DeSoto Parish, Louisiana; Biography: John B. Hewitt - h300 --------------------------------- Submitted by Gaytha Carver Thompson Typed by Trudy Marlow ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** John B. Hewitt. Every life has a history of its own, and although in appearance it may possess little to distinguish it from others, yet Mr. Hewitt's experience here and his interest in journalistic and banking affairs have contributed to give him a wide and popular acquaintance with nearly every citizen of the parish, if not personally, then by name. He was born on the Hewitt Plantation, near Mansfield, March 4, 1851, to Alfred M. and Antoinette (Garrett) Hewitt, who were born in Virginia and Georgia, respectively, and came to De Soto Parish, La., with their parents in their childhood days. Here they grew to mature years, and in 1848 were married at the Garrett House, where the battle of Mansfield was fought in 1864. Alfred M. Hewitt served in the Mexican War with the Fifth Louisiana Infantry, and in 1860 became a member of the First Texas Cavalry, which was raised to oppose the Mexican Cortine. In 1861 this command was called into the service of the Confederacy, and Mr. Hewitt served with the gallant Mouton's command at Mansfield with the Texans, and followed up Bank's retreat, and served until he was taken sick in January, 1865, when he returned home and died shortly before Lee's surrender. His widow now resides at Mansfield with her sons. John B. Hewitt was educated at Mansfield, and in September, 1866, entered the office of the Mansfield Times to learn the printer's art, and his subsequent connection with the press is told in the article on journals and jonmalists which appears in this work. He was married November 20, 1873, to Miss Ella Eastham, daughter of J. H. Eastham, one of the old settlers of De Soto Parish, but now a resident of Texas. Mrs. Hewitt was born at Mansfield in 1857, and received a liberal education in the female college of that place. In 1887 Mr. Hewitt established the private bank of J. E. Hewitt & Co., which he carried on with remarkable ability until 1890, when the bus- iness was merged into the Traders', Bank, of which he is now president. Besides this he is the owner of two fine tricts of land convenient to Mansfield, and is in other ways connected materially with the interests of this parish. A more minute reference is made to the part he has taken as a citizen of this section, in the general history of the parish, and it will be seen at a glance that it is no minor part.