ANDERSON E. GARRETT Anderson E. Garrett, attorney-at-law, of Murphysboro, was born near Charleston, Mo., July 18, 1852. His grandfather, Larkin Garrett, was a native of Virginia, and in the War of 1812 served under Gen. William Henry Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe, and was also with Jackson at New Orleans. Later he removed to Benton County, Tenn., where he carried on farming for six 3'ears. From that place he went to Hardeman County, Tenn., where he operated a fine farm of five hundred acres. His death occurred in 1872, at the age of eighty-three. He voted the only ticket for the continuance of the Union in his precinct in 1861. The great grandfather of our subject was one of the heroes of the Revolution, and traced his ancestry back to England and thence to Normandy.
Matthew D. Garrett, father of our subject, was a native of Benton County, Tenn., and in that state followed carpentering and farming until his removal to Owensboro, Ky. He there married Joyce Ann, daughter of John Wilkinson, an early settler of that community, whose father was Judge in the Court of Common Pleas. In an early day Mr. Garrett removed to Mississippi County, Mo., where he did business as a contractor, and built the first court house at Charleston. In 1853 he removed to the southwestern part of the state, where he carried on a grist-mill run by water power. His wife there died in June, 1856, after which he sold his mill and worked at his trade. He then again married, and lived at various places until 1861, when he went to Jackson, Tenn.
When A. B. Garrett was a lad of nine, he began newspaper work in Jackson, Tenn., and later went as a newsboy with the Sixth Regiment of Confederate Volunteers, under Col. Stevens, to Union City and Columbus. He continued with the regiment until after the battle of Shiloh, then went to Memphis as a newsboy, and later was thus employed on the Mississippi Central (now the Illinois Central) Railroad. After three months he returned to Jackson, Tenn., and for a few weeks was a lackey boy in the hospital. His father then removed with the family to Union County, Ill., and worked in a sawmill until 1863, when he located on a farm.
In the following autumn, Mr. Garrett, Sr., recruited the Eighty-first Illinois Infantry, but afterward was transferred to Company A, Twenty-second Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, in which he served until honorably discharged at the close of the war. His remaining years were spent upon his farm, where he died. He was a member of the Baptist Church. By his first wife, the mother of our subject, there were born four sons and two daughters, of whom three reached adult age. At the age of twenty years Larkin W. became a soldier in the Confederate army, and died at Ft. Pil- low in the spring of 1862. Thomas S. was a soldier in the Union army, being a member of Company C, Seventeenth Illinois Cavalry; he died at Rolla, Mo., in 1864, at the age of nineteen years. After the death of his first wife, Matthew D. Garrett married Lydia Stafford, and they had three children, all of whom died when young. His second wife dying, he afterward married Sallie Hinkle, and their union resulted in the birth of three children, one of whom died in childhood. Two are living, both married and residents of Union County, Ill. Mr. Garrett passed away in January, 1870; his wife survived him for a number of years, her death occurring in 1883.
After coming to Illinois, A. B. Garrett attended school during the winter and worked on the farm through the summer until eighteen years of age, when he embarked in teaching school. He was thus employed for three winters, and in the summer attended a select school at Anna and afterward the high school at Cairo. When twenty-one he became Principal of the Dongola schools. Subsequently he was Principal of the schools of Vienna for two years, Pinckneyille for one year, and later was similarly engaged at Carbondale, Ava and Cobden for one year each. He was also Principal of the Murphysboro schools during the seven years of the decade between 1879 and 1889. While Superintendent, he established the best graded and high school course in the city. He was very successful as an instructor and won commendation for his excellent work wherever he went.
Mr. Garrett began reading law in Vienna in 1876, and continued his study in leisure hours until August, 1887, when he was admitted to the Bar at Mt. Vernon, but did not begin practice until 1889. He then resigned his position as Superintendent of the city schools, and on the 9th of May opened a law office. He continued practice alone until 1891, when the firm of Swartz & Garrett was formed. They have an office in Carbondale, his partner looking after the business at that place, while he attends to the practice in Murphysboro. From 1888 until 1891 he served as City Attorney, having been elected on the Democratic ticket.
In Dongola, in 1875, Mr. Garrett married Georgie Williams, eldest daughter of A. G. Williams, of Tennessee, and an early settler of Dongola, Ill. The lady was born in Tennessee, and by her marriage became the mother of two children, Pearl and Ray. Their home is pleasantly situated on Evelyn Street, and the office is in the Gill Block, at the corner of Main and Walnut Streets.
Mr. Garrett is a member of Amity Lodge, I. O. O. F., a charter member of Jackson Camp No. 113, S. V., in which he has served as Captain, was Adjutant of the State Camp, and is now Junior Vice-Commander of Illinois. He takes a very prominent part in the work of this organization and is widely known in its circles. He also belongs to Carbon Lodge, K. H., is Grand Dictator of Illinois, and representative of the state in the Supreme Lodge. A well informed man and a brilliant speaker, he is winning the prominence in his profession that he has gained in society circles.
Extracted from Portrait and Biographical Record of Randolph, Jackson, Perry and Monroe Counties, Illinois, published in 1894, page 765.