Short Biography of William Anderson 1837-1889

William Anderson was born in Ireland on February 12, 1837. When he was 15 months old, his family left Ireland and came to North America. After a brief stay in Canada, the Andersons moved into the United States, settling in western Pennsylvania on a farm north of Pittsburgh. When the Civil War started, William enlisted into Co. G, 58th Regt, PA Militia. The militia was a "home guard" organization designed for activation in case the area was threatened by an invasion from the south. The feeling in this heavily Irish farm community was that the Civil War was not their problem unless it was brought to them, in which case they would be ready.In the summer of 1863, the war was rapidly coming their way. Gen. John Hunt Morgan and 1300 of his troopers crossed the Ohio River into Indiana and began to fight their way eastward through Ohio, evidently headed for western PA. About that same time, Gen. Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into PA to draw the Union Army of the Potomac into a fight. They called his hand at Gettysburg. Rather than move needed military resources and men west to deal with the Morgan raiders, the Ohio and Pennsylvania militia were called to active duty. The 58th, under command of a Col. Bemis, was sent by train into eastern Ohio. They helped contain the Rebels, preventing their escape back across the river into Kentucky. Finally, with only 300 men left, Morgan surrendered. The Confederate officers were sent to the Ohio State Penitentiary where they soon escaped. The 300 troopers were sent to POW camps escorted by the 58th and other regiments. William's regiment was de-activated in August just 45 days after they were mustered to duty, but he had "seen the elephant" or at least he had seen its tracts.

In 1869, William married Jane Wilson, the daughter of another Irish immigrant and they bought a farm in eastern Ohio where they raised four children. William became ill and in early 1889 the family sold the farm and moved back to PA. On December 12, 1889, William died and is buried along side his brothers and parents in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery just outside Warrendale, PA.