAMILY HISTORY:
 

NOTE: The birth - to - death biographical profile of James Andis was created in October, 2022 near the end of the Covid-19 medical pandemic. It contains less depth of detail than many other biographies within this website because military service, pension and other veteran-related files housed in Washington, D.C.'s National Archives were not available. At a later time those documents may be obtained and the data contained therein added to the narrative which follows.
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James Walter Andis was born 4/24/1843. His place of birth was Jonesville Lee County, VA.

Parenting James were Abraham (b. 3/3/1805 Washington County, VA – d. 4/15/1882 Lee County, VA) and Mary Polly (nee Moore b. 6/26/1804 Washington County, VA – d. 5/8/1887 Lee County, VA) Andis. Although Abraham‘s occupation is not documented, it is surmised that he was a farmer.

Based on available data, it appears James was the youngest of five children. His older siblings were: Nancy T. Andis (b. 5/12/1830 VA), Eleanor F. Andis (b. 3/19/1837 VA), Harvey Thompson Andis (b. 11/19/1840 VA) and Emily J. Andis (b. 9/10/1842 VA).

At the time the U.S. Census for 1860 was tallied, James out from under his parents’ roof. He was then residing with   a farmer named J. H. Frost and his wife, Nancy in Cedarford Union County, TN. At that point in time James noted his occupation as being “apprentice tanner.”

In 4/1861 civil war swept across America. A scant few months later, on 8/8/1861 young James enlisted for a period of twelve months in a Confederate States of America cavalry unit.  Initially the 3^rd Battalion Tennessee Cavalry, in September/October, 1862 Private Andis was noted to have been absent without leave (a.w.o.l.) for an undetermined period of time.

Not long after Private Andis’ absence, in 11/1862 the 3^rd was melded into the 1^st Tennessee Cavalry. Private Andis was serving with the latter unit when, on 10/28/1883, in Knox County, TN he was captured by Federal forces.

Following his capture, it appears Private Andis  was held as a prisoner of war (p.o.w.) for a time at a Kentucky facility known as Camp Nelson.*  From there, he was transferred northward to Camp Chase, OH, arriving at that Cincinnati facility on 11/14/1863. Moved again, on 1/22/1864 he was transferred to a prison facility located in Rock Island, IL.

Private Andis languished in the Illinois camp until 10/13/1864. On that date he gained his freedom from prison by having – on 6/13/1864 - enlisted as a corporal to perform frontier service as a “Galvanized Yankee” with the 2^nd U.S. Volunteer Infantry. In 11/1865 he was mustered out of that unit and returned to civilian life.

Where, exactly, James settled after leaving the U.S. Army is not known. He is next heard from on 1/29/1871. On that date, in Iron County, MO, he married.

James’ bride was Lemanda Calvania Wallace. Calvania had been born on 2/1/1850 in Winston County, AL. How, when and where the two had met are unknowns.

During their years together James and Calvania produced nine children. They were:  Emily Jane Andis (b. 1871 Iron County, MO), Margaret Bessie Andis (b. 11/28/1874 Van Buren Carter County, MO), Alexander F. Andis (b. 3/23/1877 Webster County, MO), James William Andis (b. 6/24/1879 (Dallas) Webster County, MO), Abraham Henry Andis (b. 1/26/1881 Fordland Webster County, MO), Mary Susan “Mollie” Andis (8/1/26/1883 Webster County, MO), Charles T. Andis (b. ca.. 1888 MO). John Martin Andis (b. 4/22/1890 Mt. Vernon Skagit County, WA) and Calvania May  “Callie” Andis (b. 8/7/1893 Burlington Skagit County, WA).

As noted by the birth places of the Andis children, James and Calvania appear to have resided in several Missouri locations before quitting that state in favor of Washington in the Pacific Northwest. As for what drew the family from Missouri to the Puget Sound region we do not know.

The Andis family moved from Missouri sometime between 1888 (Charles born, MO) and 1890 (John born, WA). In the Puget Sound area their communities of residence would be denoted as Avon** and Burlington, both of which were/are in Skagit County.

Dropping back a bit, James’ service as a Union soldier made him eligible to receive a U.S. Government disability pension. He applied for such on 2/10/1886. As a result, as of 9/1907 he was receiving a six dollar per month stipend based on “chronic gastric catarrh (infection), chronic constipation and hemorrhoids.”

September is significant for another reason, too. The old soldier’s health was beginning to fail to a point where apparently his family could no longer care for him. As a result, as of 9/10/1907 James was admitted into residency at the old soldiers’ home located in Sawtelle Los Angeles County, CA. The residency didn’t last for long, however, as a little over two months later, on 11/12/1907, he was, upon his own request, discharged from the facility.

James W. Andis died in Burlington Skagit County, WA on 2/24/1908. Details of his death are not available, but at his passing the former Confederate and “Galvanized Yankee” Federal solder was sixty four years of age (check). Burial was/is in the Green Hills Memorial Cemetery located in Burlington Skagit County, WA.

Shortly after her husband’s death, on 3/10/1908, the widow Andis petitioned the U.S. Government to continue receiving at least a portion of her late husband’s pension stipend.  Again, we know the request was granted, but without access to Calvania’s widow pension files, her financial benefits remain unknown.

Calvania lived out her years in Skagit County.  The census of 1910 noted she and three of her children residing in or near the community of Prairie. There, she was supporting her young ‘uns by working as a cook in a nearby lumber/logging Camp. In 1920 her community of residence was once again, Burlington.

Lemanda Calvania Wallace Andis died in Burlington, WA on 9/21/26. She was/is buried with James in the Green Hills Memorial Cemetery.
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* Established in 1863, Camp Nelson was a multi-purpose, fortified Union bas located in Kentucky. It was situated along the Lexington – Danville Turnpike adjacent to the Kentucky River near the cities of Lexington, Nicholasville and Richmond. The site, today, is a national, historic monument.

**Avon, now an unincorporated area along the banks of the Skagit River, was – in the late 1800s – a thriving riverside community with its own post office.  Whether the Avon/Burlington designations reflect two different residences or merely the changing demographics of the entire region is not known. In both Avon and Burlington James noted his occupation as “farmer.”

*** At the time of his soldiers’ home admittance James was described as being five feet nine inches tall, having a dark complexion, dark eyes and gray hair. Further, his application paper noted that his religion was protestant and that he could read and write.

Posted: 12/6/2022

Updated: 

Buried at Green Hills Memorial Cemetery