John S. W. Eagles was a state legislator in North Carolina. He served in the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...

in 1869 to 1870. He represented

New Hanover County New Hanover County is one of 100 counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,702. Though the second-smallest NC county in land area, it is one of the most populous, as its county seat, Wilm ...

and was African American. He lived in Wilmington.

Biography

Eagles was born around 1843/4 in North Carolina. He served in the American Civil War as a first sergeant in the 37th

United States Colored Troops The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of African-American (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during ...

(U.S.C.T.) He was wounded at the

Battle of the Crater The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the siege of Petersburg. It took place on Saturday, July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee, and the Union Arm ...

by a bayonet. He helped establish the Republican Party in New Hanover County and served as a police sergeant, registrar and election judge. His son Dr. John Eagles graduated from the Leonard School of Pharmacy at

Shaw University Shaw University is a private Baptist historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in ...

in Raleigh and established a drugstore. Eagles served in the

after replacing representative Gen. L .G. Estes who resigned and served from 1869 until 1870. In 1870 he stood again as an independent candidate for a seat in the house but did not win. In 1884, Eagles was quoted telling fellow veterans "Why are over 50,000 colored soldiers laying beneath the sod today? Why are their bones bleaching in the dust tonight? For the privileges we are enjoying today. Civil rights, political rights, soldiers’ and sailors’ rights, and religious rights; and we propose to protect those rights, let come what will or may.” He was appointed as an enumerator for Wilmington for the

1890 United States census The United States census of 1890 was taken beginning June 2, 1890, but most of the 1890 census materials were destroyed in 1921 when a building caught fire and in the subsequent disposal of the remaining damaged records. It determined the reside ...

. Eagles died July 1901.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eagles, John S. W. 1840s births 1901 deaths Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives African-American police officers

Biography

See also

References