Christopher C. Anderson, a Biographical Sketch

Source: Georgia and Florida Biographies [database on-line].
Original Data from Biographical Souvenir of the States of Georgia and Florida,
Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and many
Early Settled Families in These States. F. A. Battey & Company, 1889.
Transcribed by S. Lincecum 2005.

Christopher C. Anderson, civil engineer, Hawkinsville, was born January 7, 1840, in Twiggs County, Ga. His parents are Thomas W. and Susan (Roach) Anderson. Susan Roach was native of Georgia. Thomas W. was born in St. Augustine during the Spanish occupation of that colony. The children born to these parents were three: George, Susan F., wife of J. M. Gatewood, living in Albany, Ga, and Christopher C. Our subject was one of forty-three who graduated at Mercer College while the same was located at Penfield, class of 1861. He enlisted in the Sixth Georgia Regiment of Infantry, Twiggs Guards. Later he served in Blunt's battalion of Light Artillery. He saw service in twenty-eight pitched battles, besides skirmishes. Twenty-six years ago this day, he heard the first bomb shell, and saw the first Yankee soldier. The sound of that shell was music, sweet music to his ears. He had been lying idle so long and drilling he was anxious to get to business; but before the war closed the sound of that death-dealing instrument had lost its charms. That same night he saw for the first time a limb amputated. The different battles in the order of their occurrence were as follows: Siege of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Mechanicsville, Cold Harbor, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hill, Boonsboro or South Mountain, Sharpsburg or Antietam (in his opinion the hardest fought battle of the war), Fredericksburg, and again under General Hooker, Wilderness, Cancellorsville, Battery Wagoner, Fort Sumter siege, James Island, Ocean Pond, Petersburg, Drury's Bluff, Cold Harbor (June 1, 1864), same June 3, Petersburg (June 16), same June 28, Petersburg blow-up (July 31), (April 7, 1863), Petersburg, same April 2. He surrendered at Appomattox. At Ocean Pond was shot in the side and returned home on sixty days' furlough. At Petersburg was wounded twice, not seriously. He was never taken prisoner, and his general health was splendid. The war closing, he taught school one year, then went to civil engineering, in which he has been quite successfully engaged ever since. He was married December 13, 1865 to Miss Laura, daughter of Joseph and Mary J. (Johnson) Tooke, of Houston County. Seven times has their home been made happy in the birth of children, as follows: Charles E., on the telegraph corps at Macon; Lela, Thomas W., Payton, Marie L., Alma and Julia. Mrs. Anderson is a member of the Baptist and her husband a member of the Episcopal Church.