Capt. James Andrus
James Andrus was the son of Milo Andrus and Abigail Jane Dailey, and was born at Florence, Ohio, June 14, 1835, In 1846, he started west with his parents, remained at Winter Quarters during the winter of 1847, and in 1848, his father having gone as a missionary to Europe, James, then only 15 years of age, went on to Utah with his mother and family, driving a team of two yoke of oxen, and a yoke of cows, the entire distance from the Missouri river to the Salt Lake Valley. Soon after his arrival in Utah he went to northern Montana with Van Netten, where he engaged in trade with the Nez Perce, Flat Head, Black Foot and Shoshone Indians. During the time occupied in these trading expeditions, he became familiar with the Indian character, and to an extent with their languages, which fitted him for the work he was to do, in the stirring events which occurred in Southern Utah, where he went with the Dixie Pioneers. He was made a captain of militia, and no other name was so well known, and universally feared, and in some instances thoroughly hated, by the Indians, as that of Jim An-du-ru, as he was called by them. He was present and participated in the activities at Pipe Springs, at the time of the killing of Whitmore and Mclntire, and commanded a detachment of militia which followed the Indians to the Ute Crossing on the Colorado, On this expedition a fight occurred on the Kaibab Mountain, to which reference will be made later [With a small detachment of men he later overtook and fought the Navajos, at Bull Rush, near Pipe Springs, inflicting the most disastrous defeat the Indians ever suffered] and led many other expeditions against them, Wiile performing splendid service for the state, James Andrus was equally loyal in his obligation to the Church, and was a missionary of peace to the red men, as he was an enemy in war. In 1857, he went as a missionary to Europe, pulling a handcart from the Salt Lake Valley to the Missouri river. He crossed the great plains seven times, made three round trips over the old trail from Utah to California, went as a missionary to the Ute Indians in the Uinta Basin, in 1859, and was a missionary to the Oribas, with Jacob Hamblin. He was a successful rancher, merchant, banker and statesman, having served as representative in the State legislature, and was for many years bishop of the combined four wards of St. George; one of those rare temperaments in whioh the qualities of the soldier, statesman, financier and churchman are so harmoniously blended, that not any one dominates to the exclusion of the others. He died at St, George, Utah, December 8, 1914, the last of Utah's great frontiersman, scouts, and Indian fighters.
Source: THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE SERVICE - Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer

James Andrus
James Andrus (son of Milo Andrus and Abigail Jane Daley). Born June 14, 1835, at Florence, Ohio. Came to Utah Sept. 24, 1848, Heber C. Kimball company.
Married Laura Altha Gibson March 11, 1357, at Big Cottonwood, Utah (daughter of George Washington Gibson and Mary Sparke of South Carolina — pioneers of 1847, Capt. Brown company) . She was born June 27,1837.
Their children:
Laura Jane b. Nov. 30, 1857, m. A. F. McDonald , Jr.;
James b. July 30, 1860, m. Adelaide Dodge;
Mary Luvina b. Feb. 24, 1862
Elizabeth Luella b. Dec. 6 1863 m. J.M. Gates;
Elnora b. Nov. 7, 1865, m. J. M. Macfarlane;
Edgar b. Aug 5, 1868;
Milo Washington b. Sept. 7,1871, m. Mary J. Nixon;
Gideon Lafayette, b. March 8, 1874 m. Jane Petty;
Thamazine Millennium b. Dec. 1,1876, m, George R. Lund.
Family home St. George, Utah,

Married Manomas Luvina Gibson 1861 at Salt Lake City (daughter of George Washington Gibson and Mary Sparks).
Their children
Lottie Luvina b. Aug. 19, 1862;
George Judson b. Oct, 17. 1863:
Medora b. March 6 1866;
John Edwin b. July 26, 1868;
Moses Wilford b. April 7, 1870, m. Orpha Morris;
Robert Nathaniel b. March 4, 1873;
Alexander Burto b. Feb.14,1875 m. Rosilla Brooks
Charles b. March 5, 1878, m. Rosilla Turner;
Thomas b. May 26, 1880, m. Little Whitehead;
Vilate b. May 14, 1883, m. Nephi J. Wadsworth, Jr. ;
Ethel b.. Oct, 14, 1885, m. George A. Sorenson;
Pearl b. Aug. 7 1887.

Bishop of St. George ward; member high council; missionary.
Chairman of county commissioner; representative of first state legislature in Utah. Farmer and stockraiser; merchant and banker.
(Source Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, p. 722 - Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer)

Andrus, James, born at Florence, Huron County, Ohio, on June 14, 1835; son of Milo and Abigail Jane (Dailey) Andrus; married, Laura A Gibson, 1857, (9 children), and Manomas L. Gibson, 1836, (11 children).
Left Nauvoo, Illinois, with his parents in 1846, for the Pawnee Village near Grand Island where the family remained until 1847; crossed the plains with ox-teams and, arrived at Salt Lake Valley in 1848; trader with the Flathead and other Indians in Washington Territory, 1855-1656; ordained a ?eventy and sent on a mission to Great Britain, 1857-1858; in exploring expedition to the Unitah Country early in 1861; called to settle Southern Utah and located at Duncan's Retreat, Kane County, in the fall of 1861; left St, George in the fall of on a mission to the Hopis in a company of 20 men under Jacob Hamlin; went south to the Colorado River which they crossed and traveled via the San Francisco Mountains to the village of Oraibi; returned in January, 1863, via the Ute Crossing of the Colorado River bringing 3 Hopis with them; with L. M.Fuller he pushed ahead to Short Creek to arrange for supplies to be sent to the party who were almost out of food; one of this party was from Wales and disproved the tale that the Hopi Indiana spoke Welsh; made two round trips to the Missouri River with freight teams, 1862-1863. Mustered in January 11, 1366, at Grafton, Kane County, Utah Territory, as Captain, Independent Company of Cavalry, 2nd Regiment, Nauvoo Legion; this Company consisted of 48 men thoroughly armed with rifles and revolving pistols; went with Captain D. H. Cannon's Company, both being commanded by Colonel Daniel McArthur, in pursuit of Navajo Indians who murdered Dr. J. M. Whitmore and Robert McIntire on January 8, 1866; captured 2 Kaibab Indians in the act of Killing a yearling on January 18 and these Indians subsequently pointed out the location of the bodies of the two murdered men which were covered by a heavy fall of snow; surprised a camp of Kaibab Indians on January 20 in a narrow gulch about 10 miles south of Pipe springs, who had clothing and other articles taken from the murdered men; two of these Kaibabs were killed at tho camp and five others at the scene of the murder; the Navajos were trailed to the Ute Crossing of the Colorado River but escaped with much stolen livestock; the Company was dismissed, after being in active service 20 days, on January 31, 1866. Mustered in at St. George, Washington County, U. T., on August 15, 1860, by Brigadier General Erastus Snow, with 2 Lieutenants and 60 men, as Captain, Company of Cavalry, Utah Territory Militia; assigned to duty on expedition against hostile Indians in the valleys and mountains of Southern Utah; in September Private Elijah Averett, Jr., of his Company, while returning with dispatches from the Crossing of the Fathers with another soldier who was wounded, was killed by Indians in a dry gulch near the Paria River, Kane County, Utah Territory; the Company under his command performed service every day until mustered out on October 15, 1866. Made three round trips with freight teams from St. George to Los Angeles, California, and one to Helena, Montana, 1869 -1870; took charge of the Caanan Co-Operative Stock Company in 1871 and managed that concern for 25 years; for many years he owned and operated a large mercantile establishment in St. George and also engaged in farming and stock-raising; ordained High Priest and called as High Counselor, St. George Stake, 1895; rnember from 25th District, Utah Territorial Legislature, January 5 to April 5, 1896; Bishop, presiding over the combined four wards of St. George, 1895-1902; died at St. George, Washinrton County, Utah, on December 8, 1914, aged 79; buried at St. George City Cemetery; Andrus Springs, Mohave County, Arizona, was named for him.
[Transcribed by Barb Ziegenmeyer from Information found on this site http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/ ]

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