42. Warrior Wednesday: Andrew Foster O'Neill

Andrew Foster O’Neill, born on May 10, 1840, in New Albany, was known in the family and community as “Foster.”  He became a steamboat engineer like his father and brother.

            In the Civil War, he crossed the river and joined Company A. of the 9^th Kentucky Cavalry of the Union army. I guess he wanted to ride to war! After his one-year enlistment was over in September 1863, he went home for two years, but then rejoined in the spring of 1865 and became a 1st Lieutenant in Co. A of the 143rd Indiana Infantry for six months.

From Wikipedia:

Service

The 9th Kentucky Cavalry was organized at Eminence, Kentucky mustered in on August 22, 1861 under the command of Colonel Richard Taylor Jacob. Incredibly, the regiment was recruited, organized, and mustered into the service with 1,244 officers and men in less than three weeks. The regiment's greatest service came at the Battle of Richmond where along with the 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, they covered the retreat of the Union Army of Kentucky.

The regiment was attached to 3rd Brigade, Cavalry Division, Army of the Ohio, to November 1862. District of Western Kentucky, Department of the Ohio to June 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XXIII Corps, Army of the Ohio, to August 1863. Eminence, Kentucky, 1st Division, XXIII Corps, to September 1863.

The 9th Kentucky Cavalry mustered out of service on September 11, 1863.

Detailed service

Advance toward Richmond, Ky., August, 1862. Retreat to Shelbyville August 30-September 1. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1–22. Near Clay Village October 4. Near Perryville October 6–7. Battle of Perryville October 8. Lawrenceburg October 8. Dog Walk, Chesser's Store, October 9. Capture of Harrodsburg October 11. Moved to Cumberland River and operating against Champ Ferguson until December. Operations against Morgan's Raid in Kentucky December 22, 1862, to January 2, 1863. Springfield, Ky., December 30 (detachment). Operations against Pegram March 22-April 1. Danville March 22 and 28. Expedition to Monticello and operations in Southeastern Kentucky April 26-May 12. Cumberland River May 9. Pursuit of Morgan July 2–26. Marrowbone-Burkesville July 2. New Lisbon, Ohio, July 26. Duty at Eminence until September.