Brig. Gen. Andrew B. Spurling

Brig. Gen. Andrew B. Spurling

Field      2nd Maine Cav.

   Commissioned Col.
   Promoted Brevit Brig. Gen.

       From the May 8, 1882 issue of The Elgin Advocate
     General Spurling, ex-postal inspector and detective, recently made a capture.
     He had a man in his employ who stole some property belonging to a fellow laborer and quit to go to Dakota.   The general found him at the Milwaukee depot and marched him to the police station, where he was searched, and on his person was found several forged postal orders.   They were in the same hand writing of service that had been used when the general was in the service.   Thus he found an old offender who had bothered him for a long time.

       From the Post #49 Files
   Joined Elgin GAR Veteran's Post #49 Jan. 1, 1894.

        Obit; Aug. 27, 1906 issue of The Elgin Daily Courier.
   General Andrew B. Spurling, former Elgin city marshal, and builder of the Spurling block, died at six o'clock Wednesday evening at the Chicago Homeopathic hospital.  Death was due to an attack of heart trouble last Saturday.
   General Spurling distinguished himself many times during the Civil war and was awarded a medal for his bravery.  He attained the most renown at Evergreen, Ala., in 1865, when with a company of scouts he captured three confederates who were riding for reinforcements, which would probably have wiped out the federal command.
   General Spurling was wounded about a dozen times during the war, but seemed to bear a charmed life.  At the G.A.R. encampment at Boston in 1904 a booklet was compiled by C.C. Roberts, giving the life of General Spurling and a history of the Second Maine cavalry, of which he was lieutenant-colonel.
   Andrew Barclay Spurling was born in Cranberry Isles, Hancock county, maine, March 29, 1833.  Leaving a school at the age of 12, he became a sailor.  When 18 years old he took up mining in California, later taking up a claim in the San Jose valley and becoming a farmer and hunter.  Many interesting incidents are related of his life there.
   General Spurling returned to Maine again in 1855 and maried.  He took up the sea life again until the war broke out.  After the war he followed the sea until he lost his ship in a wreck.  He then took up politics and served four years as sheriff of Hancock county, Maine.  He was defeated for a third term.
   He then came west, and in 1891 was the independent republican candidate for sheriff of fKane county.  He was not elected, however.
   As postoffice inspector, with headquarters in Chicago, General Spurling was very efficient in dealing with postoffice robbers.  For twelfe years he was president of the Chicago Rawhide Manufacturing comapny, after whcih he came to this city to engage in real estate.  After erecting the Spurling block, he was caught in the hard times and lost his entire fortune of $100,000 by the depreciation of real estate and the failure of men indebted to him.
   Mr. Spurling received a stroke of apoplexy Oct. 19, 1900, and since then had been obliged to abandon all business.  His home was at 77 Maple street, Chicago.
   Before becoming postoffice inspector, Mr. Spurling was appointed to a government postion in the interior department.  He was afterwards employed in the department of justice, resigning this position to take the postoffice inspectorship.

Used with permission Dan Mallett

Many members of Post #49 sewed watch faces to their ribbons to show they were from Elgin.