University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 11 sergeant with such joUy persistency that not only were the blues driven out of him, but the spirit and morale of the entire command restored. His last service was at Fort Clark, Texas, where he was so seriously affected by the climate that his retirement was imperative; indeed, his condition was so serious that an army surgeon, after a careful examination, informed him that he was incurable. Here, however, the sand showed itself again. The surgeon told him that the record showed no instance of recovery in a case like his. Anderson ' s reply was: Every record can be broken and I propose to beat this one; and he did, as his physical and mental condition fully proves. His service as a member of the faculty of the Massachusetts Agricul- tural College is well known. He put into it, as he did into everything he undertook, the best that was in him. At present he is on recruiting duty with headquarters at New Haven, Connecticut, and sub-stations at Hartford, Bridgeport and Stamford. He is hale, hearty, cheery ; always serious of purpose, but with an unfailing sense of humor, and abounding in a dry and sometimes caustic wit. Long may he continue a living type of the patriotic American citizen and the true-hearted ' ' sandy ' ' American soldier. .6fe.

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U) THE 1907 INDEX Volume XXXVII I, 1865. (Jn the 2 5tli of March of the same year he became second Heuten- ant, 20th Veteran Reserve Corps ; was breveted first Heutenant and captain, U. S. v., for gallant and meritorious services in the battles before Peters- burg, Virginia, and was mustered out of the volunteer service June 30, 1866. On the loth of August, 1867, he entered the regular army as a second lieutenant in the 25th Infantry; was transferred to the i8th Infan- try, April 26, 1869; promoted first lieutenant, October 17, 1878; regimental quartermaster, November 16, 1889; captain, June 21, 1890, and retired with that rank, June 6, 1894. Two years ago he was promoted to the grade of major, under an act of Congress. Some ten years ago, with an officer of the 57th Massachusetts, I was looking through a collection of photographs of his brother officers of that regiment. On the back of each photograph he had written a word or two epitomizing the character of the original ; and on the back of Anderson ' s picture was the single word sandy. As patriotism and public spirit characterized him as a citizen, so did what we call sand characterize him as a soldier. During the battle of the Wilderness, when his own regiment bravely but unwisely standing up before the fire of the enemy, was almost swept away, he seized a gun and joined the regiment nearest at hand, which happened to be my own, the 36th Massachusetts, where he gallantly fought in the ranks. For a short period during the campaign he served as an aide on the staff of the brigade commander, of whose soldierly qual- ities the major never seemed to be wholly enamoured. In the terrible struggle at the crater at Petersburg on the 30th of July, 1864, he was severely wounded in the arm by a shell, which created the disability for which he was discharged from active service five months later. In the regular army he saw much service on the plains among the Indians, and was specially honored with the command of a company of mounted Indian scouts. This service was not only dangerous but full of hardship — conditions under which his sandy quality was always con- spicuous. A brother officer of his in the i8th Infantry once told me how, starting off suddenly in the midst of a blizzard to check an Indian foray, the first sergeant of the company was half sick and very blue, and the men themselves seemed to share his feelings. Anderson, who was really ill and unfit for duty, insisted on starting, and during the march chaffed the first

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imdf Srtt t : Members Ex-Officio His Excellency, The Governor, William L. Dougl, s President of the Corporation William P. Brooks .... Acting President of the College George H. Martin .... Secretary of the Board of Education J. Lewis Ellsworth . . Secretary of the Board of Agriculture Members by Appointment William H. Bowker of Boston George H. Ellis of Boston J. Howe Demond of Northampton Elmer D. Howe of Marlborough Nathaniel I. Bowditch of Framinghani William Wheeler of Concord Arthur G. Pollard of Lowell Charles A. Gleason of New Braintree James Draper of Worcester Samuel C. Damon of Lancaster Merritt L Wheeler of Great Barrington Charles H. Preston of Danvers William R. Sessions of Springfield M. Fayette Dickinson Term E. pires 1906 igo6 1907 1907 1908 1908 1909 1909 I9I0 I9I0 191 1 191 1 I9I2 I9I2 Officers Elected by the Corporation His Excellency, Governor William L. Douglas of Brockton William R. Sessions of Springfield J. Lewis Ellsworth of Worcester George F. Mills of Amherst Charles A. Gleason of New Braintree President Vice-President of the Corporation Secretary Treasurer Auditor