Andrew
Minerd
(1824-1905)
Andrew
Minerd was born at Hopwood,
Fayette County, PA, in
December 1824, the son of Henry and Hester (Sisler)
Minerd. He was one of many Civil War
soldiers in our family.
In 1845, Andrew married Sarah Devan, and they set up housekeeping in Hopwood.
Their nine children were Henry Minerd, Alice Rockwell, Hester Minerd, Marshall Minerd, Rev. David Ewing Minerd, Huston D. Minerd, Mary Belle Beggs-Walls, Margaret "Maggie" Minerd and Andrew R. Minerd. At least five children were born before he went off to war. Sadly, son Henry is thought to have died young.
Andrew enlisted on Oct. 23, 1862 as the "farrier," or blacksmith, of the 14th PA Cavalry. The 14th was involved in numerous small battles in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. On Aug. 28, 1863, the regiment fought at the Battle of White Sulphur Springs, WV, where Andrew's second cousin, Burkett M. Fawcett, was killed in action as a member of the 3rd WV Infantry.
During his service in the Army, Andrew suffered from severe hemorrhoids, which resisted medical treatment for 12 months. As well, in November 1863, he came down with asthma soon after returning home on furlough. He was treated by Dr. Hugh Campbell in Uniontown, and obtained a certificate to be given to Andrew's commanding officer that if he were retained in the service for much longer that it would be the cause of his death.
Andrew returned to his regiment, but was injured a month later while shoeing a "fractious" horse on Dec. 7, 1863, at New Creek, WV. The horse made a sudden "violent jerk" when jumping to get away from him, which inflicted a hernia injury on the right side of his groin. "He had to be helped to the Hospital," recalled witnesses. He was treated at Army hospitals at New Creek, WV, and Cumberland and Clarysville, MD. He was discharged on Jan. 31, 1865 at Cumberland.
Andrew returned home to Hopwood. Immediately, he applied for and was approved to receive a pension from the federal government as compensation for his wartime injuries. His initial monthly payment was $2, but this increased over the years to the sum of $12.
Seeking employment after the war, Andrew moved his family to Broadford, Fayette County. Broadford was the home of newly built coke ovens owned by coal and coke magnate Henry Clay Frick. Andrew labored at the Broadford ovens as a blacksmith. Later, he operated his own blacksmith shop at Dunbar, Fayette County, sharing the work with son Huston.
Ruins of the coke ovens at Broadford, ca. 1999
Five years after the war, Andrew again began suffering from hay fever which troubled him "from year to year" for the rest of his life, especially in the months from June until October. During a coughing fit in 1877, he incurred a hernia on his left side, and it ended up larger than his wartime injury. He also began suffering from hay fever in about 1870
During a routine annual medical examination in 1881, at age 57, physicians noted that Andrew's hernia had grown from the size of a small walnut to that of a hen's egg, and that when he "lifts it sometimes slips out under his truss and then it pains..." At the time, he weighed 160 lbs. and stood 5 feet, 11 inches tall.
He
was a member of the
Methodist Church for nearly 60 years, and at various
times was a trustee and steward. A
close-up view of his worn and weathered hands is seen at right.
In 1879, Andrew and his brother in law Perry G. White testified on behalf of their nephew, Civil War veteran Isaac F. Minerd. In an affidavit, they stated that they had both known Isaac before the war and that he was free of illness at that time, although his health had been badly affected as an infantry soldier during the war. In turn, Isaac testified on Andrew's behalf, and signed Andrew's petition in May 1886 for an increase in pension.
Tragedy struck
in 1885 when son Marshall was killed in a local coal mine, at age 33. He was one
of many of our cousins to lose his life in a coal,
coke or steel industry accident over the years.
Andrew kept a family Bible, in which he inscribed the names and birthdates of his children. The volume "became worn out" over time. In 1875 son David purchased a brand new one, printed that year by Kolman & Co. of Philadelphia. David "transcribed the records at that time from the old book to the present one," and the Bible became "an heirloom in his family." The whereabouts of the Bible today are unknown. A typed list of the inscriptions is found today in Andrew's Civil War pension file, in the National Archives in Washington, DC, with a copy in the Minerd-Minard-Miner-Minor Archives.
Sarah
passed away at Hopwood on Jan. 17, 1901. The cause of her death is unknown.
She was laid to rest at Hopwood Cemetery.
Andrew outlived her by four years, and resided with his unmarried, invalid daughter Hester. They relied on his monthly pension check for support. He also received assistance from his fellow members of the Odd Fellows lodge.
Andrew died in Hopwood on Feb. 26, 1905, at the age of 81. He is buried beside his wife. Many old friends from Dunbar went to Hopwood to attend the funeral, reported the Connellsville Courier.
Grandchildren Dr. Harold 'Daniel' Minerd, Edward E. Minerd, Ewing D. Minerd and Bess Lemon were also prominent. Dan was three-term mayor of Connellsville and two-term Fayette County treasurer, Ed was founder of the Minerd (now Barnett) Funeral Home in Uniontown, PA, Ewing was treasurer of the Dunbar School Board and Bess was postmistress at Youngwood, PA.
Andrew's former home on Woodvale Street later was purchased by Joseph Bunting, and was renovated to public acclaim. A June 5, 1919 story in the Courier said:
Woodvale street, so long apparently content with standpatism, has thrown off its lethargy and is showing considerable enterprise. This is especially true of the south end of the street... Joseph Bunting who some time ago purchased the old Andrew Minerd property, is making extensive improvements in the house and enlarging the same, so changing its appearance at 50 that those familiar with it so long would not recognize it in its new dress.
Copyright © 2000, 2004-2006, 2008 Mark A. Miner