Col. William Andrew Irvine

He was an officer in the Confederate Army  – He died in Ennis, Texas

A telegram was received yesterday morning by Mrs. L B Long from her mother announcing the death of  W.A. Irvine, at Ennis Texas .  The sad news was not unexpected.  Irvine was stricken with paralysis last Tuesday while on his way to Port Arthur .  His wife was notified that his condition was very serious and she at once went to Ennis to care for him and was by his side at the end.  It was thought at first that there might be a rally, possibly a recovery, but all hope were disappointed and after regaining consciousness for a short time he passed away. Mrs. Irvine will bring the remains of her husband to Fort Scott and the interment will be in Evergreen cemetery.  The hour for the funeral will be determined by the time of arrival.  The services at the house will be conducted by Rev. Milton of the First Christian church, after which Myrtle Lodge No. 17, Knights of Pythias will take charge of the body and conduct the burial ceremonies, in accordance with the ritual of their order.

The deceased was born at Irvine, in Madison County, Kentucky, May 5^th 1843 and he was fifty-five years old.  When a mere boy he enlisted to the Confederate army and during the civil war was an officer in Morgan’s cavalry, rising to the command of a regiment as a reward for valor in battle.  After the war was over, Irvine married and came west.  He was one of the pioneer settlers of Pawnee County, Kansas and was interested in the founding of Larned and Pawnee Rock.  He afterwards removed to Eureka Springs , Arkansas, where he engaged in business for some years.  Later he lived in Florida , but finally returned to Kansas and has made his home in Fort Scott for about fourteen years.

During nearly all the time he resided in this city he was in the employment of the New York Life Insurance company as a solicitor.  For the past three years he has been in Texas writing insurance for his company.  He had decided to give up his work in Northern Texas and was on his way to Port Arthur when stricken with paralysis at Ennis where he was well known and greatly esteemed.  He received every possible care from his friends and from the order of Knights of Pythias of which order he had been a member of for more than twenty years and his last hours were brightened by the presence of his tenderly loved wife.

Irvine was a man of generous noble character, greatly liked by all who knew him.  In his youth he was a brave soldier and throughout his life a devoted husband, a loving father and a faithful friend.  He leaves a wife, one son W.E. Irvine employed at Greene’s shoe store, and four daughters.  The eldest daughter, Mrs. L.B. Long has been here for many years in the service of Davis & Co, the second Miss Mattie Irvine is a stenographer employed by the Long Bell Lumber Company of Kansas City , Mo.   The third, Miss Emma Irvine is now teaching music at Kiowa Kansas, the fourth, Miss Kittie a child of twelve is still in school.

Irvine was a member of the order of Knights of Pythias of the Uniform Rank, K of P of the Rathsom Sisters, and of the endowment Rank.  He was devotedly attached to the Pythias order.  His remains will be buried by the Mystic Lodge No. 17 in accordance with his well know wishes and the desires of his wife.

I found a David (60), Sarah (60), Elizabeth (26), Miranda (23), William (7)David (8), Thomas (6), and James (5) Irvine on the Madison County census during 1850.

Sandford and Martha (Crossthwait) Elliott married on May 30^th, 1841 in Callaway County Missouri.  I have found an Anna Taylor Elliott born in 1849 with them in Estill County Kentucky at age 1 with her sister Mary P. and brother Levi P. on the 1850 census.  I later found a Jo Elen born in 1853 to Sandford and Martha.  

Sandford died on October 25^th in 1858 when Anna was just 9 years old and Martha remarried Harrison Blackwell the next year in April.  He was 14 years her junior.  I found Harrison (21) Martha (35) Levi (13), Anna(11) and Emma (9) on the same census page in 1860 as David (71) and Elizabeth (37) Irvine (Anna’s future husband’s family).  

In the neighboring Garrard County I found Elliotts and Irvine ’s right next to each other on the1850 census page.  Were these cousins?  Is this how she and Andy met?  Was she a pigtailed tomboy who chased after Andy while he and her cousins played?  They were just 6 year apart in age.  Did she follow them to school?  Was he her protector or was he annoyed by her?  Did she have a crush on him early on???

W.A. and Thomas Irvine both were married on Jan 6th, 1868  –

Was Andy paroled as a “Galvanized” Union soldier to go fight the Indians or did he return at once to the family farm … was there a farm to return home to?  Had his Father and brothers gone off to war … or returned?  Anna by this time was sweet 16.  Did he find and approach her rag tailed and starved.  Did he find her working in soiled clothes hoeing the garden, or did they meet at her cotillion where she was dressed in a corseted low neck gown where she took his breath away?

All of this I am just surmising, but I do know they married 3 years after his release in Madison County on Jan 6^th in 1868.  Their first baby girl Eunice (Nonnie) T. (Taylor??) was born that same year.  From there they moved to Kansas where according to Anna’s obituary she was one of the first white women in Pawnee Rock, although I haven’t confirmed that yet.  I also found that a railroad in Pawnee Rock was named The Anna ??

They lived in Fort Scott where their other children Mattie born in 1872, Mary Emma in 1875, Annie in 76, William in 79, Kittie in 1886 and Joe Shelby in 89.  Andy died in 1898 while in Ennis Tx .  Anna was at his bedside and accompanied his body back to Kansas where he is buried in Evergreen Cemetery at Ft. Scott .

Anna’s middle name of Taylor I had always assume was a family name. I did  find where her mothers family name of Crosthwaites were living right next door in 1860 to the Taylors in Adams County, and may be related.  So I am still on the hunt …