Andrew J. Jordan

Andrew J. Jordan was born in 1831 in New York, the son of William (b. 1809) and Roxie (b. 1812).

New York natives William and Roxie were presumably married in New York where they resided for some years. Around 1834 Andrew and his family left New York and moved westward, possibly settling in Ohio. In any case, by 1860 Andrew was working as a farmer with his father and living with his family in Leroy, Calhoun County, Michigan.

Andrew’s first wife Abigail Sisson died in July of 1861 at the home of William Stanton in Kosciusko County, Indiana.

In any case, Andrew was living in Newstead, Erie County, New York, when he married Mary Newton (b. 1840) also of Newstead on August 29, 1862, in Royalton, Niagara County, New York, and they had at least two children: Ida (b. 1864) and Edna (b. 1870)

Andrew stood 5’8” with blue eyes, brown hair and a light complexion, and was a 32-year-old farmer living in Barry County when he enlisted in Company E on December 31, 1863, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Barry County, and was mustered on January 5, 1864. He joined the Regiment on February 1 and pm February 26 was admitted to the regimental hospital suffering from constipation and sent to the division hospital on February 28. He was returned to duty on March 3, but on April 24 he accidentally shot a toe off and was admitted to Harewood hospital in Washington, DC on April 30, with an amputation of the second toe of the left foot and furloughed for 45 days on June 6. He was absent sick or wounded when he was transferred to Company E, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864.

Although he returned to duty on July 21, he was transferred on September 5 and admitted on September 6 to Mower hospital (Chestnut Hill) in Philadelphia, and he remained hospitalized until he was discharged on May 17, 1865, at Mower hospital.

Andrew returned to Michigan after the war, probably to Barry County. By 1870 he was working as a farmer and living in Baltimore, Barry County with his wife and two daughters. By 1880 he was working as a farmer and living with his wife and daughter Edna in Geneva, Van Buren County. He settled in South Haven, Van Buren County around 1882 and was living in South Haven in 1883.

Andrew was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic Zach Chandler Post No. 35 in South Haven, serving as post chaplain. He was also a prominent member of the M.E. church, presumably in South Haven. In 1867 he applied for and received a pension (no. 162,498), drawing $4.00 per month in 1883 for chronic rheumatism.

After an illness of several weeks, Andrew died at his home in Broadway Street in South Haven, on Wednesday, March 12, 1889, and, due to “rapid decomposition” the burial took place on Friday morning, at 10:00 a.m., and a memorial service was held that Sunday evening at the M.E. church. He was buried in Lakeview cemetery, in South Haven, section C, lot no. 9, grave no. 4.

In July of 1889 Mary was still living in Michigan when she applied for and received a pension (no. 288784). In 1890 his widow was still residing in South Haven.