Andrew Jackson Hunter is next to the youngest o� eight children of Reuben Wills and Lucinda (Goffe) Hunter, and was born in Sumner county, Tennessee, June 19, 1846. His grandfather, Dempsey Hunter, came from North Carolina, his native state, to Tennessee in the latter part of the seventeenth century, was a farmer, and died in early part of present century. His father, Reuben W. Hunter, was born in Wilson county, Tennessee, August 3, 1800; followed farming, and he and Miss Lucinda Goffe were married near Bowling Green, Kentucky, October 18, 1832. The mother was born November 26, 1816. Of this union eight children were born: William Davis, September 18, 1833; Martha Jane, May 24, 1835; James Alexander, April 11, 1837; Robert Hatten, February 28, 1839; Zachariah Tally, September 3, 1841; George Washington, January 15, 1844; Andrew Jackson, June 19, 1846, and Lucy Ann Virginia, September 11, 1848. Only three survive of this large family, Robert H., Geo. W., and the subject of this sketch. The father was murdered by unknown marauders while in his bed on the night of September 15, 1S63, in Polk county, Missouri, and the mother died near Polk, same county, September 2, 1879, of general debility. Wm. D. died in Gallatin county, Illinois, February 10, 1874, leaving widow, his second wife, and six children, three by each wife. His first wife was Eliza Ann Blair, whom he married in 1855. He and Miss Darthula J. Vensan were married in Gallatin county, Illinois, March 10, 1867, and his widow and her three children now live near Omaha, Ill. The three children by his first wife are deceased. Martha Jane died in Tennessee, of croup, August 29, 1839, James A., who had espoused the Southern cause and served a term in the Confederate army, died from disease in Washington county, Arkansas, October 6, 1862, but exact place of death and burial is unknown to his relatives, as well as circumstances. He belonged to a Missouri regiment and served under Gen. Price. The next was Zachariah T., who was shot and instantly killed without the least provocation by a drunken officer, in 1863, near Humansville, Mo. The circumstances under which this brother, as well as the father was removed, are more fully recorded on the folded black pages of the late war's history. Sister Lucy A. V., who was only two years younger than Andrew, died June 16, 1863, of protracted fever, and the death of this dear sister seriously impressed Andrew's heart, as she was the only sister known to him, and was nearly constantly with him at home and at school. During her last moments she manifested the utmost faith and assurance of a continued happiness in the other life, and bidding beloved ones farewell she made the final and special audience with her youngest brother and carefully pointed out the way to him by which they could be reunited in a home where there would be relief from trouble and pain, and where no physician would be needed. Such experience and evidence leave their lifetime impressions, and those who have witnessed such evidences seldom doubt the divine preparation for them that believe in God. His brother, Robert H., first married Miss Mary A. Long, August 16, 1865, who died March 4, 1884. He next married Elizabeth Kendrick, December 25, 1886, and this second wife died April 2, 1890. His third wife was Lizzie Treash whom he married in Kansas December 26, 1893. Three children of his are alive. He and his wife are residing in Oklahoma territory, and he is postmaster at Guild, having recently been appointed. George W. never married and is living with Robert. Andrew came with his parents to Polk county, Missouri, when about five years of age, was reared on the farm and has, with exception of few intervals made his home in the county ever since. His father was a strict Presbyterian (C. P. church) during the time the son was with his father, and for years the Lord's prayer was recited and catechism gone through every evening by all the children at home. The mother was a Baptist. Andrew worked out from home considerably, and the last regular labor done by him on the farm was immediately before his going to the army, and for Uncle Samuel Tillery, for whom he worked three months in 1863, at $6, $7 and $8 per month respectively. His average monthly wages would have bought then about $3 in gold. He attended common schools of the time in fall and winter, and attended one term of the Humansville Academy, and his living schoolmates will no doubt testify to his aptness, especially in arithmetic and penmanship. August 10, 1863, beginning of his seventeenth year he volunteered with his brother George in company H, 18th Regiment, Iowa Volunteer infantry, then stationed at Springfield, Missouri. The latter part of same year his oldest brother, Wm. D. joined Company B, said Regiment, and they served until August 8, 1865, and were mustered out with their companies. His brother, Robert H., also served in Company H, 1st Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Cavalry from December, 1862, to June 1, 1865. Andy, as he is usually called by his old acquaintances, was sent to the general hospital at Springfield, Missouri, October 17, 1863, and was treated therein for disease contracted on forced march during; said month of October. In about three months he was ordered to rejoin his regiment, but reaching post headquarters, Springfield, Missouri, he was detailed as clerk at said post, and for several months, while he was only seventeen years old, he was performing important duties, such as issuing passes to soldiers and civilians to pass guards and through picket lines out of the post. He was detailed from there as clerk to Major C. B. McAfee, Judge Advocate of the Court Martial and Military Commission of District of Southwest Missouri. Before this court the arguments were not orally made by the attorneys, as in state courts, but the speeches and arguments were written, and his duty was mostly to copy these, and of them many by Gov. John S. Phelps, Col. John M. Richardson and other prominent attorneys of that time at Springfield. He has said the only criticism he received was for bad guessing at some of Gov. Phelps' words; but to those who were familiar with the Governor's hand-writing there will be no surprise at a few bad guesses, especially by a young man who did not know what the Governor was going or ought to say. Soon after this detail he was promoted to special order clerk to General John B. Sanborn, commanding district Southwest Missouri, and served in that capacity until mustered out of service. Here Andy had opportunity to see all officers, scouts and detectives calling on and in consultation with Gen. Sanborn, and they were many. No doubt many officers and others scattered over many states now have orders in their possession written by the young soldier. While in the service he attended evening schools, and the general training and experience he had during his term of military service added materially to the foundation of his future life. After his muster out at Davenport, Iowa, he returned to Springfield, Missouri, and clerked in post-office and dry goods stores until early in 1866, when he returned to Polk county, and, being in feeble health, he did not resume farming, but tried canvassing for books, shipping apples to Kansas, and soon began teaching school. In this he succeeded for two and a half years, so far as rendering satisfaction to parents and pupils was concerned. It was in this avocation he began to acquire, and to realize the value of friends, and while all were his friends, the most valued and substantial was Uncle Andrew Turk, who died in March, 1870. To this noble friend Andy regrets he never had opportunity fully to pay in some way the debt of obligation and appreciation he owed him, death having intervened. In February, 1869, he went to Bolivar and attended for five months the academic school of Prof. James A. Rice, who died suddenly about two years ago in Washington, D. C, while in the employ of the U. S. Pension Bureau. Bolivar has been his home ever since, and he has been merchant, county officer, and special examiner of the U. S. Pension Bureau. Those who have known him from boyhood know his struggles against adverse conditions, and can account for the great abundance of sympathy he has, in his busy life, always manifested toward poor and struggling humanity; and if such cannot be a fault, this certainly is one of the extreme phases of his life. It is very doubtful that any one in distress or need ever went to him for comfort and was turned away by an unsympathetic heart or failed to receive a helping hand. He has been enterprising as well as charitable, and has aided in various ways in advancing the material interests of the county. The location and establishment at Bolivar of the Southwest Baptist College was one of the most earnest undertakings of his life. In conjunction with Eld. Jehu Robinson and the lamented Maupin, Andy began in December, 187S, to organize Baptists and enterprising friends for the successful effort that was made during the following year. Through his efforts mass meetings were held in Bolivar, and a county committee appointed, of which he was its chairman, and this committee and other enlisted friends, circulated subscriptions over Polk and adjoining counties, pledging means for construction of the college building at Bolivar. Bolivar appointed a delegation consisting of Judge Dunnegan, O. D. Knox, Esq., now deceased. Major A. C. Lemmon, now of Dallas, Texas, H. Boone and brother Hunter to present her claims before Southwest Baptist convention at Strafford, Greene county, Missouri, in early part of the year 1879, before whom Mr. Knox and Major Lemmon made special pleas for the citizens of Bolivar. As soon as location was settled, the board of trustees appointed a building committee to take charge of the construction of the building. Brother Hunter was made chairman of that committee and assisted Bros. Robinson and Maupin and Judge Dnnnegan in the completion of the building. Bro. Maupin, whose labors in this connection can never be estimated, can not tell us the trials the committee had in the completion of the college building. Those who casually look on that structure can not and never will realize the trials and struggles Bros. Maupin, Robinson and Hunter had to undergo in constructing it. With brother Hunter it was time and means. He was the most substantial contributor, and although in a few years thereafter he could have been temporally benefited by the sum of his contributions to the institution, he not only never regretted his gifts to it, but the thoughts of it consoled him. He has continued to feel thankful for what he did for the cause of education and Christianity. He and others have lived to witness the glorious results of our school scattered over southwest Missouri. Brother Hunter was a member of the board of trustees of the college from 1879 to 1S87, and during most of that period was its secretary. In politics as in any other cause in which he has enlisted his thought and energy, he has been an earnest and constant advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, birt while he has been active and contributed much of his time and means to the organization and life of the party, he has avoided the offensive acts of the machine politician. This is evidenced by the fact that he never was defeated by the people when he appealed to them for support, and in a county predominated by a substantial opposition majority. He has been honored by his township, city, county and government, and most of his years of majority has held places of public trust. His first office was clerk of Marion Township (Polk county) school board, and organized the first colored school taught in the county. At the fall election in 1870, he was elected to the office of Polk county's first recorder of deeds, which he filled full term of four years, and in 1874 was elected clerk of the circuit court and served in that office from January, 1875, to January, 1879, and having been elected clerk of the county court at the fall election of 1878, he filled that office until January, 1883, making twelve continuous years in Polk county's court house. It is doubtful that any man was better known by the people of Polk county than was Andy Hunter, during his official career in the county. Retiring from public office early in 1883, he gave his attention to mercantile business in Bolivar, Polk and Fair Play, and in this, from an over-extension of credit and entry of period of hard times he did not succeed, and in a short space of two or three years, 1884 to 1886, he saw his accumulations of years of toil swept from him and his family, as if by a cyclone. Although without health, income or property, he did not lose resolution or hope, and in this sort of adversity in which men younger and physically stronger had given up, he told his friends he would live to see sunnier days. His losses did not grieve him, except as they might affect those who had entrusted him. In July, 1886, he passed a creditable and successful examination before civil service commission in St. Louis for position of special examiner for United States Pension Bureau, and in November, 1887, he received appointment of clerk in said Bureau, and at a time when he was beginning to succeed in real estate business. He arranged his affairs and proceeded to Washington, D. C. He entered upon the duties of his office December 1, 1887, and performing his duty in a satisfactory manner at his desk in the Bureau, he was commissioned on February 8, 1888, a special examiner and sent to the field, and with exception of a few months work in the department at Washington in 1891 and 1893, he has had charge of a district in the southeast part of Kansas with headquarters at Parsons ever since. During his nine years work as such officer he has handled many hundred pension claims, aiding many worthy claimants in securing their pensions. While at this work he has also developed and investigated many criminal cases and some of the most fraudulent and noted cases of that time. He has not only recovered many thousand dollars fraudulently procured from the government, but has seen many criminals brought to justice in the United States courts at Topeka, Leavenworth, Wichita, Kansas City, Springfield, Ft. Smith and Ft. Scott. For his efficient services he has been many times complimented by his superiors, as well as promoted. In 1876 he attended the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia as an honorary member of the board from Missouri, under the commission of the Governor, and since 1874 he has attended every Democratic national convention but one. Few men have seen more of the political leaders of all parties and public men of the nation than he. In his younger days much of his reading and study were the biography and lives of leading men of this and other countries, but his relish was for those of his own country. June 5th, 1870, he was united in marriage with Miss Sallie Long, of Polk county, whose portrait accompanies this sketch. Mrs. Hunter is a daughter of Noah and Nancy (Sebrell) Long, and was born in Mason county, now West Virginia, March 23, 1850. She is a representative of a large family of German extraction, who by their industry and frugality prospered at farming in the productive valleys of the Shenandoah and Kanawha. Her grandfather, Nathan Long, was born in what is now Page county, Virginia, September 13, 1784, and died in Mason county, West Virginia, May 21, 1855. The grandmother, Maria Long, nee Kaufman, was born September 9, 1790, and died July 15, 1854. Her father, Noah Long, was born in Page county, November 20, 1809, and died July 3, 1863, the eldest of eight children, all of whom are dead except Mrs. Nancy Maxon Gilman, of Ohio, and Mrs. Maria Ayers, of West Virginia. Her mother was born in Indiana October 17, 1820; died April 15, 1873. Her parents were married in Madison county, Indiana in 1837, but resided in West Virginia until their removal to Polk county, Missouri, in 1855, and of that union twelve children were born, as follows: Mary, November 12, 1838, Margaret, May 18, 1840; George, February 24, 1842; Eliza, February 19, 1843; Catharine, December 14, 1845; Maria Ann, April 13, 1848; Sallie, March 22, 1850; Elizabeth, August 20, 1852; Reuben, December 11, 1854; Josephine, born February 10, 1841, and died January 26, 1842; Nathan, born May 8, 1856, died January 15, 1871, Johnnie, born January 10, 1863, died September 15, 1863. Quite a representation of this large family are yet alive, five daughters and one son, thirty-four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Mary died December 26, 1855; Eliza, who had married Wayne Simpson, May 6, 1859, died February 10, 1860; George died in 1850, and Nathan died January 15, 1871. M-^rgaret married Wm. G. W^ainscott, March 22, 1860, and now has eight children living, and two grandchildren. She and her husband are living near Cross, Oklahoma territory. Catherine and John S. Looney were married March 5, 1863. Reside in Bolivar, Missouri, and have five children and one grandchild living. Maria A. married Chas. H. Hockenhull, September 27, 1874, Her husband died January 17, 1892, and she with her four children are residing in Bolivar. Elizabeth and James M. Zumwalt were married December 6, 1868, and for nearly twenty- seven years have lived on their farm at Polk. They have nine children living and one grandchild. Reuben Long first married Miss Zourie Turk, who lived only a short time, and November 22, 1879, he again married, and to Miss Emma Martin by whom he has four children living. He lives on his farm near Polk. Mrs. Hunter's father was murdered July 4, 1863, thus taking away one of Polk county's most substantial citizens. Mr. and Mrs. Hunter lost their fathers under like circumstances and in the same year. The mother of Mrs. Hunter died April 24, 1873. Five children have been born as fruit of the union of brother and. sister Hunter, and dates of birth are: Edgar Fenimore, April 3, 1871; Annie, February 11, 1873, and died October 30th same year; Jessie Maude, born January 18, 1876; Andrew Jackson, January 28, 1878, and Frederick Ray, October 27, 1881. Their eldest child, Edgar F., was united in marriage with Miss Ida Mae Bigbie, October 10, 1894, at Cameron, Texas, at which place they now reside, and have one child. Sallie (Long) Hunter, whose womanly and Christian character has not only fitted her for a kind and affection- ate wife and mother, but a faithful, charitable Christian worker, amidst her duties and devotion to her family, is faithful, prompt and devoted to her church duties, and always ready to assist in the removal of burdens from the distressed. The husband and children can the more realize the great worth of such a wife and mother, but those of church and society who have been her co-laborer's fully appreciate the assistance of such a constant and earnest worker. She prefers to see the results of good work, rather than talk of them. Professing the Christian faith in June, 1871, she joined Mt. View Baptist church, and on December 3, 1876, her husband became a member of the same church, and in the fall of 1877, they placed their letters with the Baptist church at Bolivar, of which they are still members, although they have attended Baptist church at Parsons, Kansas, almost regularly for eight years, and sister Hunter has been an active member of ladies aid society, besides assisting at all times in general charitable work. These two persons have been liberal with their means, giving to church, charity, and laudable enterprises, and aiding in building churches of all denominations. |
