John B. Easterly, Livingston Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller



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John B. Easterly, farmer, merchant and miller, Live Oak, whose career presents an example of
industry, perseverance and good management, has been a resident of Livingston parish, La.,
since October, 1859, and on his present property since 1860.  His parent., Rev. Isaac and Nancy
(Jones) Easterly, were natives of East Tennessee, where they were married and resided until
about 1835.  They then moved to Lowndes county, Miss., and after the mother's death in 1859 the
father with the children came to Livingston parish, La., and settled on a farm.  He was a
prominent Methodist minister, and was well known all over Mississippi and Louisiana.  He died
in the last named state in 1889, at the age of sixty-nine years.  His wife was also a member of
the Methodist church.  John B. Easterly owes his nativity to Lowndes county, Miss., born in the
year 1839 and received his education in Mississippi and Alabama.  In 1861 he enlisted in the
confederate army, under Colonel Stewart, Company A, First battalion of Louisiana light
artillery, and was in the battle of Belmont, Mo., and siege of Island No. 10, where he was
captured.  He was taken to Camp Douglas, Chicago, but was there but a few days when he made his
escape and started for home, traveling principally on foot.  He came to Holly Springs, Miss.,
and there met some confederate forces under General Vilipee, with whom he remained until
Breckinridge moved on to Baton Rouge.  He was in Simms' battery as a volunteer, and
participated in the battles of Baton Rouge, Corinth, Coffeeville, siege of Fort Pemberton,
Baker's Creek, Vicksburg, and a number of skirmishes in Mississippi and Louisiana.  He was
paroled in Vicksburg in 1863 and came home.  In the fall of the following year he re-enlisted
in the same battalion but was in no engagements of note.  After the war he returned home, and
on July 4, 1865, he was wedded to Miss Elizabeth J. Spiller, a native of the Creole state, born
in 1846 in Livingston parish, and the daughter of Rev. Levi and Nancy (Starns) Spiller, natives
of Georgia and Louisiana, respectively.  Mrs. Easterly was the eldest of four children.  To Mr.
and Mrs. Easterly were born eight children:  Nancy M.,  John B.,  Sigel B.,  Isaac D.,  Levi
S.,  Ruth L.,  Connie C. and  Clay--all at home with their parents.  After his marriage Mr.
Easterly settled on a farm, and although the war left him without means he went earnestly to
work, and is now the owner of 1,400 acres of land, with 300 acres under cultivation, and also
the owner of a store where Live Oak post-office was established in 1885.  In 1884 Mr. Easterly
was appointed sheriff of the parish, but resigned and was appointed colonel of the militia of
the parish in 1880 and still holds that position.  In 1879 he was a member of the
constitutional convention from the Seventeenth Senatorial district, and is returning officer of
the parish at the present time.  He is a member of the A. F & A. M., and in politics is
strictly democratic, casting his first presidential vote for Bell.  Mr. and Mrs. Easterly are
members of the Methodist church, and all their children either belong or are believers in the
same doctrine.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), p. 396.  Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.