Kitty Anderson was the daughter of Colonel Charles Anderson (1814-1895), attorney, officer in the Union Army, and Ohio Senator and Governor. Charles Anderson was born in Louisville, Kentucky on June 1, 1814. He attended Miami University and in 1835 began practicing law and farming in Dayton, Ohio. He married Eliza J. Brown in September 1835. Anderson was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1844, serving only one term. In 1848, the family moved to Cincinnati, then back to Dayton in 1855 or 1856. In 1859, the family moved to a farm Anderson had purchased near San Antonio, Texas. Anderson was a vocal Union supporter, and as the Civil War broke out, he feared for his family’s safety. As the family was attempting to travel to Brownsville, Anderson was arrested and imprisoned in San Antonio. He soon escaped to Mexico, and the family returned to Dayton. Anderson was commissioned as a colonel in the Ninety Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1862, and he was severely wounded at the Battle of Stones River. He was elected lieutenant governor of Ohio in 1863, serving under Governor John Brough. When Brough died in office on August 29, 1865, Anderson became governor, serving until January 8, 1866. In 1870, Anderson returned to Kentucky. He died in Kuttawa, Kentucky on September 2, 1895.
Note: Creator’s Sketch prepared from collection material and from
information contained in the
The Kitty Anderson Civil War Diary chronicles events occurring between September 29, 1861 and November 30, 1861, including the arrest of Col. Anderson, his escape to Mexico, and the family's reunion. Kitty Anderson recorded her original diary in 1861; she copied the original diary directly to the diary in this collection in 1871. The collection also includes three cartes de visite contained in the diary, portraying Col. Anderson, his wife, and Kitty Anderson.
Unrestricted access.
Kitty Anderson Civil War Diary, 1861, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.