j	Archie Kox‘itz, Field Workei~
		Federal Writers‘ Project	.
		lake County — District /~].	~	‘~)
		Œary, Indiana







John Euhanks & Faini ly

	Gai‘y‘s only survi«~ring Civil War veteran was born a ~1ave in Barren County, 1~entuck~r, Juno 6, 1836. HiS £~ther vas a n~~.Latto and a free negro. H13 mother was a slave on the E~rerrett plantation and hi~ ~andparent s were LU I 1-b boded Afri can negro 08 • As a chi ici he began work as soon as possible and was put to ~ror1c hoeing and piok Ing cotton ~nd any other odd jobs that would keep him busy. He was one of a family of several children, c~nct is the sole survivor, a brother living in Indianapolis, having died there in 1935.

	Following the CUstom of the south, when the children of the Everrett family grew up, they married ana slaves were given than ror wedding presents. .Tohn was given to a daughter wbo married a man of the naine of ELthsnks ‚ heno e hi s name ‚ John Eubanks • John wa s one of the more rortw~iate slaves in that h1~ mistress and naster were kinci. and they were in a state divided on the question of slavery. They favored the north. The rest of the children were given to other nierribers of the E~rerrett family upon their marrtage or sold down the river and no‘crer saw one another unt1. 1 after the close of the Civil War.

	Shortly after the beginning of the Civil War, when the north seemed to be losing, someone conceived the idea of forming ~ogro regiments and a s a n inducement to the slaves ‚ they offered them freedom ir they wou id join the Union f oro o s ‚ John‘ s mi stres s and master told him that if he wished to join the Union forces, he had their consent and would not have to z,un away like other slaves were