[2] Young William J. Andrews, after the death of his father, passed his youth at Woodbourne, and received his education there and at Palmyra, in Martin County, and located at Old Sparta, in Edgecombe, where he engaged in business as a merchant.

[3] His second son, of the same name, removed to Bute County, in North Carolina, and soon became a man of prominence, his home being a seat of elegant hospitality, and he being a notable patriot during the Revolutionary War.

[5] He was educated at the Henderson Male Academy, and being well advanced, in January 1859, at the age of 17, he was employed as a clerk by his uncle, General P. B. Hawkins, who had a large contract for building a part of the Old Blue Ridge Railroad, and whose business centered in Pendleton, South Carolina.

[5] After six months' service as clerk, Andrews, aged seventeen, was promoted and made superintendent and purchasing agent by General Hawkins, and held that position until the latter part of 1860, when the contract being finished, he returned to North Carolina.

[7] The leading gunboat, under the command of Lieutenant Flusser, notwithstanding the rapid fire of the cavalry, successfully passed and landed 125 marines and two pieces of artillery at Hamilton, but proceeded no further; and on its return it was again so vigorously attacked that the Federal expedition was abandoned without accomplishing any result.

[9] On July 12 following this engagement, Lieutenant Andrews was promoted to the captaincy of his company, and with the regiment he participated in all the cavalry movements around Richmond and in the Maryland campaign, culminating in the capture of Harper's Ferry and ending at the battle of Sharpsburg.

[9] He accompanied Stuart in his raid around McClellan's army on October 9, the command penetrating as far as Chambersburg, and bringing out more than a thousand led horses, and on that expedition the regiment performed conspicuous service.

[9] During that autumn and winter the regiment was in many engagements, and it fought single-handed, under Colonel Baker, the hot action at Kelly's Ford; and it was in the thickest of the fight and the longest on the field at the battle of Brandy Station, Major McClellan, in his Life of Stuart, making special mention of the work done by it on that occasion.

[9] Неге, while cheering on his men, Captain Andrews fell, shot through the lung, the ball striking the spinal column and removing a piece of the bone.

[11] Colonel Ransom overhearing the conversation, lectured him on volunteering to place himself in danger, saying: "Having confidence in your ability and soldierly qualifications, you are one of the first I ordered put upon the detail, but if I had not selected you, I would not now yield to your request.

Having been paroled on the surrender of Johnston's army at Greensboro, he returned home with health still impaired, the hemorrhages from his wound continuing, and with only two horses and two silver dollars as his worldly possessions.

[12] He formulated a proposition to that end, which was accepted by the several railroad companies, and building a log house near Gaston, he remained there directing the work of transferring freight and passengers until May 1866, when the new bridge at Weldon was completed.

[12]When the necessity for his services in that connection had ceased, Andrews engaged in business at Henderson until July 1867, when he received a telegram from one of the directors of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad informing him that he had been chosen superintendent of that road, and asking if he would accept it.

[14] In 1881, the Western North Carolina Railroad, which was also virtually owned by the State, was, under an act passed at a special session of the legislature, sold to a syndicate of New York capitalists composed of William J.

[14] The Best syndicate failed in the performance of their contract, and sold to Messrs. Clyde, Buford & Logan, who bought in the interest of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, and in 1881 Andrews was elected president of the company for the purpose of completing the road from Old Fort to the two termini as required.

[16] Indeed, at one time the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company withdrew its support and financial backing, as the completion of the branch to Murphy seemed a penalty out of proportion to the benefit that would accrue from the construction of the road to the Tennessee line.

[16] Andrews, however, having entered upon the work, would not agree to its being stopped, and as he had pledged himself to the State and to the legislature that he would finish it if certain legislation were adopted and certain convict labor furnished, he personally assumed large liabilities to continue it, and exerted all his influence to persuade the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company to again undertake its construction.

[17] But Andrews's management had been so satisfactory and his administrative ability was so highly appreciated that the receivers appointed him their general agent, and continued him in the management of the property until the Southern Railway Company, which was organized in June 1894, purchased all the lines formerly known as the Richmond and Danville Railroad; and at the first meeting of the directors of the new company he was elected second vice-president, and the next year he was promoted to the position of first vice-president; and since then he held the next to the highest official position in the Southern Railway Com- pany, which in 1905 operated nearly 9000 mi (14,484 km) of railroad.

[20] Andrews never sought political office, preferring to devote himself to the management of the railroad committed to his care, and building up the Southern country, and especially the undeveloped regions of Western North Carolina.

[20] In 1886, President Cleveland appointed him a commissioner, as a representative of the United States Government, to examine part of the North Pacific Railroad and to make a report on the condition and value of that property.