Andrew Jackson Gunnoe

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53629272/andrew-jackson-gunnoe

"THE KILLING OF ANDREW J. GUNNOE" Andrew Gunnoe, a Southern sympathizer, did not join in the fight as a soldier during the Civil War. He may have been too old to serve. Andrew, the leader of the ruthless Confederate Home Guard and his sons, terrorized the families of the men that had joined the Union Army in Wyoming, Raleigh, and Boone Counties. Roaming this area they stole pigs, cows, and horses at their leisure. Andrew and his men would also "shanghai" men and turn them over to the Confederate Army for compulsory service. Union soldiers home on leave were subjected to being shot from ambush (bushwhacking), captured and turned over to the Confederate Army as prisoners of war, or captured and shot while trying to "escape". He and his men would also enter the homes of the Union sympathizers and steal clothes and household articles. Granny Webb, who lived on Pond Fork, had her feather ticks dragged out of the house and after cutting them open, Andrew shook them in the wind looking for money. Upon hearing of Andrew Gunnoe's terrorist acts from their families, the Union men asked for leave to return and kill him. Their Commanding Officer was told that they were going home to kill Gunnoe, with, or without his permission, but they would return to his command if they were granted leave. The men were from the 7th West Virginia Cavalry and led by Lt. Jacob Webb. With Lt. Webb were - Pvt. Ballard Preston Pettry, Pvt. Milam, and Pvt. Pennington. Lt. Webb, Pvts. Pettry and Pennington also had brothers serving in the Confederate Army. While home they were very visible, attending Church and visiting friends for about four days. During this time, Andrew Gunnoe went into hiding. On an appointed day they met together and as a group marched away as if returning to their command in the Shenandoah Valley near Waynesboro, Va. They went as far as Clover Bottom on the Bluestone River before stopping and waiting for dark. After dark, they returned and stationed themselves in the woods around Andrew's cabin. Andrew lived on Crany Creek in Wyoming County. Joining them here were Pemberton Cook and his son Perry, who had been enlisted to help. As the sun came up, Gunnoe's son, John, came out the back door of the Cabin and gathered an arm full of stove wood before returning inside. Smoke from the chimney gave evidence that breakfast was cooking. About an hour later, Gunnoe's dogs began to bark sounding the alarm and alerting him of the presence of men stationed in the woods behind the cabin. Gunnoe and John bolted out the front door and ran down a path to the forest. Gunnoe had on a coat with a single large white button, fashioned from a clam shell, holding it together in the center of his chest. He was carrying a rifle in one hand and a piece of cake in the other. Pettry and Pennington had stationed themselve in the woods at the path gate. They agreed to take aim at the button and fire as Gunnoe grew near. When he was within a few yards of them, they fired, the button disappeared and Gunnoe fell dead. John's life was spared only because Lt. Webb rushing to the scene called out, "Spare the Boy!". The Rev. James Peters (Andrew Gunnoe had shot one of his nephews) later reported the the bullets made a single hole large enough to drop a pebble through. ANDREW GUNNOE Andrew Jackson Gunnoe was a son of Daniel H. Gunnoe and Sarah “Sally” Stewart. He married Mary Polly Canterbury, a daughter of Rev. John Quincy Canterbury and Amy Stewart. It was not until 1850 that Andrew established acreage on Clear Fork. Andrew Gunnoe was an active member of the Guyandotte Baptist Church. When the Rockcastle Missionary Baptist Church was constituted on November 8, 1858 he, along with Isaac Bailey, Joshia Cook and others were among the first members of that Church. At the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the Confederate Home Guards enlisting in Co. E, 190th Va. Militia, CSA. Andrew later killed his Uncle George P. Stewart for taking his colts and selling them to the Union in Kanawha. (George P. Stewart had joined the Union Guards 2/26/1863 under Capt. William Walker). Andrew was also in the 2nd Virginia State Line, 45th Battn. VA Inf. He enlisted 5/18/63 as 2nd Lt., Co. C, 45th Battn. VA Inf. and in the 4/1/64 roll, was detailed to collect deserters. Andrew was WIA at Cloyd’s Mountain, 5/9/64. He was mentioned for gallantry in Beckley’s report on the battle of Cloyd’s Mountain. Andrew Gunnoe was listed KIA 8/12/1864 while on furlough at his home on Craney Creek. The known children of Andrew Gunnoe and Mary Canterbury were: James A.[1] born 7/18/1842; John W.; Sarah Jane married 1st William P. Wesley on January 18, 1869 and 2nd George Snuffer; Daniel L. married Mary Etta Marshall 9/3/1877, a daughter of Rev. J. L. Marshall; Matthew Ellison Gunnoe married Pauline (Perlina) Acord 6/22/1875, a daughter of Robert Acord and Michel Oliver; Amy (3/20/1854-2/27/1921) married John Hasty Cozart October 21, 1878. Amy was burned to death in her home. Lula Sturgill, a daughter of Rebecca Marshall who married Edward Bane, helped sew the remains of Amy up in a big white sheet for burial. J. Hasty was killed in an auto accident in 1937; Mary Ann married Leander Harvey 2/17/1885; Nancy married Isaac Van Bailey 7/1/1885, son of Thomas Bailey and Dorcas Brooks; Ellen married Crockett Morgan 9/25/1884;

Andrew Gunnoe Killed From Ambush. The following story by the author, is based on notes of G. P. Good. Manuscript and information given by Blanche Gunnoe Cook, grandaughter of Andrew Gunnoe.

Andrew Gunnoe, a member of a prominent pioneer family of Wyoming, was a captain of Confederate Home Guards. He had a prosperous farm and home near Craney and a large family of children, all at home when the war broke out. Andrew left his farm and property in the care of his wife (Mary Polly Canterbury) and two sons, the oldest one being about sixteen, during his many absences on military duty.

Andrew had given to each of these sons, John W. and Dan a fine young colt, which colts were kept on pasture at the McDonald farm a few miles away. As soon as hostilities commenced, particularly by the zealous Home Guards of both sides, the Confederate McDonalds were singled out for harassment, pillaging, theft and deviltry by Union Guards, Their stock, particularly horses, was stolen as a matter of course, and with them the two Gunnoe colts. It was openly talked that James Gadd and Floyd Cooke took the colts after being informed of their whereabouts by George P. Stewart, an uncle of Gunnoe's wife, and sold them in Kanawha County for Union Cavalry horses.

Gunnoe was furious, not only because of losing the colts, but because they were sold for Union Cavalry use. He looked up Stewart and in the ensuiing quarrel, Gunnoe shot and killed Stewart in the road near Squire Jim Cooke's place. The next day Mrs. Gunnoe and son John W. went to Stewart's funeral.
This theft and killing caused the Gunnoes to become a special target for depredations by Union Home Guards. In Andrew's absence, Union raiders repeatedly went to his home to threaten and harass the family and look for Andrew. One of them wantonly destroyed Mrs. Gunnoe's sidesaddle by slashing it with his knife in her presence. Once, upon hearing the raiders approaching, Andrew hid in the storage room under the house, entry to which was by a trap door in the floor which was kept concealed by spreading a rug over it. Hidden there, he heard the men rudely question and threaten his young daughter, who stoutly refused to give them information of his whereabouts. Many times the raiders carried away provisions or drove off livestock.

Before Andrew went into the Confederate Army, he buried his savings in the yard, near a small tree which marked the sopt. When dug up after the war, the paper money was ruined by damp and mold.

Andrew left Wyoming and went into the Confederate Army and remained away several months leaving his farm and family in the care of his son, John, then a youth of sixteen or eighteen, who was able to do the heavy work and keep the farm going with the aid of his mother's counsel and the help of his brothers and sisters.

In the summer of 1864, Andrew come home on furlough. Knowing his danger, without doubt he kept out of the way and out of sight of his enemies, but the "grape vine" carried the news that Andrew was at home for a few days. His enemies made their plans.

On the day Andrew was to leave to return to army duty, before he took leave of his family, he said to John, "Son, I should like to have a talk with you before I go away." Father and son left the house and walked up the hill into a field near the woods to pick blackberries while they talked privately. A shot, fired from ambush, struck Andrew, who fell mortally wounded. John, realizing the dangerous situation, started to run, but after a few steps fell, his feet entangled in the briers..At this instant, a voice called out from the woods, "For God's sake, don't shoot the boy." The ambush party emerged from concealment and took hold of John as if to take him away. As the mother and older children came from the house to where Andrew lay dying, with almost his last breath he said to his wife "Go to them and beg for John." They were induced to spare the boy and let him go, then rode away.

It was soon learned that Pemberton Cooke Sr., and his son, Perry, and Lt. Jacob Webb prepared the ambush and shot Gunnoe. They had failed to find him away from his home and knew he had to show himself to return to his post. Seeing him ine field, they shot him.

Mrs. Gunnoe was very bitter about the murder of her husband and threatened to have the ambushers tried for murder when circumstances should permit, but later reconsidered the matter and did not do it.

GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

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GEDCOM Source

MH:S27 FB9DB844-7DEE-479E-A6B5-4F9554786F31 Ancestry.com 1860 United States Federal Census Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653, 1 @R1@ @N5426@

GEDCOM Source

MH:SC667 Year: 1860; Census Place: , Wyoming, Virginia; Roll: M653_1385; Page: 698; Image: 52. Name: Andrew GunnoeBirth Date: abt 1820Birth Place: VirginiaResidence Date: 1860Residence Place: Wyoming, Virginia http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1860usfedcenancestry&h=347123...
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GEDCOM Source

MH:S22 5B05C5BF-4EFD-432D-A9E2-34C6E43BA1F1 Ancestry.com 1850 United States Federal Census Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1850. M432, @R1@ @N5421@

GEDCOM Source

MH:SC668 Year: 1850; Census Place: District 71, Wyoming, Virginia; Roll: M432_982; Page: 205; Image: 4. Name: Andrew GunnoeBirth Date: abt 1819Birth Place: VirginiaResidence Date: 1850Residence Place: District 71, Wyoming, Virginia http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=sse&db=1850usfedcenancestry&h=156436...
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GEDCOM Source

MH:S7 A6568FFF-E56D-45B7-B923-2D4005D693E0 Ancestry.com Public Member Trees Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2006.Original data - Family trees submitted by Ancestry members.Original data: Family trees submitted by Ancestry members. @R1@ @N5406@

GEDCOM Source

MH:SC669 http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=2518058&pid=... Information extracted from various family tree data submitted to Ancestry and The Generations Network
MH:N809 MH:SC669

GEDCOM Source

MH:S35 8D7D3053-AD0B-4767-A632-D28C1B1EF7D5 Historical Data Systems, comp. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2009.Original data - Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works.Copyright 1997-2009Historical Data Systems, Inc. PO Box 35Duxbury, MA 02331.O @R1@ @N5434@

GEDCOM Source

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