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Andrews Family History in Rome,
Floyd County, Georgia, 1852-1869.
Transcribed By: David A. Larson
From the NW Georgia Historical and Genealogical Society
Quarterly, Vol. 26, No. 4, Fall 1994, pages 22-24.
The Andrews family moved to Rome, North Carolina District, Floyd County,
Georgia, in 1851 or early 1852. They had lived in Troup, Butte (Butts), and
Macon Counties, Georgia, and in Chambers County, Alabama, prior to their move to
Floyd County. In 1869 the Andrews relocated to Provo, Utah.
The family was comprised of:
Samuel Andrews, father. (Born: Oct. 30, 1807 in Burke Co., Georgia. Died: Oct
20, 1882 in Provo, Utah). His father was William Andrews, (Born: 1770 in S.
Carolina); mother Anna Howell, (Born: 1772 in Virginia. Died June 1861 in Rome,
Floyd Co., Georgia)
Elizabeth McDeed Andrews, mother. (Born: Jan 24, 1811 in Laurens Co., South
Carolina. Died Jan 9, 1891 in Provo, Utah). Her father was Jonathan McDeed,
(Born: 1785 in South Carolina) mother, Rachel Potts (Born: 1789)
Samuel and Elizabeth were married on October 30, 1834 in Troup County, Georgia
by R.F. McGehee, Justice of the Peace.
Their children were:
William Jefferson, (Born: Sept. 23, 1835; in Troup Co., Georgia.)
Amanda Elizabeth, (Born: June 6, 1838; in Chambers Co., Alabama)
Martha Frances, (Born: Jan 14, 1841; in Chambers Co., Alabama)
James Canada, (Born: Jan 28, 1844; in Macon Co., Georgia)
Marietta, (Born: Nov. 19, 1846; in Butts Co., Georgia. Died: Feb. 29, 1848)
Lovonia Louisa, (Born: Jan. 19, 1849; in Butts County, Georgia)
Edney Adaline, (Born: Oct. 13, 1852; in Rome, Floyd County, Georgia)
Prior to the outbreak of the War for Southern Independence the Andrews family
lived on a 296-acre farm at the southwest end of Horseleg Mountain about 5 miles
outside of downtown Rome. Samuel Andrews was listed as the owner of Lot 264 (160
acres) and part of Lot 263 (136 acres). The Andrews had sold 41-1/2 acres of lot
263 to T. S. Price on June 20, 1859 and 80 acres of lot 290 to Raymond Sanford
on Jan 12, 1854.
The 1860 U.S. Census indicates that Samuel Andrews' real estate was valued at
$2,100, and the value of his personal estate was $1,500. Samuel Andrews was also
listed as the owner of 10 slaves in 1860.
William J. Andrews mustered in as a private with the "Miller Rifles," Company E
(Capt. Towers' Company) of the 8th Georgia Infantry, on May 14, 1861. Military
records show he was present at First Manassas in July 1861 and at the siege of
Yorktown in April and May 1862. He was detailed as a nurse to the General
Hospital, Camp Winder (Division 4), Richmond, from May 24, 1862 through Feb. 9,
1863. He participated in the siege of Suffolk, Virginia in April and May 1863
and then was part of the Gettysburg Campaign. William was wounded on July 2,
1863 in the Rose Woods near the Wheatfield at Gettysburg. He took a mini ball in
the left leg, fracturing the tibia, and was "captured" by the Union Army on July
5. William stayed at Camp Letterman General Hospital in Gettysburg until
October, then transferred to Baltimore, Maryland. He was paroled and sent to
City Point, Virginia, and returned to Camp Winder, Richmond, this time as a
patient. He was furloughed on Dec. 24, 1863, and did not return to active duty.
Although the doctors saved the leg, it caused him pain and trouble the rest of
his life. William later married Elizabeth Dianah Smith, on May 29, 1876 in Salt
Lake City, Utah. William died on Feb. 19, 1896 in Provo, Utah.
In 1855, Amanda Elizabeth Andrews married Henry Hall, who was from St. Clair,
Alabama. They had two children, Elizabeth (Born: July 4, 1856 in Floyd Co.), and
Martha Frances (Born: June 24, 1858 in Shelby, Alabama). According to family
records, Henry Hall, a private in Company F, 10th Alabama Infantry, was killed
on June 30, 1862, while defending the Confederate capitol of Richmond. Amanda
was a hospital nurse for the Confederacy.
Martha Frances Andrews married John F. Beasley, of Tennessee, on Nov. 29, 1861.
John Beasley mustered into Company A of the 8th Georgia Infantry in May of 1861.
He contracted measles and was on sick leave in Virginia in the summer of 1861,
then later joined Company H, 3rd Georgia Cavalry, part of General Joseph
Wheeler's forces. John and Martha had three children while living in Floyd
County, Georgia and they relocated to Utah in 1869 with the rest of the Andrews
family.
Family 'rumors' indicate that James Canada Andrews left home and fought with the
Union army during the war. His death is listed as either June 22, 1862 or Sept.
22, 1862 at the age of 18. Further research has not been able to identify in
which Union regiment he fought.
Samuel Andrews, is probably the Confederate soldier identified in Kinney's Floyd
County Confederate book as a member of Company D, 29th Georgia Infantry. He,
then aged 55, is last listed as "on sick list July 29, 1863, in camp near
Morton, Mississippi." However, family history research has not been able to
verify Samuel Andrews' Confederate Army service.
Lovonia Andrews Lott, age 12 at the outbreak of the war, later wrote in a
journal:
All the young men from sixteen years of age up to thirty were drafted to go to
fight. The women and girls had to help with the farm work. After the crops were
gathered, we would have to weave the cloth and make clothes to wear. One time I
had made clothes enough for the coming year and the Negro boy that lived at our
home stole all my clothes except the ones that I was wearing and sold them. I
had to weave more cloth and color it. When I hung it out to dry a whirl wind
came and took it out of sight.
The following account is by Joella Lott Baum, a descendant of Lovonia Andrews
Lott:
Samuel Andrews was a farmer in FIoyd County, Georgia and raised cotton for a
livelihood. The people had to weave their own cloth and make their own clothes,
as there were no factories. There were all kinds of choice nuts that grew wild,
also blackberries and different kinds of small fruit. Tomatoes grew wild. They
were called love apples, people thought they were poison.
There were plenty of wild turkeys and possums. Grandpa Andrews [Samuel] would
make turkey traps and would catch from 1 to 4 turkeys at one time. There was a
large river close by their home [the Coosa], it would only take a short time to
catch an eel. They were fish, but looked like a large snake. There were many
other kinds of choice fish.
After the Andrews moved to Utah in 1869, there came a tornado in Dec. 1869 and
blew their old home in Georgia away, took big posts out of the ground and
destroyed the place. It turned a neighbor's house around.
Samuel Andrews sold the 296-acre farm to J.P. Stevens on Sept. 10, 1869. The
Andrews, Hall, and Beasley families moved to Utah via an immigrant wagon train
in 1869.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
Family Records.
Family Bible, in possession of Geraldine Miller, formerly owned by William J.
Andrews.
Genealogical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
National Archives Military Service Records.
"Floyd County, Georgia Confederates," vol. 8, by Shirley F. Kinney & James P.
Kinney, Jr.
Floyd County library, Misc. Records.
U.S. Census records, 1850, 1860, 1870.
Transcribed by: larsrbl@earthlink.net Dave Larson
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