Spencer Petrie5 Colvin, (75.William4, 14.Andrew3, 2.William2, 1.John1) born 7-May-1846 in Chester Co., SC,435 died 28-Oct-1928 in Ruston, Lincoln Parish, LA,435 military Co. E, 4th La Regulars of McNeils Cavalry,436 (S.P. Colvin, En. Monroe, La Fall 1863.Served at West Band of Miss. as sharp shooter. Was in Battle of Marks Mill in Ark. Co., E La. Regt of McNeils Cavalry, under Captain Emmett Ammiss.), occupation 3rd Mayor of Ruston – from headstone, buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Lincoln Parish, LA. Spencer Petrie Colvinb. May 27, 1846, Chester County, S.C.d. Oct. 27, 1928, Ruston, La. (Buried Greenwood Cemetery)m. (1) Mary Rose VanHook, Dec. 9, 1875m. (2) Mrs. Lula Connella, 1915 S.P. Colvin was two years old at the time of his mother's death and a boy of ten years when the family moved from South Carolina. Before he was seventeen he ran away from the family home in Ward Two and joined the Confederate Army. He served in McNeil's cavalry in Co. E under Capt. Amiss. Being an expert shot, he was assigned a point of vantage on the west side of the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, where a Company was stationed, with orders to harass the Yankee gunboats. This he thoroughly enjoyed. He took part in Price's campaign in Arkansas and was a few hours late for the Battle of Mansfield.Returning from what was to him an all too short service in behalf of the Confederate cause, he took up his residence in Vienna. He was elected Captain of the Ku Klux Klan and served throughout the reconstruction period. In recognition of this service he was made honorary member of the Klan formed in Ruston after the World War. In his last years he was Commander of Ruston Camp. No. 7 United Confederate Veterans. The annual dinner tendered this Camp by the Ruston Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy was a great occasion to him and he took great pleasure in presiding over the patriotic program which featured the day. On the creation of Lincoln Parish in 1873 S.P. Colvin was made Clerk of the District Court. He was Mayor of Vienna 1875-1877. He carried on a successful mercantile business with John Hodge in Vienna. When the V.S. & P. R. R. reached Ruston he bought there a business lot and residential site. His business lot was the corner of Trento St. and Brick Row, the present location of McDonald's store. His residence lot was corner of Alabama Avenue and Rock Island R.R. He moved his family at once and transferred his business to the new location. Some years later he sold hisbusiness and built a livery stable where the James building now stands. His horse lots extended through the square. He traded in mules and horses until he was appointed an inspector of fertilizer under the La. State Board of Agriculture & Immigration. S.P. Colvin always took an active interest in politics. In appreciation for assistance rendered in their campaigns he was made adjutant of the staffs of Governors John McEnery, Louis A. Wiltz, and Samuel D. McEnery. He was Mayor of Ruston 1890 to 1895. After the town voted prohibition, he took and active part in the suppression of blind tigers. Although this activity placed his life in jeopardy. An incident in this connection tells of the devotion of the hired man, Harry Gahagan. Harry was a mulatto, about the height and weight of the "Boss". He drove the teams, fed the mules, washed dishes at the house and followed the men folks hunting. During the blind tiger trouble it was noticed that Harry no longer kept his place behind, but garbed in one of the "Boss's" old hunting coats and wearing one of his broad brimmed hats he storde ahead of the party, making himself anunmistakable target for any bullet intended fro the man he loved better than himself. HE was told to desist, but he never relaxed his vigilance until the trouble ended. He was throughout his life a consistent Democrat. He cast his last vote for Riley J. Wilson and against Huey P. Long for Governor. He was taken sick during the Smith-Hoover campaign, but he was greatly interested to the last and condemned all Democrats who talked about deserting theirparty. He died just a few days before the election. S.P. Colvin was a man of splendid physique. He measured 6 ft. 2 in. in his stocking feet. He was slender as a young man and while he weighted over 200 pounds in later years he was never fleshy. His light brown eyes, with their laughing wrinkles at the corners, looked straight at you from under the beetling brows of his ancestors. He was clean shaven except for a clipped moustache. His hair was brown, fine and not very thick, and never lost its color. His head was large, round andperfect in contour. He was certainly a man who would attract attention in company. When young he joined the Presbyterian Church, but became indifferent to his membership. Later in the excitement of a protracted meeting conducted by Morphis at Ruston he joined the Methodist Church. Indignant at, what seemed to him, hypocrisy among leading members he had his name removed from the church roll. He thereafter claimed to be a Presbyterian, though he did not formally unite with the church. The fact is, he never entirely got away from his Baptist upbringing.His ideal was a church universal without difference of creed. The golden rule was his criterion of conduct. He abhorred a lie and hated a debt. He was absolutely fearless, always in a good humor,and full of fun. He lived his life not boisterously but joyously."Uncle P", as he was called, inspired in young men everywhere he went a love for the great outdoors. One of these young men, Kenneth Huey Jr., of the Ruston Leader staff, says in an eulogy:"Uncle P loved all sports of the outdoors, but the chase he loved best. I loved to watch him when the race was hot. How his breath would quicken and his eyes burn with delight as he listened to hisfavorite hound. ….. He knew nature's lure and lore; he had eyes which saw things the ordinary indoor man could never see, he had ears attuned to the lightest sounds made by the denizens of the forest and fields."The three great passions of his life were: his interest in the Colvin re-unions, love of small children, and joy in the chase. His part in the preserving the Colvin records and increasing the family's fellowship has been told elsewhere. Many children of Ruston, some now grown old with children of their own, remember "Uncle P" for the nickels he dropped into their expectant hands. His little stepdaughter, "Tam", once hugged him close and said, "Daddy Colvin, I know the anglesin heaven are going to be glad when you come." Never a re-union but that he was present, never a funeral but that he was master of ceremony, never a big hunt but hat he "whooped up" the hounds, never a circus but he was the center of a lively group, never a parade but he was grand marshal. All of W. H. Colvin's sons were hunters. After they had married and settled near their father anyone wishing to make a drive would blow his horn and the balance would go to the known stands, and they always got the deer. S.P. Colvin never failed to go on at least one big deer hunt each year; he fished in every good stream and lake in the northern part of the State; but fox hunting was his favorite sport. Up to his last illness he followed the hounds one or two nights each week. His son,W.E. Colvin, in speaking of the dogs says. "The Colvin hounds were originally from the Means pack in South Carolina. In Louisiana they crossed these dogs with hounds used to trail run away negroes. The pack lost stock during the Civil War, but Colvin managed to build them up on his return. Major J.G. Lee, of Calhoun, W.F. Ashley and S.P. Colvin formed a hunting partnership and secured some Walker hounds which they crossed with a Trigg bitch. Shortly after this Major J. G. Lee, W.F. Ashley, S.P. Colvin, N.K. Calhoun, and Scott May went to Hinson Springs, Texas on a hunt. At this time the Texas Fox Hunter's Association was organized. These Louisiana men were so impressed by the work of the Walker hounds on this hunt that they secured several more for theirpack. Fro that time the Walkers and Colvin were very close friends; Colvin going to Kentucky to run Red Fox with them around Crab Orchard, and they coming to Louisiana for the deer hunts in Texsas. Norvin T. Harris was another of the hunting group, and by crossing his dogs with Colvin's Walker dogs there was produced the best pack ever known in this section." At this time Colvin owned his famous hunting horse "Farmer". When on Farmer you had no trouble getting a shot at a deer or seeing the hounds at a crossing after a fox. His woods sense wasuncanny. No matter how far from camp he would always go to it when told to do so. Colvin often put two deer on him and sent him to camp where the negroes would unload him and he would return to his owner. Large sums of money were offered for this horse but his owner kept him until his death at twenty-one years. His hunting horse no longer follows the trails over the hills of North Louisiana, the sound of his horn no longer reverberates through the forest, his deep-voiced hounds no longer bay the fox at the cross roads, but this history of the family compiled in his memory may help preserve the Colvinideal and continue the family fellowship.Signed Rosa C. Barksdale

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