Andrew Jackson Duncan was born 16 June 1814 in Greene County, Tennessee. "His father's house was built at the corner of two counties, Greene and Washington, and the room in which Andrew was born was on the Greene side. He married Nancy Jane Johnston on 20 December 1839. She was the daughter of John Hamilton and Keziah (Rowan) Johnston.

At the time the slave question was one of great interest. The Duncan's had never been slave holders and Nancy's family had freed the few they had. Not desiring to live any longer and raise their family among slave holders, they decided to come to the Territory of Iowa where two of Andrew's brothers had moved. By this time Nancy and Andrew had six children: Elizabeth, who died in infancy; Keziah; Margaret; James, who was killed near Bentonville, North Carolina in the last battle of the Civil War; Samuel, who also died in infancy and Esther.

In 1847, the family left Tennessee along with Andrew's brother William and a few other families. The first part of that journey was in a covered wagon, and then they had forty miles by railroad. The passenger trains were drawn by horses and the freight by engine. When they reached St Louis they boarded a Mississippi riverboat. After on the boat for a while, little Margaret became ill with scarlet fever and shortly before they were to reach Port Louisa she died. The usual custom was to throw the corpse overboard because of sanitation. But as it was March, the Captain allowed them to keep the body with them and later she was buried in the Old Tennessee Cemetery in an area which Andrew enclosed and became the family plot. Andrew purchased a farm (for ten dollars an acre) west of Columbus City and it was their home until he died. Here other children were born: William, then Sarah J., Nancy C. and Wiley B. - all who died in infancy, Mahala, Melissa (who died in infancy), Mary, Josiah (who died at the age of eight months) and Clara, who was only a couple of months old when she died. Out of their fifteen children, only six lived to be adults. Andrew Jackson died 10 October 1897 at the age of 83 years. Nancy went and lived with her children. She passed away eight years later on 17 September 1905. Both are buried in the family plot next to many of their children in the Tennessee Cemetery, Louisa County, Iowa.

Sources: Johnston Family History, page 13
Some Duncan Families of Eastern Tennessee Before 1800, pp 39
Andrew Jackson Duncan Family History by Nellie Duncan Hill, written for a Duncan family reunion in 1927
Tennessee Cemetery Records

1840 Monroe Co. TN Census - Pg. 198 Jackson Duncan

1846 Louisa Co. IA Territorial Census

Andrew J. Duncan (34 TN) is found in the 1850 United States Census for Columbus City Township, Louisa County, Iowa (Pg.89, #116-117) along with his wife, Nancy J. (29 TN) and children, Kizziah (8 TN), James M. (6 TN), Esther A. (3 TN) and William (1 IA). A Caroline Newland (14 IA) is living with them. Andrew was farming with land valued at $700.

A. J. Duncan (TN) appears in the 1856 Iowa State Census for Columbus City Township, Louisa County, Iowa (Pg.84, DW 226, FM 240) along with his wife, N.A. (47 TN) and children, K. R. (14 TN), J. M. (12 TN), E. N. (9 TN) and W. A. (1 IA). Andrew was native voter, a member of the militia and a farmer who owned land. The family had lived in Iowa for nine years.

Andrew J. (45 TN) & Nancy J. (39 TN) Duncan are listed in the 1860 United States Census for Columbus City Township, Louisa County, Iowa (Pg.826, #330) along with their children, Kissiah R. (18 TN), James M. (15 TN), Esther A. (13 TN), William A. (11 IA), Mahala G. (3 IA), Mary P. (2 IA) and Josiah N. (6/12 IA). Andrew was a farmer with real estate valued at $7650 and personal estate of $816.

Andrew J. (56 TN) & Nancy J. (48 TN keeping house) Duncan are listed in the 1870 United States Census for Columbus City Township, Louisa County, Iowa (Pg.358, #110-109) along with their children, William A. (21 IA working on farm $0-$100), Mahala G. (13 IA going to school) and Mary C. (11 IA going to school). Andrew was a farmer with real estate valued at $14,200 and personal estate of $4,416. According to the Schedule 3 - Productions of Agriculture, he had 240 acres of "improved land", 95 acres of "weed-based land" and 20 acres of "other unimproved land". The farm was valued at $14,200, implements, $600 and he had paid out $200 in wages during the year. He had 12 horses, 9 milk cows, 22 other cattle, 34 sheep and 6 pigs, the value of all his livestock was $2216. He had harvested 120 bushels of spring wheat, 30 bushels of rye, 800 bushels of Indian corn and 349 bushels of oats.

Andrew J. Duncan (65 TN) is found in the 1880 United States Federal Census for Columbus City Township, Louisa County, Iowa along with Nancy J. (59 TN) and daughter, Mary P. (20 IA). Andrew was still farming.

Died - 83 years, 3 months, 24 days. Andrew Jackson Duncan's obituary is found in the Columbus Gazette, 15 October,1897 and the Columbus Safeguard, 14 October 1897. He was born 16 June 1814 in Greene County, Tennessee. He married Nancy J. Johnston in 1838. Andrew died 10 October 1897 at Columbus City, Iowa. He had 15 children, 5 sons and 10 daughters. One son survuves, William A; James M. was killed at the battle of Bentonsville, North Carolina; the other three died in infancy. The daughters, Mrs. Orr died 1885; 3 survive, Keziah Robertson, Estheer Acheson and Mary, wife of T. Lee Duncan. 6 daughters died in infancy.

Also surviving are 5 brothers, J. C., W. A., J. K., Geo B., and A. W. Of 6 sisters only one survives: Sarah Blair, wife of the late Wm T. Blair. Jane died in Tennessee when quite young; Isabelle, wife of Hamilton Johnston (unclear if living). He came to Louisa County in 1847.

Andrew Jackson Duncan was the grandfather of Harry M. Duncan, Columbus Junction, IA who wrote much of the family history. Contributed by Steve