Andrew Jackson Webster

Andrew Jackson Webster was born on January 13, 1845, in Ontario County, New York, the son of Orrin (b. 1804) and Sophia (b. 1805).

Connecticut natives Orrin and Sophia were married sometime before 1833, and by 1833 had settled in New York where they resided for some years. By 1850 they were living in Phelps, Ontario County, New York where Orrin worked as a cooper. Orrin eventually moved his family on to Michigan sometime after 1850, and by 1860 Andrew was a farm laborer living with his family in Allendale, Ottawa County, where his father worked as a cooper.

Andrew stood 5’5” with blue eyes, brown hair and a light complexion and was 16 years old and probably still living his family in Allendale when he enlisted in Company I on May 13, 1861, presumably with the consent of his parents. (Company I was made up largely of men from Ottawa County, particularly from the eastern side of the County.) Andrew was reported sick in the hospital from August of 1862 through November. By May of 1863 he was reported in the Regimental hospital department, in July he was a guard on a ammunition train, and was wounded on November 30, 1863, at Mine Run, Virginia.

Andrew apparently recovered from his wounds by the time he reenlisted on December 24, 1863 at Brandy Station, Virginia, crediting Hamburg, Livingston County.

He returned to his home in Allendale on veteran’s furlough at which time he married New York native Susan E. See (1844-1927) on January 23, 1864, and they had at least three children: Orrin (b. 1869), Fannie M. (b. 1877; Mrs. Preston Snyder) and Ora (b. 1879). Apparently, Andrew married Susan at the same time that Alfred See, Susan’s brother, married the widow of John Herriman, formerly of Company I.

Andrew probably returned to the Regiment on or about the first of February, was absent sick in May of 1864, and was still absent sick when he was transferred as Corporal to Company I, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864. He quite likely returned to duty and was promoted to Sergeant on January 5, 1865, and was mustered out on July 5, 1865 at Jeffersonville, Indiana.

After the war Andrew returned to Allendale and by 1870 he was working as a farmer and living with his wife and son in Allendale; next door lived the See family. He may have moved to Missouri but if so he returned to Michigan around 1873 and lived in Jenison, Ottawa County for several years before moving back to Allendale. Curiously, in 1880 Susan and her children were living with the William Webster family in Allendale. At one time he lived in Coopersville, Ottawa County, and by 1890 he was living in Georgetown, Ottawa County. He was living in Manton, Wexford County in 1894, he probably resided briefly in Hesperia, Oceana County sometime in the 1890s, and was living in Hart, Oceana County in 1907 and from 1909 to 1911. By 1920 he had returned to Coopersville where he was living with his wife and lived through 1926 and probably through 1927.

Andrew was a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association. In 1890 he applied for and received a pension (no. 854999).

Andrew died a widower of chronic myocarditis at his son Orin’s home at 1451 Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids on April 13, 1929, and the funeral service was held at Lyzen’s chapel at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. He was buried in Oak Hill cemetery: section 10 lot 120