The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1913-02-22
/ THE ilThiNI.

I ~ the REQUEST Of DR.. Z. f.
! Frere. tre :ANNGR rriu'e viii
! pr asu,c IT, 1ri'pEiug letter and
sketch Of the life and brilliant W ar
record of Mr.. John G. Lewis, who
was killed during the war between
Fthe States. This gallant soldier
and patriot was the father of our
worthy fellow-citizen and ex-
Mayor of Franklin, Hon. john c..
Lewis. There are many of our
people living here now who re-
member the Mr.. Jno. G. Lewis
we'll, and who will read with
pride the fair record of the friend
whom they knew and honored
more than fifty years ago:
OPELoUsAs, La, Feb. II, 1913.
DR.. I. f. Frere, Franklin, La.
| MY Dear Cousin:-I enclose here
with two copies of a sketch which |
wrote during the war of my cousin
and foster brother, Jno. G.. Lewis,
the father of your Mr. Jno. c. Lewis.
He was killed in the latter part of the
year 1862 in skirmish with the Fed
eral troops, as narrated in the sketch.
He left the town of Harfisonburg, in
Catahoula parish, at the beginning of
the war for the army, and was at the
time associated with me in the prac-
| tice OF law.
A short time before leaving Harris
onburg for the army he married a
Miss Eliza Mayo, whose father had
been judge of the district, and who
was member of the most prominent
family residing in that section He
never saw his wife after leaving for
the army and his son was born there
after and without ever having been
seen by him. The child was given a
different name, but after his father 5
death his name was changed so as to
be called after his father,
Though had It number Of brothers;
John and | were always closer to each
other than even my Owl brothers.
We slept together from childhood and
were lusepara DE companions up to
manhood, ;Dnd when | settled in the
parish OF Catahoula to practice law al
HarrisOnburg he followed me and be-
came associated with me because OF
the strong bonds Of affection between
US. l think he was rs fiue specimen
OF physi ;al manhood as l ever knew
over six feet ia height, erect. OF com
handing features, surm Ounted by d
noble head ana fine features, and at
tract I'd attention wherever he went
During the BRET period that he
practiced his profession he evlnceC
such ability that it was predicated by
by his brother members of tue bal
that lie wodld attain great prominence
in hi, chosen profession. He was
high spirited and fearless and warmly
espOused the Cause of the South
Among the thousands of valuable
lives which the South offered in vim
dicatiOn of what our people believed
to be just cause, there was no roblel
sacrifice offered up upon the altar O.
our country than the life which Johr
{. Lewis freely gave in her defense
His surviving son has just cause tt
cherish the memory Of his noble ia
Their.
AT the time of Johns death l was
living at Alexandria, in Rapides par
ish, ana printed the little sketch in The
Louisiana Democrat published in tina
town, and in looking over the ole
files of that paper the editor upon
coming across the sketch called my
attention to it, when on visit tC
Alexandria. l had it copied, and
believe it would afford a melancholy
satisfaction to his so1 and other rela
tives at Franklin to have the sketch re-
published in your local papers. l
therefore, enclose two copies OF the
sketch and also an additional copy o
this letter in order that you may have
the sketch with my accompanying let
ter published in the g.. Mary Banner
and Weekly Watchman.
i Very sincerely yours,
\ THOS. II. LEWIS.