Shortly after he returned to Glasgow at the close of the Civil War, he saw several colored people walking down the highway and was attracted to a young colored girl in the group who was wearing a yellow dress.  Immediately he said to himself, “If she ain’t married there goes my wife.”  Sometime later they met and were married Christmas day in 1866.  To this union twelve children were born four of whom are living today, two in Gary and the others in the south.  After his marriage he lived on a farm near Glasgow for several years, later moving to Louisville, where he worked in a lumber yeard.  He came to Gary in 1924, two years after the death of his wife.

President Grant was the first president for whom he cast his vote and he continued to vote until old age prevented him from walking to the polls.

Although Lincoln is one of his favorite heroes, Teddy Roosevelt tops his list of great men and he never failed to vote for him.

In 1926, he was the only one of three surviving memebers of the Grand Army of the Republic in Gary and mighty proud of the fact that he was the only one in the parade.  In 1937 he is the sole survivor.

He served in the army as a member of Company K of the 108th, Kentucky Infantry (Negro Volunteers).

When General Morgan, the famous southern raider, crossed the Ohio on his raid across southern Indiana, John was one of the Negro fighters who after heavy fighting, forced Morgan to recross the river and retreat back to the south.  He also participated in several skirmishes with the cavalry troops commanded by the famous Nathan Bedfored Forrest, and was a member of the Negro garrison at Fort Pillow, on the Mississippi which was assaulted and captured.  This resulted in a massacre of the negro soldiers.  John was in several other fights, but as he says, “never onct got a skinhurt.”

At the present time, Mr. Eubanks is residing with his daughter, Mrs. Bertha Sloss and several grandchildren, in Gary, Indiana.  He is badly crippled with rheumatism, has poor eyesight and his memory is failing.  Otherwise his health is good.  Most of his teeth are good and they are a source of wonder to his dentist.  He is ninety-eight years of age and his wish in life now, is to live to be a hundred.  Since his brother and mother both died at ninety-eight and his paternal grandfather at one hundred-ten years of age, he has a good chance to realize this ambition.

Because of his condition most of this interview was had from his grandchildren, who have taken notes in recent years of any incidents that he relates.  He is proud that most of his fifty grandchildren are high school graduates and that two are attending the University of Chicago.

In 1935, he enjoyed a motor trip, when his family took him back to Glasgow for a visit.  He suffered no ill effects from the trip.

Archie Koritz, Field Worker
816 Mound Street, Valparaiso, Indiana
Federal Writers’ Project
Lake County, District #1
Gary, Indiana