Son of William Gideon and Matilda Woods, John Anderson was born in
1837 in Green Creek, MO. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted
in Co "C" Mo 72nd Inf. as 1st Sgt. During the Springfield fight, he
was captured but was parolled the next day. After his term expired, he
enlisted in Co "H" 16th Mo Cav as 2nd Lt, serving until 1 July 1865.
He was a scout during Price's raid. After the war, from 1868 to 1872,
he served as county judge of Christian Co, MO and was notary for 10
years. He was a leading politician in the county, for the Republican
Party. He lived on the old family homestead for 35 years and through
the 1880's ran a government distillery at Ponce De Leon. He gave land
for a cemetery at Ponce De Leon and there he is buried. He was active
in GAR and IOOF.
