USGENWEB PROJECT ARCHIVES: TENSAS PARISH LOUISIANA http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/tensas/ --------------------------------------------------------- Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm --------------------------------------------------------- BIOGRAPHIES: HUGHES, John, Natchez, MS., then Tensas Parish, LA Submitted to the USGENWEB Archives Project by Mike Miller, MAY 1998. Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 627-628. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association. Hughes, John, the popular and well known sheriff of Tensas parish, son of John and Bridget (Hughes) Hughes was born in Natchez, Miss. March 4, 1865. John Hughes, Sr., was born in Ireland in 1832, came to New Orleans, La., in 1845, and later went to Natchez, Miss., from which city he enlisted as a private in the Confederate army. He took part in the defense of Port Hudson and was captured at its fall but was paroled and went back to Natchez where he died in February, 1865, from disease contracted in the army. Bridget Hughes had the same name as the man she married but if they were related it was unknown. She was born in Ireland but came to America and married Mr. Hughes in Natchez, Miss. Besides John Hughes, Jr., the subject of this sketch, they had three children, 1 son died in infancy and 2 daughters who are now living with their brother, John Hughes, in St. Joseph, La. The present sheriff, John Hughes, came to Tensas parish when 5 years old and has made it his home ever since. His father dying before he was born and his mother when he was 3 years old, he was reared by an uncle, Michael Hughes, in Tensas parish, La. Michael Hughes was a soldier in the Confederate army, having enlisted at Natchez, in Co. B, 10th Mississippi, under Gen. Chalmers. He was severely wounded at the battle of Shiloh, but after recovery, rejoined his command and served through the remainder of the war, at the close of which he came to St. Joseph, La., and engaged in cotton planting and here John Hughes lived and was reared. He attended public school in St. Joseph and later Jefferson college, a privately endowed school near Natchez. He left this institution at 17 years of age, returned to St. Joseph and engaged in the mercantile and planting business in the service of the late James M. Gillespie, one of the largest planters of the state, with whom he remained 13 years or until he was 30 years old. Mr. Hughes then engaged in planting on his own account, and continued that line until 1904, when he organized the Bank of Newellton, became its cashier and held that position until Oct., 1905. At that time he resigned to accept the office of sheriff of Tensas parish, which he now holds. He is also at this time vice-president of the Bank of Newellton. Mr. Hughes has always been a consistent democrat in politics. He never married.