COFFEE (General John) CEMETERY, (Florence), LAUDERDALE COUNTY ALABAMA

COLONEL ANDREW JACKSON COFFEE - A tribute

Colonel Andrew Jackson Coffee, born 20 August 1819 near Nashville: died Wednesday. (N. B.--place of death not given in this account, but possibly in
California.) He entered West Point as a cadet in 1837 where he remained several years, resigning to become a civil engineer,  with which
he alternated with being a cotton planter until 1846 when he was appointed paymaster in the army and assigned to duty on Gen. Taylor's staff
in the field, serving during the Mexican War up to the Battle of Buena Vista. 23 Feb. 1847, where his actions were so conspicuous as to win
him promotion from major to Lieutenant-Colonel. General Taylor selected him to bear message to President Polk, going over the battle-
field with him before his departure, pointing out and describing various positions; he stayed in the army and in 1853 was assigned to duty
"in this city" July 1859. At one time with Col. John Hayes and several others owned nearly the whole site of Oakland. California. but
he lost the property.

His paternal grandfather was Joshua Coffee, who served in the Revolutionary Army, and his father was General John Coffee, a distinguished soldier
of the War of 1812, and General Jackson's most trusted friend and lieutenant.

General Jackson selected General John Coffee to make the night attack on the British soon after they landed, which resulted in the memorable
hand-to-hand combat on the night of 23 Dec 1814 with the Tennesseans using their hunting knives, as they had no bayonets.
His mother was Miss Mary Donelson, whose family  bore a prominent role in the history of Tennessee. Her aunt Rachel Donelson was the
wife of General Andrew Jackson. General Jackson & Rachel made their home at the Hermitage near Nashville Tennessee when he or she were not serving in other places such as in presidential mansions in Washington D.C.

On his death, General Jackson bequeathed the sword presented to him by citizens of New Orleans to Colonel Andrew J. Coffee. Unfortunately,
it was accidently destroyed by fire during the Civil War, while in possession of Colonel Andrew Coffee's mother near Florence, Alabama.

Colonel Andrew Coffee married 3 April 1839 to Miss Elizabeth A. Hutchings of Huntsville, Alabama. He took no active part on either side during the
Civil War, but had he entered the Confederate Army a brigadier general commission would have been offered him. (Florence, Ala., Times,
18 April 1891.) (N. B.�The blade of the sword presented to General Jackson by the citizens of New Orleans and bequeathed to Colonel
Andrew Jackson Coffee was presented to the Hermitage. near Nashville, Tennessee, by Alexander D. Coffee and is displayed there.)

I did not find his grave stone in this cemetery nor that of his wife.. From the above reading, it seems they migrated to somewhere else and  are buried there.  If it was as stated above in Oakland California, perhaps some day their gravestones will show up in a local cemetery on findagrave.com assuming earth quakes  &/or time do not destroy the tombs before someone photographs them.

Newspaper tribute to Andrew Jackson Coffee, about 1891, unknown news source, but parts of it were from the Florence Ala Times. Added here by C. W. Austin 19 Feb 2013