Bio: John J. Curtis, Sabine Parish, Louisiana

Source: History of Sabine Parish by John G. Belisle, The Sabine Banner Press,

1912 (Page 285-286)

Submitted: by : Kay Thompson Brown
**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************





JOHN J. CURTIS



John J. Curtis was born in Sabine parish on June 17, 1843, and is one of the

oldest native citizens now living in the parish.  His father was a pioneer of

the Toro country, settling there in 1827.  The subject of this sketch received

what little education he was able to obtain in a log school house.  In April,

1861, when only 18 years of age, he enlisted in the first company which left

Sabine parish to fight in the Civil War, under the command of Capt. Arthur

McArthur.  This command was assigned to the army in Virginia in Gen. Stonewall

Jackson's brigade.  Mr. Curtis was in the most memorable battles of the

campaigns of that famous commander.  When the battle of the Wilderness was

begun on the 5th of May, 1864, only fourteen men of Mr. Curtis' company

responded for service, and his leg was broken in this bloody conflict, and his

friend Bob Runnels was killed by his side.  After lying wounded on the field

for three days, he was picked up by the Yankees and taken to their hospital

and he saw only two or three of his comrades after that time.  He was taken

prisoner by Stewart's cavalry.  He recovered from his wound sufficiently to

return home the following fall, and the war was ended a few months later, but,

after more than half a century the scenes of that mighty conflict are still

fresh in his memory.  He was married and reared a family, all of whom have

passed to their reward.



#  #  #