Andrew J. Minsel - G.A.R., Bishop Post

Andrew J. (Andy) Minsel spent most of his life in Richland Township, Defiance County.  As an eight year old, he was enumerated there on the 1850 census with his parents, John and Caroline Minsel.  

By the 1860 census, he was 19 years old and working on the farm with his father.  But adventure and patriotism, perhaps, called.  On September 1, 1862, Andrew enlisted, with many other Defiance men, into Company D, 100th Ohio Infantry.  As previous posts have indicated, the 100th was involved in many important battles throughout Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as the Siege of Atlanta.

Andrew mustered out with the rest of his company on June 20, 1865, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

For the next five or six years, he remained on the farm of his parents, working as a farm laborer.  John Minsel reported in 1870 that his property was worth $10,000 - quite an amount for the time - and his personal worth was $1000.
Andrew was enumerated with his parents and siblings, George, Nancy, John, Caroline, Frank and Wesley in 1870.

In 1871, he married a girl from the Independence area - Hester VanDusen, daughter of Nathaniel, another veteran.  They settled on their property near the Maumee River, not too far from Andrew's parents.

The 1880 census found the couple with children Berty (Bertram) - 9, Ella - 7, Clarence - 4, and Earl - 2.  The agricultural census of the year noted that Andrew had 50 tilled acres, 3 acres of pasture and 33 acres of wood.  He had quite a few livestock, including 3 horses, 7 milk cows and 26 other cattle, 43 sheep, 50 swine, and 100 poultry.  On his farm, he grew Indian corn, oats and wheat, while also maintaining 3 acres of apple orchard with 50 trees and 2 acres of potatoes.  That year, he cut 122 cords of wood! 

In the 1900 census, he was on the same farm, but in 1905, Andrew passed away, suffering from heart disease.  His obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on June 20, 1905.

Andrew was buried in Independence Cemetery.






















 Hester remarried Henry (Bid) Miller in 1909, a second marriage for both, according to the 1910 census.  Henry worked as a steam engineer in the machine works, and was still working there in the 1920 census at the age of 73.

 Thanks to son, Bertram's, obituary, more was learned of the family. He died at the Toledo State Hospital, but his body was returned to Defiance for burial.

Almost a year later, Andrew's wife also passed away.  Her obituary appeared in the Crescent-News on August 26, 1926.

(This is part of a series on Civil War veterans of Defiance County who were part of the G.A.R., Bishop Post, that headquartered in the city.  Formed in 1879, the post was named after a local man, Captain William Bishop, Company D, 100th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Army who died as a result of wounds received in battle.  The veterans' photos are part of a composite photo of members that has survived.  If you have other information or corrections to add to the soldiers' stories, please add to the comments!)