Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Javan Bryant

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Javan Bryant, M. D., of Evansville, was born in Spartanburgh, S. C., 
November 5, 1839, the son of Reuben and Sarah (Kirby) Bryant. both 
natives of South Carolina, and the mother of Scotch descent. The 
Bryant family were of the original Brittons, and came to America about 
four generations back. Reuben and Sarah (Kirby) Bryant were married in 
their native State, and both were professing Christians, he a member 
of the Baptist and she a member of the Methodist Church. He was a 
well-to-do farmer, and died in his native State at the age of sixty-
eight. The mother died at the age of forty-eight. In their family were 
two children, a son and a daughter. The father had previously [p.920] 
married a Miss Dillard, who bore him five children. His second 
marriage was to Miss Kirby, and after her death be married a Miss 
Harvey, who bore him one child. The eldest of the second set received 
his education in the high school at Glenn Springs, S. C., and at the 
age of eighteen began the study of medicine, which he continued until 
twenty-one years of age, when he graduated at the Medical College of 
the State of South Carolina, and afterward located in Spartanburgh 
County. In 1861 he married Miss Susannah N. Littlejohn, also a native 
of South Carolina, who bore him five children-three sons and two 
daughters. Dr, Bryant practiced his profession in Spartanburgh County 
until May, 1862, when he enlisted in Company I, Thirteenth South 
Carolina Infantry, Confederate States Army, serving as a private 
several weeks, when he received a commission as assistant surgeon, 
which position he held until the surrender of Johnston. His chief 
service was hospital duty at Richmond Va., Raleigh, Wilmington and 
Kittrell's Spring, N. C. He surrendered at Thomasville, N. C., and 
afterward returned to Spartanburgh County, where he continued his 
practice. In 1879 he and family moved to Hot Springs, Ark., where his 
wife, who was an invalid, hoped for recovery. The same year they 
located at Evansville, Washington County, and here his wife died in 
July, 1883. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, as is 
also Dr. Bryant. Dr. Bryant represented Spartanburgh County in the 
State Legislature of South Carolina during the sessions of 1868-70. He 
has been a very close student all his life, and his special diversion 
is language, being able to speak and read, more or less fluently, 
seven different languages, and he is deeply interested in the 
improvement and propagation of Volapük. In 1878 he took an ad eundem 
degree at the Atlanta, Ga., Medical College. Dr. Bryant is a member of 
the Washington County Medical Association, has practiced medicine 
twenty-seven years, and is accounted a skillful physician, receiving a 
liberal share of the patronage. He is a contributor to periodical 
literature, both medical and literary.