One of my husband's great, great grandfathers, Andrew B. White, was born 20 April 1820 in Tennessee, most probably the son of Thomas and Martha White. Placing him in this family is documented by considerable circumstantial evidence. The "B" in his name is a mystery - if I knew it, therein might lie a clue to his mother's maiden name. [A nephew was named Andrew Burris White so that is at least a possibility.] Andrew and some of his brothers moved to St. Francois County, Missouri, probably a year or two following the 1840 census.
Andrew White married Elizabeth Sebastian, daughter of Martin and Mourning (Smith) Sebastian, on 17 Dec 1844, in St. Francois County, and they moved to Fannin County, Texas, with her family. Andrew first appears on tax rolls in Fannin County in 1848 with 160 acres of preemption land. In March of 1859, Elizabeth died, leaving Andrew with six young children. He married again before the year was over, to Sarah Williams who had been a Missouri neighbor. Sarah was a daughter of John Jefferson Williams and Nancy M. Bowles. Andrew and Sarah had at least five more children, two born before the Civil War began.
Sarah applied to the state of Texas for an Indigent Widow's Pension, 20 Oct 1899. According to her application, Andrew enlisted in the Confederacy at Bonham, Texas in the Fall of 1863 in Bolands Regiment, Company H, Anderson's Company, and served for about a year. She didn't state his rank. At age 43, Andrew was a bit older than most soldiers. I believe the Regiment was actually Bourland's Border Cavalry Regiment commanded by Col. James Bourland - two of Andrew's children by his first wife married into the Bourland family, but no relationship to the Colonel is known. Sarah was then age 65 and said she had married Andrew White in 1859 in Fannin County and that's when she came to Texas. Andrew had died in 1881. [His grave marker has 17 Nov 1881.]
J. S. White - John Sebastian White, my husband's great grandfather - and C. B. Bridges testified on behalf of Sarah, stating that she was the widow of Andrew White and was unable to support herself by labor of any sort. The pension was approved 20 Feb 1900. The Texas State Confederate Pensions seem to have required a minimum of documentation - most of the files are only a few pages.
I have been unable to locate a service record for Andrew. Online rosters indicate that an A. B. White served as a Captain in Company D of Bourland's regiment. However, this man was Ambrose B. White and he was from Whitesboro, in Grayson County - just across the Fannin county line. No relationship between Ambrose and Andrew is known. Andrew's nephew of the same name - Andrew B. White - fought for the Confederacy in Tennessee and later applied for his pension from Titus County, Texas.
