John Andrew was born of Puritan parents on September 14, 1758, in Midway, Georgia. At the age of 15, he was orphaned and left in the care of his uncles.

When the Revolutionary War broke out, he joined in the fight under General James Screven. After the death of General Screven at the Battle of Midway Church in 1778, he fought under Samuel Elbert, and in 1779 he fought at the Battle of Brier Creek. During this battle, the North Carolina regiment retreated leaving only the Georgians to face a large British force. Four hundred men were killed or captured as compared to the five killed among the British troops.

John Andrew fought in the Battle of Savannah later that year, and after the city’s fall, he became a Georgia refugee and fled to South Carolina to continue the fight. There he fought under Thomas Sumter as a Quartermaster. When he returned home, he found that his crops had been burned twice and his furniture destroyed.

He went on to serve in the legislature from that area. He moved to Elbert County where he became a schoolmaster and itinerant minister. John Andrew became Georgia’s first native-born Methodist minister. He married three times, his first two wives, Ann Lambert and Mary Buer Andrew, dying in childbirth and leaving a daughter each. His third wife, Mary Overton Cosby, bore him eleven children. Toward the end of his life, John Andrew accepted the job of minister at Mt. Zion Methodist Church just below the town of Bishop, Georgia. It was then in Clarke County, but now Oconee County. He was the minister there when he died on March 10, 1830. His grave was marked by the Elijah Clarke Chapter, NSDAR, in April 2006. Previously marked only with a simple marker stating “Uncle John," it now has a Veterans Administration marker with his birth and death dates and notes on his Revolutionary War service. An information marker was placed at the same time giving additional facts on his life. His grave is one mile south of Bishop, Georgia, at 4141 S. Macon Highway.

Like many American Patriots, Reverend Andrew served his country with humility in duty and no expectation of reward more than liberty and freedom. Although he suffered from much personal tragedy, his steadfast work for the Lord made his life a monument of faith. We are proud to honor him who, although not famous or rich, represents the common man who became a Patriot through simple love of country, a sense of duty, and honorable actions.

John Andrew’s service records and details of the destruction of his home and crops, as well as his death date, came from the pension application of his widow, Mary Overton Cosby. His birth facts were found printed in The History and Published Records of the Midway Congregational Church.