Andrew Jackson Eakins was born in 1817 in Henderson, Henderson County, Kentucky. He was the fifth of twelve children born to parents George Eakins and Sarah “Sally” Elizabeth Melton. He went by the name Andrew or AJ throughout his life.
On October 12, 1841, Andrew married Nancy Wade Hicks in Henderson, Kentucky. Together, they went on to have fourteen children:
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William Eakins (b. 1844 – Henderson County, Kentucky)
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George F. Eakins (b. 1845 – Henderson County, Kentucky)
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Sarah Jane Eakins (b. 1847 – Henderson County, Kentucky – 1926 – Webster, Kentucky)
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John J. Eakins (b. 1849 – Henderson County, Kentucky – d. 1911 – Webster, Kentucky)
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Mary Jane Eakins (b. 1851 – Henderson County, Kentucky – d. 1852 – Henderson County, Kentucky)
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Nancy J Eakins (b. 1851 – Henderson County, Kentucky)
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Oerdona “Donnie” Eakins (b. 1853 – Henderson County, Kentucky) – Twin
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Perdena “Cora” Eakins (b. 1853 – Henderson County, Kentucky) – Twin
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Anna Eakins (b. 1854 – Henderson County, Kentucky)
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Emily “Emma” L. Eakins (b. 1856 – Henderson County, Kentucky)
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Millard Filmore Eakins (b. 1858 – Henderson, Kentucky – d. 1911 – Webster, Kentucky)
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David Eakins (b. 1860 – Henderson, Kentucky – d. 1911 – Webster, Kentucky)
- David Eakins (b. 1865 – Henderson, Kentucky – d. 1919)
In 1850, the family is living on a farm worth $1200 in Henderson, Kentucky.
In 1860, the family is living on an even larger estate in Webster, Kentucky valued at $5,000 with a personal estate work another $1500. While there are no records to back it up, given the size of his estate and the fact that his father had as well, it could imply that Andrew owned slaves to work his land.
The implication that Andrew owned slaves is further bolstered by the fact that he served in the confederate army during the American Civil War. Though the reasons aren’t clear, Andrew traveled to Tennessee where he joined the Sixty-second Mounted Infantry (Rowan’s Reg, 80th Inf) of Tennessee. He enlisted on September 26, 1862 in Sweetwater, Tennessee by Captain Grubb. He enlisted for three years as a private for the confederate army. On July 4th, 1863, he was captured as a prisoner of War in Vicksburg, Mississippi. On July 8th, 1863, he was paroled as a prisoner of war. He signed an oath vowing to not fight against the United States again.
The following is description of his infantry’s action in the war:
The 62nd Infantry Regiment [also called 80th Regiment] was assembled in October, 1862. Its members were raised from the counties of Bradley, Polk, Monroe, Roane, and Cocke. Immediately after being mustered into Confederate service, it was placed in General Vaughn’s Brigade. Serving in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, the regiment fought at Chickasaw Bayou and had many captured at Big Black River Bridge. The remaining men were captured at Vicksburg. Exchanged and reorganized as mounted infantry, the unit was active in the Knoxville Campaign and the operations in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. During the spring of 1865 it disbanded. Colonel John A. Rowan, Lieutenant Colonel William Parker, and Majors Simeon D. Reynolds and William R. Smith were in command.
His military records can be viewed below:
After the war, while many other plantation owners had a difficult time maintaining their wealth and land, the Eakins family did not. Many of the now free slaves, remained on the Eakins plantation and worked the land for a wage. Many of them even took on the last name of Eakins. Many of their sons stayed on and worked the land as well. In the 1970 census, Andrew claimed real estate value of $8,000 and $3,000 of personal estate value.
On November 26, 1875, Andrew passed away at his home in Henderson, Kentucky. His burial grounds remain unknown.
