The Life and Times of John Hess Leathers (1841-1923)

1 The Life & Times of John Hess Leathers (1841-1923). Compiled by Kraig W. McNutt

The Life and Times of

John Hess Leathers

(1841-1923)

Confederate veteran

Louisville financier

Philanthropist Compiled by Kraig W. McNutt

The Center for the Study of the American Civil War


John Hess Leathers (1841-1923)

o Born April 27, 1841, in Middleway, Jefferson County, West Virginia (then

Virginia), to the son of a cabinetmaker. Died 6/30/23.

o Youngest of seven children.

o Worked in father’s shop, writing

bill of sales, delivering invoices,

keeping inventory.

o By age 16 was clerking at dry

goods store in Martinsburg.

o Came to Louisville in 1859 upon being

called by an uncle, to work for a retail

druggist, George H. Cary.

o 1860 became a bookkeeper in the

wholesale clothing firm of William Terry &

Company.

o In 1861, when the war broke out, returned home and enlisted in Company D, in

the 2nd Virginia Infantry.

o Suffered an injury at Gettysburg.

o Returned to Louisville in autumn of 1865, his former employer founded a new

firm – Jones & Tapp - and held a position for him. He managed the firm’s

accounts.

o 1869, became a Mason.

o 1869, 12th of March, married Miss Kate Armstrong of Nelson County.

o 1870, admitted as a partner in the renamed firm of Tapp, Leathers & Company.

Did this from 1870s thru early 1880s.


o Wore nice suits at 5 feet 10 inches tall.

o 1875-76 served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State

o 1878, organized Company C of the Louisville Legion, and chosen Captain of Co

C.

o 1879, elected Grand Treasurer of the Grand

Lodge.

o By 1885, firm had 500 employees under

Leather’s supervision, manufacturing Kentucky

jeans and lines of men’s and boy’s dress

clothing.

o April 1, 1885, Theodore Harris, a financier,

convinced Leathers too verse day-to-day

operations of the Louisville Banking Company.

o By 1888, the LBC was the largest financial

institution in Kentucky. Deposits had tripled since

Leather’s took over.

o 1888, Leathers became a charter member of the Confederate Association of

Kentucky.

o 1891, listed as Grand Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky.

o 1895, elected President of the Kentucky Banker’s Association.

o 1905, his photo is included in the Confederate Veteran, Vol. 13, No. 5, May

1905; front cover “Members of Executive Committee for Louisville Reunion, June

14, 15, 16, 1905: John H. Leathers, Bennett H. Young, Thomas D. Osborne, John

H. Weller, D.W. Sanders, Thomas W. Bullitt, Sam H. Buchanan, W.M. Marriner,

John B. Pirtle, Basil W. Duke, Andrew M. Sea, George C. North, John B. Castleman,

E. Bayse, A.E. Richards, J.W. Green, W.B. Haldeman, J.A. Shuttleworth, and D.

Thornton.”


Remembering Kentucky’s Confederates, Geoffrey R. Walden, p.98.

o 1909, President of Louisville National Banking Company

Also:

o President of the Louisville Industrial School of Reform

o President of the Kentucky Humane Society

o Director, the Cook Benevolent Institute

o Member of the Democratic Party

o Presbyterian

o Mason

o past Grand High Priest of the Kentucky Chapter of Royal Arch Masons

o past commander of Louisville Commandery, No. 1 Knight’s Templar.

o attained 32nd degree in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite


o member of the Kosair Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the

Mystic Shrine.

o United Confederate Veterans

o served as vice-president of the UCV’s Association of Kentucky

o served on the committee that also brought in the GAR Reunion to

Louisville in1895.

o Had four children:

o Charles F. Leathers, worked in banking

o John Allen Leathers, worked in Post Office

o Stuart Robinson Leathers

o Annie, wife of Stuart F. Duncan

o Died June 30, 1923; buried in Section O, Lot 210 at Cave Hill Cemetery.


John Hess Leathers’ Civil War Record

Residence Louisville KY; 18 years old. Enlisted on 8/12/1861 at Camp Harman, VA as a Private. On 8/12/1861 he mustered into "D" Co. VA 2nd Infantry (date and method of discharge not given) He was listed as: * POW 6/25/1862 Woodstock, VA * Exchanged 8/5/1862 (place not stated) * Absent 3/15/1863 (place not stated) (Estimated day) * Returned 5/15/1863 (place not stated) (Estimated day) * Wounded 7/3/1863 Gettysburg, PA * Hospitalized 8/3/1863 Charlottesville, VA * Returned 8/21/1863 (place not stated) * Absent 1/15/1864 (place not stated) * Returned 3/15/1864 (place not stated) (Estimated day) * POW 5/12/1864 Spotsylvania Court House, VA * Confined 5/18/1864 Point Lookout, MD * Exchanged 2/13/1865 (place not stated) (No further record) Promotions: * Sergt 4/19/1862 * Sergt Major 11/15/1862 (Estimated day) Intra Regimental Company Transfers: * 11/12/1862 from company D to Field & Staff Other Information: born 4/27/1843 in Middleburg, VA died 6/29/1923 in Louisville, KY Buried: 2nd Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Louisville, KY (Postwar banker in Louisville, KY, became President of Kentucky Banking Association.) After the War he lived in Louisville, KY

http://civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?TownDesc?KY&Louisville&






Title In appreciation. Major John H. Leathers: on his seventy-third birthday, 1914, April 27. Galt House, Louisville

Author Louisville (Ky.). Citizens

Publisher Courier-Journal Job Print. Co., 1914

Length 13 pages

Title The Southern Exposition at Louisville, Ky. opens August 16, 1884, closes October 25, 1884: grand competitive drill

Author John H. Leathers

Publisher s.n.

Fiftieth Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, 1913; Report of the New York State Commission .

The Story of Camp Chase: A History of the Prison and Its Cemetery, Together with Other Cemeteries Where Confederate Prisoners Are Buried, Etc Format: Trade paper By William H. Knauss

Remembering Kentucky's Confederates (Images of America: Kentucky) by Geoffrey R. Walden (Nov 3, 2008)

Oldham County, Ky (Oldham County History & Families) [Hardcover] Turner Publishing Company (Compiler). Pp: 258ff article on the Old Confederate Home

Camp Fires of the Confederacy: A Volume of Humorous Anecdotes, Reminiscences, Deeds of Heroism, Thrilling Narratives, Campaigns, Hand-To-Hand Fights, . . : Confederate Poems and Selected Songs Format: Trade paper (ISBN: 1142177440 / 1-142-17744-0) Benjamin La Bree (See: “Bravery of a Green Mountain Boy,” by John H. Leathers. Pp. 162ff.

http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22Louisville+(Ky.).+Citizens%22&source=gbs_metadata_r&cad=2

http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=inauthor:%22John+H.+Leathers%22&source=gbs_metadata_r&cad=2

http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Kentuckys-Confederates-Images-America/dp/0738567329/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305213516&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=Turner%20Publishing%20Company

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=4881276237&searchurl=tn%3DCamp%2Bfires%2Bconfederacy



http://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9781142177447/4881276237



Found in:

Heritage Inaugural Auction of Civil War History #642 - Session 1 by Tom Slater, Marsha Dixey and James L. Halperin (editor) (Dec 1, 2006)

http://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Inaugural-Auction-Civil-History/dp/1599670941/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305212914&sr=1-1


Southern Practitioner, Vol 27



Oldham County, Ky (Oldham County History & Families) [Hardcover] Turner Publishing Company (Compiler). Pp: 258ff article on the Old Confederate Home

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=Turner%20Publishing%20Company


Pick up at page 260


Bravery of a Green Mountain Boy, by John H. Leathers in . . .

Camp Fires of the Confederacy: A Volume of Humorous Anecdotes, Reminiscences, Deeds of Heroism, Thrilling Narratives, Campaigns, Hand-To-Hand Fights, . . : Confederate Poems and Selected Songs Format: Trade paper (ISBN: 1142177440 / 1-142-17744-0) Benjamin La Bree (See: “Bravery of a Green Mountain Boy,” by John H. Leathers. Pp. 162ff.







On November 16, 1897, Leathers wrote a letter to authenticate the identity of Confederate female spy Belle Boyd. This letter is mentioned in Belle Boyd in camp and prison, by Belle Boyd; pp 46-47


The Spirit of Gettysburg: The Growth of a Nation, By N. A. Meligakes; pp; 199-200


Documents

The Life and Times of John Hess Leathers (1841-1923)