Cemetery: Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Sabine Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Jo Ann McCollister Pape ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** PLEASANT HILL The above is the charter name of one of the most substantial of the small towns of Sabine parish. The original town of that name was across the boundary of DeSoto parish, but near the line of DeSoto and Sabine. It was settled somewhere about 1840, and one tradition is to the effect that the first settlers hailed from a certain Pleasant Valley, in Alabama, and revived old memories, as far as possible in their new surroundings, by naming their new home Pleasant Hill. It was here the noted battle of Pleasant Hill was fought during the civil War. This was a bloody and strongly contested battle between the Confderates under General Dick Taylor and the Federals under General N. P. Banks. The confederates, flushed with vicotry at Mansfield the previous day, weere here confronted by Banks' army, reinforced and greatly strengthened by a division of hardened troops under the veteran genaeral, A. J. smith. The result was one of the sternest and bloodiest small battles of the Civil War. Not so very small, iether, as Banks' army was supposed tonumber 40,000 men; and Taylor's army, though smaller, was somewhat in proportion to its opponent. One of the most stirring scenes of that battle, doubtless, was the charge of Tom Greene's Texas cavalry across the old race track field, their surprise and sudden repulse by Federal infantry concealed in the woods beyond; and the second and more determined charge of the same cavalry, then dismounted, over the same graound, then strewn with dead men and horses; which last desperate effort was successful, through with heavy loss, while their opponents paid for their temerity with the loss of half their commands. These events belong to a former generation, and we conclude reference to them with the following extract from a poem written in commemoration of one of the many gallant Louisianaians who lost their lives among those then unpleasant hills, amid the forest flowers of that fateful spring: "No sounds but sounds of peace arouse The echoes of the forest now: The vales are furrowed by the plow, Upon the hills sleek cattle browse. The dogwood still, each spring, appears Clad as in spirit robes, with smiles Of snowy radiance lights the aisles Of pine, then drops its flowers like tears." With the building of the Texas and Pacific railroad, in 1882 Pleasant Hill performed the unusual feat (for a town) of shifing its base and making Sabine, instead of DeSoto, its domicile from that time. Since moving to its new location it has enjoyed a steady and healthy growth. (The railroad station is called Sodus) While its population of less than 1,000 still makes it, strictly speaking a village instead of a town, it has several mercantile houses, a couple of banks, several nice churches, a promising high school, called, for courtesy, a college, recently installed in a new and magnifaicnet brick college building; a cotton gin, and is surrounded by a good agricultural country that is being developed by some of the most progessive farmers in West Louisiana. On the reoganization of Pleasant Hill in Sabien parish, its first mayor was H. S. Kennedy, now deceased; a citizen, by the way, who is worthy of mere than passing notice. The charter is dated Feb 28, 1893, when h. S. Kennedy was mayor, H. Youngblood, H. H. Kenndy, R. L. Armstrong, Jr., W. C. Davis, and S. E. Galloway councilmen, and H. H. Parker, marshal. In 1894 S. E. Galloway was Mayor, and H. L. Davis, R. L. Armstrong, Jr., J. M. Fuller, N. W. Parker, councilmen and H. H. Parker, marshal. J. M. Fuller was mayor in 1895 and W. B. Adkins in 1898. In 1904, George S. List was mayor and J. P. Edmondson, clerk. In 1906, J. J. Browne was mayor and G. W. Browne, clerk. W. B. Adkins is the present mayor, having served since 1909, Frank H. Tarver, clerk, and other members of the council are T. W. Hardy, G. G. Keene and A. A. Hammond. W. H. Bartlett is marshal. The territory which furnishes trade for the merchants of Pleasant Hill embraces portions of Natchitoches, Sabine and DeSoto parishes and a large annual business is transacted. The Bank of Pleasant Hill was organized in 1904, with a capital of $10,000. The directors are H. H. Kennedy, J. J. Browne, T. W. Hardee, P. M. Gaddis, S. V. Jordan, J. W. Ramsey and W. B. Adkins. H. H. Kennedy is president and Frank H. Tarver, cashier. This bank has been very prosperous and besides paying good dividends to its stockholders, has earned and added to its resources a surplus of $11,000. It occupies a substantial brick building, and the equipment is fully in keeping with modern banking methods. The officers are capable and courteous and are always anxious to serve their patrons with the accommodations coustomarily accorded by similar financial institutions. Frank H. Tarver, the popular cashier, is a competent business man. He is a native of Bienville parish, acquired his education in the schools of that parish and came to Pleasant Hill in 1897 to take his present position. The Citizens' Bank of Pleasant Hill was organized about four years ago with a capital of $15,000. A. A. Hammond, a prominent and substantial business man, is president. The bank owns a neat brick building which, with the fixtures, is valued at $5,000. C. E. Smith is the efficient bookkeeper and ating cashier. One of the largest mercantile establishments in the twon is that of T. W. Hardee and P. M. Gaddis, the style of the firm being Hardee & Gaddis. They entered business in 1907