John Anderson

“ And so you will not engage in the business?"
"No John, no money I would earn would be the least inducement."
"How foolish," said John Anderson to himself as they parted. "There is a young man who might succeed splendidly if he would only give up some of his old fashioned notions, and launch out into life as if he had some common sense. If business remains as it is, I think he will find out before long that he has got to shut his eyes and swallow down a great many things he don't like." ”

“ John Anderson, my jo, John,
we've clamb the hill thegither;
And mony a canty day, John,
we've had wi' ane anither:
Now we maun totter down, John,
but hand in hand we'll go,
And sleep thegither at the foot,
John Anderson, my jo. ”

“ The best medical skill has been summoned to the aid of John Anderson, but neither art, nor skill can bind anew the broken threads of life. The chamber in which he is confined is a marvel of decoration, light streams into his home through panes of beautifully stained glass. Pillows of the softest down are placed beneath his head, beautiful cushions lie at his feet that will never take another step on the errands of sin, but no appliances of wealth can give peace to his guilty conscience. ”

“ Harley and his comrades required no information on this point; it was visible at once in the important manner of the Honorable John Anderson, the cool way in which he assumed authority, and his slight air of patronage when he came in contact with the correspondents. Harley and his comrades only laughed; they had often noticed the same bearing in men much better known in the world than the Honorable John Anderson, of Egmont, Montana, and they generally set it down as one of the faults of success; therefore they could smile. ”

“ John Anderson alone pleased him. He would frequently walk to his mill, where he would pass long winter evenings in conversation with the youthful pair, filling them with admiration of his courage, and the perils he had sustained. The stranger frequently declared, that it was a shame so fine a youth as Anderson should be pent up for life in a crazy mill;— that he could show him the way to honour and riches;— and that his courago and address would win for him the proudest distinctions. It was thus that the once-contented young man gradually acquired a dislike of his occupation ”

“ Such incidents as these gave John Anderson an unenviable reputation among sailors. It was seldom that the same crew served him twice. Two voyages under this tartar were more than could be stood, and from his subordinates, therefore, he gained nothing but hatred and fear.
It was very difficult, then, to find out where Captain Anderson's weakness lay. Everybody, of course, has his weakness. But this man appeared to be all strength. His whole life seemed like a rod of burnished steel—a passion-proof life, a fire-proof rod. The owners of the Chrysolite, Messrs. ”

“ It was a marriage however that brought no happiness to either party. Mrs. Anderson was an illy educated, self willed, narrow minded [woman] , full of airs and pretensions, the only daughter of a man who had laid the foundation of his wealth by keeping a low groggery, and dying had left her his only heir. John Anderson was selfish and grasping. He loved money, and she loved display, and their home was often the scene of the most pitiful contentions about money matters. ”

“ The consequence of this proceeding was a violent struggle, which finally ended in a close stand-up fight between the male combatants, who shewed great spirit, although, perhaps, not a great deal of science. John Anderson, in particular, struck out manfully, and, in a twinkling, tapped the claret of his antagonist, Tom Callender. Tom, in return, made some fair attempts at closing up the day-lights of John Anderson, but, truth compels us to say, without success. The fight now became general—the wives having quitted their holds of each other, and flown to the rescue of their respective husbands. ”

“ A busier man in the city of Philadelphia during the winter and spring season of '78 than John Anderson, would have been hard to find. For weeks he had applied himself with relentless energy to the work before him ”

“ They merely stood and stared––the townsfolk––and yet they only half understood, for when it was noised about the street a few days later that John Anderson had given up forever his occupation of chiseling tombstones for the bleak Boltonwood cemetery––an occupation which at least had yielded him a bare living––and had locked himself up in that back room to “putter with lumps of clay,” he was instantly convicted of being queer in the eyes of the entire thrifty community, even without his senseless antagonism of the Judge in the years that followed to clinch the verdict. ”

“ After the exchange of two or three letters, and with the impression that "Gustavus" was an officer of high rank in the American army, Clinton committed the task of carrying on the correspondence to Major André, who wrote over the signature of "John Anderson," in a slightly disguised hand. Not doubting that "Gustavus" was General Arnold, André probably wrote the letter to Mrs. Arnold in August for the purpose of making clear to her husband the name and character of "John Anderson" by means of his handwriting:
Fac-simile of Arnold's Disguised Handwriting. ”

“ The South was in possession of the enemy; New Jersey was in nearly the same condition, and on Manhattan Island lay a strong army of veteran British soldiers. This was the moment sagaciously chosen by Arnold to strike a fatal blow at the liberties of his country.
At the close of August Arnold wrote to André, in the usual disguise of commercial phrases, demanding a personal interview at an American outpost in Westchester County, the latter to come in the disguise of "John Anderson," a bearer of intelligence from New York. But André was not disposed to enter the American lines in disguise. ”

“ But it will make a great difference to John Anderson; and I would like to see him come forward with a bigger subscription for the new Park. Well, well; we must fight through as best we can."
It was here suggested to the Laird that he should not let these weighty matters trouble him while he is away on a holiday.
"Trouble me?" said he, lightly. "Not a bit, man! People who have to meddle in public affairs must learn how to throw off their cares. I am not troubled. I am going to give the men a dram ”

“ He placed that will in the hands of James Anderson of Sydney, our lawyer. Anderson knew John’s character better than my father and was averse from the business, but he could do nothing. My father was a very headstrong man and blind to John’s doings, which the scamp somehow managed to partly conceal from him. He thought John was sowing his wild oats and that he would be all the better for it. John could do no wrong in his eyes, but a few days before his death he had a terrible awakening with a forged bill of exchange—forgery seems to run in the family. ”

“ I only know that a valuable man and a unique farm-hand has disappeared. I never think of Anderson without wishing I had been more severe with him,—more persistent in my efforts to wean him from his real passion. ”

“ And long may the heart of the ploughman
In virtue and vigour beat high;
His calling, though simple and common,
Our wants and our comforts supply.
[Pg 178] WILLIAM ANDERSON.
William Anderson, an accomplished biographical and genealogical writer, and author of "Landscape Lyrics," a volume of descriptive poetry, was born at Edinburgh on the 10th December 1805. His father, James Anderson, supervisor of Excise at Oban, Argyleshire, died there in 1812. His mother was the daughter of John Williams, author of "The Mineral Kingdom," a work much valued by geologists. ”

“ Anderson was very prominent as a lawyer and a leader in political affairs in Mississippi. The rebels now commenced to organize secret societies similar to those that were in the North during the war. Another Presidential canvass came on, and the then President was re-elected. Very soon political matters in that part of the country, in State affairs, became very exciting. Prominent men were threatened; colored men were whipped and driven away from meetings; raids were made upon their houses in the night-time and many were murdered—some white men sharing the same fate. ”

“ Anderson the fact of his having seen a strange form in the night-time while under a tree at Chatteraugus; also, the night that he met him at Nashua, as well as in the night near his quarters while fighting the battle of the Chaparral, its indications at Chatteraugus, and its indications to him at Nashua and in the Chaparral. He said:
“'I have also seen the same spectral form to-night, saying to me: “Move to the left rapidly; the enemy are all in your hands, and in half a moon all will be prisoners.” Gen. Anderson, what is this? Am I dreaming, or am I laboring under some disease of the mind? ”

“ The death of my son Peter and my beloved wife cast such a deep gloom over our household that it seemed we never could rally again to do anything for ourselves or our country. Gen. Anderson returned to his command a sad and despondent man. He had left Ham to look after things for us at home, our family now being reduced to Jennie Lyon, Mary Anderson, the two children, Ham, Martha and myself. ”

“ Anderson and Peter left for their command. Mary was brave; she gave encouragement to her husband and all others who left for the Union army. She was very loyal, and seemed to be full of a desire to see the Union forces succeed in every contest. In fact, the letter of her brother to her husband seemed to arouse her almost to desperation; she went about quietly, but showed determination in every movement. She taught her little daughter patriotism and devotion to the cause of our country, and religiously believed that her husband would yet make his mark as a gallant and brave man. ”

“ ANDERSON, JOHN (1726–1796) , natural philosopher, was born at Roseneath, Dumbartonshire. After the death of his father, the minister of Roseneath, he was educated at Stirling by an aunt, Mrs. Turner, whom he afterwards repaid for the expense. He was officer in a corps raised to resist the rebellion of 1745. ”

“ Anderson sundry energetic tugs and twists, with a view of putting him hors de combat. "Hauns aff, neebor!" he said. "Hauns aff, if ye please, [Pg 274] till we ken wha has the richt o' this bisness, and what it's a' about."
"Pu' doon their pride, Tam!—pu' doon their pride!" exclaimed Mrs. Callender, who, although intently engaged at the moment in tearing out a handful of her opponent's hair, was yet aware of the reinforcement that had come to her aid. "Pu' doon their pride, Tam. Tack a claut o' John's nichtkep. The limmer says they're better able to afford ane than we are." ”

“ Whitcomb returned to Detroit to his parents. Gen. Anderson and Henry were all who were left of the eight of my household who had entered the service. You can imagine the sadness this brought back to me. David's wife (Jennie) became melancholy and more depressed than usual. She was stricken with fever and died in about three weeks after the General's return. This left this dear child”—pointing to Jennie Wilson—“alone in the world, without a protector, save her poor old grandfather. Mary Anderson, the General, Henry and Seraine were all kind and willing to do anything for her that they could. ”

“ V. Mott, and others, Report of United States Sanitary Commission Com. of Inquiry on the Sufferings of Prisoners of War in the hands of the Rebel Authorities, chapters 2-3. The little hamlet of Anderson, so named, in 1853, after John W. Anderson, of Savannah, but called Andersonville by the Post Office Department, is situated in the heart of the richest portion of the cotton and corn-growing region of Georgia, on the Southwestern Railroad, 62 miles south from Macon and 9 miles north of Americus. ”

“ I never knew such a mutinous feeling in the army as that sentence created.”
Dr. Adams remarked that in all his reading and experience in life there had not been a female character brought to his notice who had shown the will, determination and good judgment that Mrs. Anderson had from the beginning of the war; her fixed Union principles; her determination to make any and all sacrifices for the cause of her country; her persistence in hunting for her husband when all others were sure of his death at Dolinsburg—few women like her have lived in our time. ”

“ I do not desire to tell this story to any of my family, as I do not want them, or either of them, to become superstitious. It is so easy for any of us to become so. I find even the President, as strong a man as he is, somewhat so inclined.'
“Gen. Anderson said: 'I am surprised at this. I did not suppose he was so; but many strong people are, and many claim to have cause for being so.'
“Gen. Anderson then related my wife's dream to Gen. Silent, and told him Peters interpretation of it, and said six of her sons were now dead—one only (Henry) remaining alive. ”

“ Ham lived at our house and did chores for us and made himself generally useful. I related the whole story to the family and made all happy, especially little Mary Col. Anderson's child, who had the impression fixed on her mind that her papa had been killed, like her Uncle Harvey. We received letters from David and James, in the Eastern army; also, from Stephen, who had marched with the regiment to which he belonged to the Army of the Center, then in the western part of Kentucky, and on the way to Pittskill Landing, where the Union forces were now concentrating. ”

“ Anderson, “we suspect you of having on board your boat one Miles Minory. He is wanted for several grave offences. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble by giving him up. We know he paid you well to help him escape, but the jig is up and we mean to have him.”
128The old man stared at him with what appeared to be absolute bewilderment.
“Lan’s sake!” he exclaimed, “you’re as loony as the kids are. Do you see any signs of anyone on this yer craft but me, my two sons and my nevvy here? ”