John T. Anderson (b.
1839 - d. 1917)
MSA SC 3520-3400
USCT Soldier, Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Biography:
John T. Anderson was born on August 2, 1839 in Centreville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland.1 His father was John T. Anderson and his mother was Rebecca Trusty.2 His life began as a slave for William Higgins in Queen Anne's County, Maryland.3 William Higgins owned land in District Three, near the town of Centreville.4 On the 1850 slave schedules, William Higgins owned eight slaves.5 Ten years later, in 1860, he owned six slaves and three of them were manumitted.6 Higgins did not own a wealth of slaves and possibly decided to begin manumitting them. In the manumission, Higgins wrote "in consideration of said enlistment manumit, set free, and release the above named John Thomas Anderson" and "his freedom to commence from the 31st day of March the date of his enlistment."7 However, the manumission did not appear to be officially acknowledged with witnesses until June 4, 1864.8 With Anderson being manumitted, Higgins was able to gain a $100 compensation for the loss of his slave which was paid to him on August 18, 1864.9
According to the Act of 1864, Chapter 15, Section 4, "to the owner of every negro slave who shall agree to the enlistment of his slave as above, the sum of one hundred dollars shall be paid when such owner shall file with the proper authority a good and valid deed of manumission."10 Higgins, like many slaveowners, may have viewed this as their final opportunity to receive compensation for the loss of their slaves as the institution of slavery was rapidly deteriorating. Not only were slaveowners entitled to compensation, but free blacks and slaves also counted towards the state quota, which meant many slaveowners could have protected their family members from having to join the war.11
After gaining his manumission, Anderson enlisted as a private on March 31, 1864 serving with Company D of the 39th United States Colored Troops regiment.12 The 39th regiment began accepting enlistments from March 22 to 31, 1864 and included all colored Marylanders.13 During his time in the war, Anderson served as the "acting musician" in March 1865 and as the "on duty drummer" from July to November 1865.14 The regiment faced battles in the Wilderness campaign, Petersburg, Federal point, Bermuda Hundred, Hatcher's Run, and Fort Fisher.15 From the surrender of the Confederate Army in April of 1865 until December of 1865, the regiment performed garrison duty in the Southern States.16 Anderson served for one year, eight months, and four days before gaining his discharge.17 On December 4, 1865, he was honorably discharged at Wilmington, North Carolina.18
After his service, Anderson moved from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to Baltimore. Anderson was soon married to Mary Malinda Johnson by N.M. Carroll, Pastor of Orchard St. M.E. Church in Baltimore, Maryland on February 24, 1879.19 The 1880 census shows Anderson living with his wife "Malinda" and their son "Isaac" who was five years old.20 John Anderson was literate and a "Porter in Store," while Malinda was illiterate and "keeping house."21 In 1895, Anderson was residing at 1417 Bolton Alley, Baltimore, Maryland.22 By 1900, John T. Anderson was a widower and renting a house in Baltimore.23 He was a "salesman" by occupation and living alone.24
On the 1910 census, John T. Anderson was residing with Sallie Wilson, who was listed as a "lodger."25 Despite being listed as a lodger on the census, Wilson noted in a pension document that she was a "friend" to Anderson.26 Wilson was due to receive a reimbursement amount of $258.50 for physicians' bills, medicine, nursing and care, living expenses for the pensioner, and the undertaker's bill.27 Sallie Wilson was listed as residing at 1354 Whatcoat Street at the time she was reimbursed.28 Sallie Wilson was entitled to receive the payment for "services rendered, supplies furnished, or money expended during the last sickness and burial of John T. Anderson."29 Anderson was pensioned at a monthly rate of $12.00 under the Act of June 27, 1890 and it increased to $16.50 per month on May 15, 1912.30
During the latter years of Anderson's life, he could no longer perform manual labor as he suffered from "disease of kidneys and pains in back and rheumatism."31 Anderson's death certificate notes that his occupation was a "retired hod carrier."32 While in Baltimore, Anderson resided in Baltimore at 1111 Shields Alley, 1354 Whatcoat Street, and 1201 Upton Street.33 At the time of his death, on August 16, 1917, he was a resident of 1354 Whatcoat St.34 His sickness began on January 18, 1917 and about seven months later he passed away from "Chronic Nephritis."35 On August 19, 1917, he was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.36
For a visual representation of John T. Anderson's journey from slavery to freedom, please click here. Users must have access to Google Earth in order to utilize this file, which includes landmarks(pins) in Anderson's life from 1839 to 1917. You may take the tour and investigate individual sites under the "Places" tab on the left of the screen, or you may navigate using the slider and cursor on the map itself.
Written and Researched by Tanner Sparks, 2012.
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