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"(NOTE: Of the 992 men who served in the 86th Illinois, as of February 20, 1935, only ten were still living. Only one other man from old Co. F, in which Andrew served, and that was William Caulkins. When Andrew Jackson Way died on February 23, 1935, only one man from Co. F remained and only 9 men from the 86th were still living.
Andrew Jackson Way probably had never sat for a portrait prior to his entering the service during the Civil War and during the 4 months he spent in the Nashville, Tennessee area he spent much of...
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"(NOTE: Of the 992 men who served in the 86th Illinois, as of February 20, 1935, only ten were still living. Only one other man from old Co. F, in which Andrew served, and that was William Caulkins. When Andrew Jackson Way died on February 23, 1935, only one man from Co. F remained and only 9 men from the 86th were still living.
Andrew Jackson Way probably had never sat for a portrait prior to his entering the service during the Civil War and during the 4 months he spent in the Nashville, Tennessee area he spent much of this time in the hospital. During the early days in Nashville, he may have taken the time to sit for a portrait, which would have been in the form of what was called a "tin type", or more often in the form of what was called a "CDV". This was a paper picture glued to a heavier card board stock about the size of a modern day baseball card. If he did feel well enough o sit for a portrait, he almost certainly made a number of copies, not only to send home to his loved ones back home, but also to swap with his tentmates and messmates.
The Andrew survived the war and lived well into the 20th century. Through the years, he probably had his photograph taken hundreds of times. I would dearly love to see a copy of one of those CDV's added to his FAG site. However, at this time, I would just be happy to see ANY pictures of him, even ones of him as an old man. Can anyone help me? Thanks, Baxter)
Private ANDREW JACKSON "A. J." WAY, Co. F, 86th Regt. Illinois Volunteer Infantry
Andrew Jackson “A J” Way was born on 12 Jun 1843 in what would become Chestnut Township in Knox County, Illinois, the son of Harmon Way and Elizabeth (Wilson) Way. Harmon Way (FAG MEMORIAL # 7047788) was born on February 19, 1815 in Portage County, Ohio to David Way and Rebecca (Baldwin) Way, while Elizabeth Wilson (FAG MEMORIAL # 7047791) was born on March 15, 1821 in Ohio, the daughter of Charles W. Wilson and Betsey (Shelton) Wilson. Harmon and Elizabeth were married in Ohio on January 1, 1837.
Nine children are known to have been born to Harmon and Elizabeth, but there could have been more. They include;
1. David Way, born c. 1837/38 in Portage County, Ohio.
2. Baldwin Way, born January 14, 1840 in Portage County, Ohio. Late in the war, , at the age of 24, Baldwin volunteered to serve in what would become Co. A of the 151st Regt. of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He volunteered on February 6, 1865 in Peoria, Illinois. Baldwin was elected by the men of Co. A to serve as one of their Corporals. Corporal Baldwin E. Way died on April 29, 1865 at Dalton, Georgia of disease and his mortal remains were probably initially buried there in Dalton. Shortly after the war, the remains of the Union soldiers buried in the Dalton, Georgia area were exhumed and moved to the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, where they were laid in Section K, Grave #9868.
3. Samuel Way, born c. 1840/41 in Portage County, Ohio.
4. Andrew J. Way, born June 12, 1843, in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois. See his biography below.
5. Jacob Way, born c. 1844/45 in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois.
6. Lewis Way, born c. 1847/48 in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois.
7. Harmon Way, born c. 1850 in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois.
8. Hiram Way, born c. 1852/53 in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois.
9. Sonora Way, born c. 1858/59 in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois.
In the fall of 1841, Harmon and Elizabeth moved their growing family west to Illinois, where they settled in what would become Section 22 of Chestnut Township of Knox County, Illinois. They remained there on the same homeplace the rest of their lives.
At the time of the 1850 census, the Way family is found in Knox County, Illinois;
Harmon Way 35 OH
Elizabeth Way 28 OH
David Way 12 OH
Baldwin Way 10 OH
Samuel Way 8 OH
Andrew Way 6 ILL
Jacob Way 4 ILL
Lewis Way 1 ILL
At the time of the 1860 census, the Way family is found in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois;
Harmon Way 45 Farmer OH
Elizabeth Way 39 OH
David Way 22 Farmer OH
Baldwin Way 20 OH
Samuel Way 19 Attended School OH
Andrew J. Way 17 Attended School ILL
Jacob Way 15 Attended School ILL
Lewis Way 12 Attended School ILL
Harmon Way 10 Attended School ILL
Hiram Way 7 Attended School ILL
Sonora Way 1 ILL
Harmon Way died on 5 Mar 1897 there in Knox County, Illinois and his mortal remains were laid in the Hermon Christian Church Cemetery in Hermon, Knox County, Illinois. See his Find A Grave Memorial #7047788.
Now to continue with the biography of Andrew J. Way;
On August 26, 1862, with the Civil War raging for more than a year, Andrew Jackson Way went into the village of Maquon and volunteered to serve in a company which had been raised in Maquon, Illinois in late July and early August of 1862, by a well known local Carpenter, Contractor and Businessman by the name of James L. Burkhalter for service in the Union Army. By the evening of the 11th day of August, 1862, Burkhalter had about 100 volunteers. The following day, Burkhalter led the Maquon company on a long march into Peoria, where they went into camp at Camp Lyon, near present day Glen Oak Park. On August 26, 1862, Andrew Jackson Way became Burkhalter's last original recruit. Andrew was probably sent straight to Peoria and Camo Lyon, where on August 27, 1862, Burkhalter was elected by the men of the Maquon company to be their Captain and Captain Burkhalter and 93 of his volunteers were mustered in as Co. F of the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report
from the Illinois State Archives;
Name WAY, ANDREW J Rank PVT
Company F Unit 86 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence MAQUON, KNOX CO, IL
Age 19 Height 5' 10 Hair SANDY Eyes HAZEL
Complexion FAIR Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation FARMER Nativity KNOX CO, IL
Service Record
Joined When AUG 26, 1862 Joined Where MAQUON, IL
Joined By Whom J L BURKHALTER Period 3 YRS
Muster In AUG 27, 1862 Muster In Where PEORIA, IL
Muster In By Whom _____ Muster Out _____
Muster Out Where _____ Muster Out By Whom _____
Remarks DISCHARGED FOR DISABILITY MAR 13, 1863 AT NASHVILLE TENN
On September 7, 1862, the men of the 86th Illinois marched out of the gates of Camp Lyon, Capt. James L. Burkhalter leading Co. F, through the streets of Peoria, with much fanfare down to the railroad depot. At the railroad depot, the 932 officers and men of the 86th Illinois were joined by the men of the 85th Illinois, who had been mustered into service at Camp Peoria. At the depot, the men of the 85th & 86th boarded trains bound for Camp Joe Holt, Jeffersonville, Indiana, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. Three weeks later, the men of the 85th & 86th were in the field in Kentucky as part of Col. Daniel McCook's 36th Brigade, in the Union army commanded by General Buehl, in pursuit of Confederate troops that were in Kentucky. On Oct. 8, 1862, the men of McCook's Brigade were engaged with those troops in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, the 86th Illinois suffering their first casualties. One soldier from the 86th Illinois was killed and thirteen others were wounded. There were no casualties reported from Co. F, but, undoubtedly, the men of Co. F had seen the first blood spilled. There would much more spilled in the coming years.
After the Union victory at Perryville, the Confederate Army withdrew from Kentucky and McCook's Brigade marched on to Nashville, Tennessee, where they went into winter camp.
During those first few months in the field and in Nashville, the poor diet and living conditions took a great toll on the green troops. Even before the 86th left Camp Joe Holt, many of the troops were ill. When the men of McCook's Brigade left the Jeffersonville/Louisville area, many men were left behind sick in the Louisville hospitals. Many more became ill before the 86th arrived in Nashville. Many of these troops were left behind in Army Hospitals, first in Bowling Green, Kentucky and then in Gallatin, Tennessee.
Once in the Nashville area, the living conditions and diet didn't improve very much and before long the Nashville hospitals were full to overflowing with sick Union soldiers. What is today the Nashville National Cemetery got it's start that winter of 1862/83, when hundreds upon hundreds of sick soldiers died there in Nashville. One of the soldiers that soon found himself in the hospital was Private Andrew Jackson Way.
At the hospital, whatever his ailment, nothing the doctors did seemed to improve his condition. Finally by mid March of 1863, the doctors decided that they best thing that they could do for Private Way was to discharge him from the service and send him home, with the hope that with the help of family and some home cooking, he could survive his ailment and recover his health. So on March 13, 1863, Private Andrew Jackson Way was discharged from the service for disability from one of the army hospitals there in Nashville and sent home. Private Way returned to his home and family in Knox County. Whatever his ailment, Andrew continued to struggle with his health but he slowly regained his strength and health.
Another year went by with the war still raging. By the spring of 1864, Andrew Jackson Way had regained most, if not all, of his strength and with a great desire to continue serving his country, Andrew Jackson Way went into Knoxville, Illinois on May 14, 1864, where George F. Smith was recruiting a company, which was to serve in Illinois for 100 days. That day, Andrew Jackson Way signed up to serve in this company, which a month later was mustered into service as Co. E of the 138th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Detail Report
from the Illinois State Archives;
Name WAY, ANDREW J Rank SGT
Company E Unit 138 IL US INF
Personal Characteristics
Residence KNOXVILLE, KNOX CO, IL
Age 21 Height 5' 10 Hair AUBURN Eyes GRAY
Complexion LIGHT Marital Status SINGLE
Occupation FARMER Nativity KNOX CO, IL
Service Record
Joined When MAY 14, 1864 Joined Where KNOXVILLE, IL
Joined By Whom GEORGE F SMITH Period 100 DAY
Muster In JUN 21, 1864 Muster In Where QUINCY, IL
Muster In By Whom _____ Muster Out OCT 14, 1864
Muster Out Where SPRINGFIELD, IL
Muster Out By Whom LT HALL
Almost certainly because of his prior service and brief time in combat, Andrew Jackson Way was elected by the men of Co. E to serve as one of their Sergeants. So, on June 21, 1864, Andrew Jackson Way was mustered in as a Sergeant in Co. E of 138th.
Wikipedia tells us that the "138th Illinois Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Wood, Quincy, Illinois and mustered in for one-hundred day service on June 21, 1864, with Colonel J.W. Goodwin as commander. The Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, ordered the regiment to proceed to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where it was assigned to garrison duty."
Wikipedia continues, "The counties of Jackson, Clay, Platte, Ray, Lafayette as well as other counties along the western border of Missouri, were over-run by bands of pro-Confederate bushwhackers. On July 7, Companies "C" and "F" were ordered to Weston, Missouri, and during July, August, and a portion of September, they remained on active duty and succeeded in clearing the counties of bushwhackers. Following the defeat of the bushwhackers, Companies "C" and "F" returned to garrison duty at Fort Leavenworth. In the meantime, General Sterling Price, had invaded and occupied Missouri from the southeast, cutting off communications between St. Louis and the southeast. The regiment voluntarily extended its term of service and proceeded along the Iron Mountain Railroad guarding railway bridges from destruction by Price's Army. Following the defeat of General Price's army, the regiment returned to Camp Butler, Illinois and was mustered out on October 14, 1864. During its service the regiment incurred ten fatalities." After the men of the 138th was mustered out of the service, Sergeant Andrew Jackson Way returned to his home in Central Illinois. Six months later the war finally came to an end and in the spring of 1865, Andrew began farming anew.
Andrew J. Way was married to Nancy J. Reece on January 24, 1867 in Knox County, Illinois. Nancy was born on April 12, 1846 in Clinton County, Ohio, the daughter of Aquilla C. Reece and Susan (Smith) Reece. Aquilla C. Reece was born on 22 Aug 1811 and died on 28 Aug 1887 and his mortal remains were laid in the Hermon Methodist Church Cemetery in Hermon, Knox County, Illinois. See his Find A Grave Memorial #7881458. Susan (Smith) Reece was born on 18 Feb 1805, died on 2 Apr 1892 and her mortal remains were also laid in the Hermon Methodist Church Cemetery.
Two daughters are known to have been born to Andrew and Nancy;
1. Stella Way, born c. 1867/68 in Knox County, Illinois. Stella was married to J. H. Wasson and they resided in Rocky Ford, Colorado. Stella died on July __, 1924.
2. Eva Way, born November 16, 1872 in Knox County, Illinois. Eva was married to ____________ Higinbotham. Eva became a School Teacher and found living with her widowed father and teaching school in Holton, Kansas in 1900.
Eva was married to Everett L. Higinbotham c. 1903/04.
At the time of the 1920 census, Eva and her family are found buying a home at what is then identified as 1609 Van Buren in the city of Amarillo, Potter County, Texas;
E. L. Higinbotham 44 Indiana Manager of a Grocery
Eva Higinbotham 47 ILL
Winnifred Higinbotham 14 TX
Frank Higinbotham 12 TX
Robert Higinbotham 9 TX
Evelyn Higinbotham 8 TX
Gertrude Higinbotham 6 TX
Everett died in 1927 and at the time of the 1930 census, Eva is found Teaching School and renting an apartment located at what is identified as 711 W. 15th Street in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas;
Eva Higinbotham 55 ILL School Teacher
Robert Higinbotham 20 TX
Evelyn Higinbotham 18 TX
Gertrude Higinbotham 16 TX
Eva died on June 29, 1954 in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas. Their mortal remains were laid in the Llano Cemetery.
Now to continue with the biography of Andrew Jackson Way and his family;
At the time of the 1870 census, Andrew and his family are found residing with Nancy's parents in Chestnut Township, Knox County, Illinois;
Agniles C. Reece 58 Farmer NC
Susan Reece 60 Keeping House NC
Andrew J. Way 24 Farmer ILL
Nancy J. Way 22 Ohio
Stella Way 2 Illinois
Andrew and Nancy are believed to have moved west in the fall of 1870 to Johnson County, Nebraska, where they continued farming. At the time of the 1880 census, Andrew and his family are found in Todd Creek Township, Johnson County, Nebraska, where they are farming;
Andrew J. Way 37 Farmer ILL
Nannie Way 34 Keeping House OH
Stella Way 12 Going to School ILL
Eva Way 7 Going to School ILL
In 1887, some of the men of the 86th Illinois organized and held a reunion for the old 86th in Peoria during the week of August 27, 1887, the 25th anniversary of their being mustered into service in Peoria back in 1862. The reunion was attended by some 130 veterans of the 86th and their families and was such a hit, that it was decided that they would continue to hold them every year on the anniversary as long as the veterans could attend. The reunions continued to grow for several years as more and more veterans of the 86th were located and they continued to hold them through the year 1923, when it was tearfully decided by the 22 aged veterans of the 86th who were able to attend that last reunion, that they were getting too old and too few to continue them after that 1923 reunion.
For some unknown reason, the men of Co. F never got into the reunions and were almost always the least represented company. Only one man from Co. F attended more than 10 of the 37 reunions and that was C. W. McKown, who only missed one reunion from 1887 to 1914. Andrew J. Way never was able to attend any of the reunions, the great distance to be traveled and the difficulty of making that trip in the lat 1800's and early 1900's undoubtedly playing a part. The 86th did have him in Tecumseh, Nebraska in the late 1880's and he probably did stay in contact with them through the years.
In 1889, Andrew J. Way applied for a pension for his service and was granted a pension on May 8, 1889. In March of 1890, Andrew and Nancy moved the family to Holton, Kansas in Jackson County. Just over a year later, Nancy J. (Reece) Way died there on 4 Jul 1891. Her mortal remains were laid to rest in the Holton Cemetery in Holton, Jackson County, Kansas. See her Find A Grave Memorial #31885930.
At the time of the 1900 census, Andrew and his youngest daughter, Eva, are found residing at what is then identified as 715 Kansas Avenue in the city of Holton, Franklin Township, Jackson County, Kansas;
Andrew J. Way Jun 1843 57 Widowed Landlord ILL
Eva Way Nov 1872 27 School Teacher ILL
Andrew Jackson Way was married to Mrs. Victoria C. Hough on June 30, 1902. Andrew Jackson Way spent the remainder of his life in and around Holton, Kansas. Andrew Jackson Way was the last living member of the Holton, Kansas Grand Army of the Republic Post #46. Andrew Jackson Way died on 23 Feb 1935 in Holton, Jackson County, Kansas and his mortal remains were laid in the Holton Cemetery in Holton, Jackson County, Kansas.
The February 28, 1935 edition of THE HOLTON RECORDER newspaper, of Holton, Kansas carried the following obituary;
"Andrew J. Way was born near London Mills, in Knox county, Illinois, June 12, 1843, and entered into rest at his home in Holton, Kansas, February 23, 1935, aged 91 years, 8 months, and 11 days. He was converted in his early youth and became a devoted believer in the Christian religion. For more than twenty years he was a faithful member of the Christian church in Holton, transferring his membership to the Evangelical church in 1925. He was especially happy in his church relationships and particularly enjoyed the fellowship of the Men’s Bible class of which he was a member and a faithful attendant until the last year when he was no longer strong enough to sit through two services on Sunday morning. He was seldom absent from the morning church service and until recent months attended the evening service quite regularly also. He enlisted for service under his country’s flag in Company F 86th Illinois Infantry at the age of 19 years. He was discharged for disability in July 1863. Having partially recovered his health he re-enlisted in Co. E 138th Illinois Infantry from which he was honorably discharged at the close of the Civil War.
He was married at Knoxville, Ill., to Nancy J. Reece, January 24, 1867. To this union were born two daughters (Stella) Mrs. J. H. Wasson, of Rocky Ford, Colo., who entered into rest July, 1924; and (Eva) Mrs. E. L. Higinbotham, of Amarillo, Texas. He came west in 1870 and founded a home in Johnson county, Nebraska. He removed to Holton in March, 1890, where his wife, Nancy J., died July 4, 1891. He was married to Mrs. Victoria C. Hough June 30, 1902, who survives him; also the one daughter, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” Mr. Way’s faithfulness was amply attested by his devotion to Christ and the church. And the American flag which draped the casket bore further testimony to his loyalty to country. He was the last surviving comrade of the G. A. R. as well as the oldest male resident of Holton. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at 2:30 from the Evangelical church in charge of the pastor, C. F. Hartmann. Miss Rose Jacobs presided at the organ and the Dynamo quartet sang. The pall-bearers were Theodore Haag, F. K. Keller, H. J. Klusmire, Jacob Knapp, H. E. Maynard and R. E. Singer. Interment was made in the Holton cemetery."
by Baxter B. Fite III, who can be contacted at [email protected]" |
