Andrew John Clay was born to Daniel and Barbara Reep Clay of Lincoln County, North Carolina. His grandfather, Isaac Clay was said to have fought in the battle of Kings Mountain, the turning point of the Revolutionary War. His great-grandfather, Johann Nicholas Klee came to America in 1738 from Germany through the port of Philadelphia, eventually migrating to Lincoln County.

Andrew married Elizabeth Buff of Lincoln County, NC on May 19, 1842. They had eleven children in their short eleven years together. Andrew was called to duty in a community sweep through the Lovelady Township in Granite Falls, North Carolina by the Confederates. Not only did the men know one another but they were bound by blood relationships. Andrew enlisted in Caldwell County into Company H, NC 58th Infantry Regiment on August 24, 1863. As it befell so many soldiers in the Civil War, he died of disease on November 9, 1863, at Atlanta, Georgia at Roy Hospital, a field hospital named for a surgeon.

His father, Daniel Clay had died about 1840. Andrew was the oldest son. Because of inheritance, once he became of age, he and Elizabeth apparently were able to relocate to the Lovelady Community, from Lincoln County to Caldwell County, and purchase a large farm of 325 acres. When he was inducted into the Confederate Army, they did not take his oldest three sons who were 20, 15, 14 years. It was a miracle. They were able to stay behind and run the farm for their mother and the family. I'm sure the farm became a family affair, and everyone participated. It was their livelihood and their way of life. Elizabeth's youngest child at the time of Andrew's death was 5-years-old. She never remarried.

Because he died of disease, only being in the military for three months, she never drew a pension. As far as this family member knows, there was never any information as to where he was buried in the Atlanta area.