Bio: John N. Sandlin, Caddo & Webster Parish La Source: Chronicles of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, Maude Hearn O'Pry, 1928, Submitted by: Kay Thompson Brown ********************************************************** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ************ JOHN N. SANDLIN, Member of Congress JOHN N. SANDLIN, of Minden now serving his third term in the National House of Representatives from the Fourth Congressional District of Louisiana, which frequently is referred to as "the Shreveport District," was born on his father's farm near Minden, February 24, 1872. He has won distinction in Congress and at the beginning of his second term was placed on the great Committee on Appropriations, which was an unusual honor for one so young in congressional service; and he also is on the sub-committee of this committee which prepares tile budget for the nation. On the organization of the Sixty-Ninth Congress he was again assigned to this Committee. The father of the Fourth District Congressman was Nicholas J. Sandlin, a native of North Carolina, who came to Louisiana in early life and settled near Minden. His mother was Miss Irene McIntyre, a native of Louisiana. He was the younger of two brothers. His elder brother, M. H. Sandlin, lives at Minden and is Assessor of Webster Parish; also served two terms as mayor of Minden and one term as member of the Louisiana Legislature. Nicholas J. Sandlin was a soldier of the Confederacy in the war between the States and served in the Army of Northern Virginia under Lee and Jackson. He was severely wounded during the conflict. After the surrender at Appomattox he returned to Louisiana and took an active and leading part in the struggle to overthrow the carpet-hag and scalawag regime and restore the government of the State to the hands of its own people. He was chosen district attorney of his district, which embraced a vast area extending from the Red River to the Ouachita. Years later he was elected to represent Webster parish in the Legislature and in 1893 was appointed postmaster at Minden by President Cleveland. He died in 1896. In recognition of his services in peace and war, the organization of sons of Confederate veterans formed at Minden several years ago adopted the name "Nicholas J. Sandlin Camp, United Sons of Confederate Veterans." John N. Sandlin attended the neighborhood schools in early youth and later attended school in Minden. After leaving school he worked for mercantile establishments, and having determined to make the law his profession, he studied in the office of Lynn K. Watkins, a famed jurist who later became a judge of the Circuit Court of Appeals. He was admitted to the bar in 1896 and formed a partnership with Rhydon D. Webb, who afterwards became one of the judges of the district court of Caddo Parish, and is now one of the judges of the Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1904 the future Congressman was nominated and elected district attorney of the second judicial district, composed of Bossier and Webster parishes, and in 1908 was re-elected without opposition. He served as district attorney until March 4, 1911, when he became district judge. Being nominated and elected without opposition. He was re-elected in 1912 and again in 1916. each time being chosen without opposition. He made the race for Congress in 1918, but was defeated by a small majority. He again became a candidate in 1920 and was the victor by a large majority, and entered Congress March 4, 1921, and has twice since been re-e1ected, without opposition. Judge Sandlin's first wife was Miss Ruth Reams of Minden, a beautiful and talented woman. They were married August 3, 1899, and she died March 28, 1911, leaving an eleven-year-old son, John N. Sandlin, Jr. His second marriage was to Mrs. Emma Lou Palmer Chrichton, member of a pronmnent Claiborne parish family, and a woman of many accomplishments. Their marriage occurred August 11, 1913.