John Smith Anderson. 43 years old. Photo was taken at the end of 1886 in Arkansas City, KS, shortly before Lurena passed away. He gave this photo to his daughter Mary.

Regimental History of 13th Ind.

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Thirteenth Infantry. Cols., Jeremiah C. Sullivan, Robert G.
Foster, Cyrus J. Dobbs, John H. Lawrence; Lieut.-Cols., Will
Cumback, Horace Heffren, Robert S. Foster, Cyrus J. Dobbs,
John M. Wilson, Samuel M. Zent, Majs., Robert S. Foster, Cyrus
J. Dobbs, John M. Wilson, John C. Burton John H. Lawrence,
Richard J. Graham.

This regiment was originally accepted for state service for
one year and was organized at Indianapolis for the U. S.
service by volunteers from the companies in camp. It was one
of the first four regiments volunteering from the state for
three years and was mustered in June 19, 1861.

It left the state July 4, and joined Gen. McClellan's forces
at Rich Mountain, W. Va., July 10 participating in the battle
at that place the following day. It was in numerous
skirmishes about Cheat Mountain in September, supported a
battery at Green Brier in October and was in the battle of
Camp Alleghany in December.

It then moved to Green Spring Run, where it remained until
March, when it took part in the battle of Winchester Heights,
and joined in pursuit of Jackson's army as far as New Market.
Col. Sullivan was appointed brigadier-general on May 2 and
Lieut.-Col. Foster was made colonel.

The regiment was in the engagement at Summerville, and then
moved in pursuit of the enemy to Luray and Alexandria. It
embarked on June 28 for Harrison's landing, where it remained
from July 2 to Aug. 15, when it marched for Fortress Monroe.
From there it moved to Suffolk, and engaged in reconnaissances
during the fall and winter. It was in the engagement at
Deserted House, and aided in the defeat of Longstreet, in his
attempt to sieze Suffolk in the spring of 1863.

Col. Foster was appointed brigadier-general on June 16, and
Lieut.-Col. Cyrus J. Dobbs was promoted to colonel. On June
27, the regiment joined the expedition north of Richmond and
sailed for Folly island, Charleston Harbor, July 28. It
participated in the siege operations of Forts Wagner and
Gregg, being the first regiment to enter Fort Wagner in the
assault of Sept. 7.

Part of the regiment reenlisted as veterans in December and
were furloughed home. The regiment moved to Jacksonville,
Fla., in Feb., 1864, remaining there until April 17, when it
was transferred to Gloucester Point, Va., and assigned to the
2nd brigade, 3rd division, 10th corps.

It participated in most of the operations of Gen. Butler's
army south of Richmond, was engaged at Port Walthal Junction,
Chester Station, and in the charge on the enemy's rifle pits,
losing nearly 200 men in these engagements. It was attached
to the 3rd brigade, 3rd division, 18th corps on May 26, and
joined the Army of the Potomac at Cold Harbor June 1.

After the battle of Cold Harbor it participated in the early
assaults on the works at Petersburg. The non-veterans left
for Indianapolis on June 19, and were mustered out on the
24th. The regiment engaged in the charge at the Crater, July
30, and was in the trenches before Petersburg until September.

It was in the battles of Strawberry Plains, at Chaffin's Bluff
and Fort Gilmer and in the attack on Richmond in October. It
was sent to New York during the election in November, and
joined the first expedition to Fort Fisher in December,
returning to Chaffin's Bluff on the 31st.

The veterans and recruits were reorganized into a battalion of
five companies on Dec. 6 and five companies of drafted men
were added later, making a full regiment. It participated in
the assault on Fort Fisher in Jan. 1865 in the capture of Fort
Anderson and the occupation of Wilmington, and was stationed
at Raleigh, until July 20, when it was assigned to duty at
Goldsboro, where it remained until mustered out, Sept. 5,
1865.

The original strength of the regiment was 1,047. Gain by
recruits, 192; reenlistments, 148; unassigned recruits, 40,
total, 1,427. Loss by death 136; desertion, 103; unaccounted
for 25. At its reorganization, the original strength was 980.
Gain by recruits, 166; total 1,146. Loss by death, 98;
desertion, 1; unaccounted for 30.

List of officers in 13th Ind Regiment

List of officers in Co. A of 13th Ind Infantry

John S. Anderson's statement on how and where he became deaf during the war. Notice the location is Winchester, VA. The date and location coincides with the First Battle of Kernstown. Kernstown is a section of the Winchester area located immediately south of the town of Winchester.

On the 23rd of March, 1862, on the front line, the 13th Indiana. under the command of Col. Nathan Kimball, who assumed command from a wounded Gen. Shields, faced down the 42nd Virginia and drove them back.

There is considerable evidence that John S. Anderson's claim was valid. The battle was quite noisy that day by all accounts.

The 13th Indiana part of the Union line was closest to Prichard Hill's left side during the engagement. There were 16 cannons mounted on the hill that barraged the enemy on the 23rd and John's position would have certainly been exposed to the sound effects of the fierce cannon fire that day.

But that wasn't the only source of the day's injurious cacophony. Gen. Stonewall Jackson himself wrote of the battle that day that "I do not recollect of ever having heard such a roar of musketry."

In addition,the weather reported at the time of the battle was that it was cold and snow still covered the farm fields around the battlefield. Cold weather can enhance and increase the ground effects of sound and the intensity and force at which sound propagates.

The First Battle of Kernstown was one of Gen. Stonewall Jackson's few defeats on the battlefield and resulted in Col. Kimball being promoted to Brig. General on April 16th that year.

John should also have been proud of the fact that this was one of the few times that Gen. Stonewall Jackson was defeated by the Union. And part of this was the contribution of the 13th Indiana successfully repelling and driving the enemy back as they tried to take out the canons on Prichard's Hill.

Although the war department wouldn't find any medical reports that backed up his claim in this petition, which was denied for some time, John did spend about four months in hospital for tuberculous during his hitch in the army. This supports lung issues that drove him to move to hot and arid Arizona in 1887.

For about twelve years or more, John S. Anderson had a battle with the war department over his war injuries. Because he hadn't lost a limb, they ignored his deafness and lung issues. This document shows the uphill battle John had. But, by the 1890s, John had success and began to receive a pension.

This is the only document where John mentions his family. He talks of his late wife and their children.

12 Mar 1900

Gila Bend, AZ

This is a General Affidavit that John Smith Anderson filed with the government as part of his request to receive a Civil War Pension. In it are loads of details that speak to John's origin, life, and work. Of particular note, it references also where he worked after the war which includes the mention of him working near where his sister lived in McLean County, IL. Thanks to this affidavit, I was able to verify what census records included John and who his parents and siblings were. This affidavit was signed the 16 Dec 1899 and processed in Mar of 1900.

The narative is deliberately vague on family references. It could be so as to engender sympathy with the war department. In other words, pity me, I am an orphan. Or, it could be because the form was so short. Or it could be that the lawyers who filed his paperwork suggested that he avoid referencing them.

However, after pain staking reconstruction of John's timeline, when looking at where he lived for much of the early years and then examining the census data, it became clear that John either was living with family or had his own family with him in almost all the places he says he lived in the affidavit.

Working backwards along his time line, I was able to find him in each of places that his Civil War pension files says he was and then to tie him to his family. For example, his sister Barbara lived 30 miles from him in Humboldt, KS, in LeRoy at the time he ran a farm in Cottage Grove, Humboldt, KS.

Only when the war department requires him in later forms to enumerate family does he directly mention them, and then only his own wife and children with little backstory.

Here is where we find out that John declares his middle name and his association with the J. Anderson of Co. A, 13th Ind. to the war department.

There is some interest in his middle name, Smith. In 1860, the family name of the family his brother Samuel and John lived with in Wabash, IN, was Smith. Could the Smith's be related to John's mother?

Affidavit of R.H. Thompson and Ogden about their experience with John after the war at a sawmill in Laketon, IN.

Affidavit from two people living in Phoenix who had known John since the 1860s.

They mention knowing John and that he had been in the cattle business since 1867. This affidavit is where it was figured out that the farm John bought in Cottage Grove, KS, must have had cattle on it instead of just being a farm raising corn or wheat.

The A. Kimbrough in the affidavit was surely the famous Alexander Kimbrough (memorial #12249819) who fought the last recorded duel ever fought in Kentucky in 1866. Sgt. Kimbrough, late of the union army, fought a duel with Joseph Desha, a former Colonel in the Confederate Army.

Alexander Hamilton Kimbrough was also an Arizona pioneer, like John.

John and Alexander must have been drawn to each other. Both were largely products of the Civil War and would have respected each other.

Two years before this affidavit was filed, Alexander was involved in another duel in Phoenix after he got drunk. Alexander was also fined for vulgar language according to the papers. And in one instance, had to work on a local ranch to cover his fines because he had no money and the judge didn't want the expense of having him sit in jail for 10 days.

Fascinating letter from Miriam Agatha in which she needs verification of her birth date for retirement purposes.