at Ashdown
The life of Little River county’s sole surviving Confederate
veteran was snuffed out Wednesday morning when T. T. C. Anderson, beloved
94-year-old- Southwest Arkansas educator, stepped in front of a southbound
Kansas City Southern passenger train in here and was killed instantly.
Mr. Anderson’s eyesight had been poor for several years. Wednesday he
followed his regular routine in walking to the post office for his mail. Witnesses
said he evidently failed to see the approaching train as he stepped on the
crossing.
The pioneer celebrated his 94th birthday on May 10 with a reunion of his family
and his many friends and former pupils of this area. He was in good health, with
the exception of his eyesight.
The accident Wednesday pulled the curtain down on an eventful life that included
service in the Confederate army, imprisonment by Union forces, confinement to a
hospital with others in such a way that he became one of the area’s best known
and best loved citizens, well remembered by his host of students.
Mr. Anderson cast his lot with the Confederate army when he was 17 years old
and served the duration of the war. Eleven months of the time was spent in a
hospital as a prisoner, receiving treatment for wounds.
He was released on March 12, 1865, and walked to his home in Clarksville,
arriving seven days after the peach of Appomattox and two days after President
Lincoln was assassinated.
When he got home, he found there was a need of teachers. He took that
profession, but only as a means toward his cherished end of becoming a
physician. Historic Rondo in Miller county was his first assignment and there he
began a teaching career that lasted 54 years.
On June of 1868, he was married to Miss Mary Ellen Hudgins. He then turned
his entire attention toward school teaching. He was employed in Miller County
four different times for a total of nine years, taught five years in Bowie County,
Texas, one year in Red River county, Texas, three years in Sevier County,
Arkansas, two years in Hempstead County, Arkansas, and 35 years in Little River
County.
During this time he taught ___ consecutive months for 13 years. He first came to
Richmond in Little River county in 1882. Shortly after the Little River County
school system was developed. He served for about 10 years as school examiner
of the county and ended his active career at Ashdown high school in 1934.
He taught four generations of the same family of many South Arkansas residents
and several thousand pupils received instruction under him. Many important
persons are included in the list of those he taught, including Dr. Edward Mims,
professor of history at Vanderbilt University, and Judge Will Kirby, former United
States senator.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson were the parents of 11 children, six of whom are
surviving. These are four daughters, Mrs. C. P. Smith and Mrs. A. T. Hemphill,
both of Ashdown; Mrs. Ha? Norwood of Mena, and Mrs. Wade Ball of Texarkana;
two sons, T. D. Anderson of Texarkana and Dick Anderson of Beaumont, Texas.
Other survivors include several nieces, nephews and grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m., Thursday at the Ashdown Methodist
church. The pastor, the Rev. W. R. Boyd, will officiate, assisted by the Rev.
Ralph W. Davis of the Ashdown Baptist church, and the Rev. S. N. Brewer of
Horatio, Ark. Burial will be in the Ashdown cemetery, with members of the
Ashdown Masonic Lodge having charge of the services at the grave.
Active pallbears will include. Homer Welch, Dr. P. H. Phillips, Horace Routen,
Arnold Edmondson, J. G. Sanderson, Jr., and Bob Pierce, Burton Walker and
Albert Hinton.
Honorary pallbearers will include former pupils and friends of Mr. Anderson.
A tradition started soon after the organization of a United Confederate Veterans
camp at Clarksville, Texas will call for burial with Mr. Anderson of a Confederate
flag made by Mrs. Belle Gordon Morrison of the United Daughters of the
Confederacy. When any Confederate veteran died near Clarksville, the flag was
used to drape his coffin. On burial the flag was removed and preserved for other
funerals.
Professor Anderson was the last of the 500 veterans who joined the camp and as
such, the flag will be buried with him.
Albert Pike Chapter of UDC of Texarkana Officiated
At Funeral of T. T. C. Anderson
The Albert Pike Chapter U. D. C. of Texarkana officiated at funeral services of
Mr. T. C. C. Anderson and read the Confederate Ritual as had been requested.
Mrs. J. H. Head of Texarkana, a former student, read the ritual and a wreath was
placed on the casket by Mrs. W. E. Vinson, President of the Texarkana Chapter.
There were about 30 members of the U. D. C. Chapter present and each placed
a red rose on the bier.
The flowers were beautifully arranged in the church and a large number of
friends and relatives from Texarkana attended the service.
