Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3069was but fifteen years of age at the inception of the Civil war, and not longwas his youthful loyalty or his military ardor to be restrained, for as a ladof sixteen he ran away from home to tender his services as a soldier in theConfederate ranks, his extreme youth having caused his parents to object tohis enlistment, a fact that led to his taking "French leave," as above noted.He proved a gallant and faithful young soldier in one of the fine volunteerregiments of Georgia, took part in numerous engagements marking the progressof the great fratricidal conflict and was promoted to the rank of first lieutenantof his company. In later years he maintained lively interest in his old comrades in arms and signified the same by his affiliation with the UnitedConfederate Veterans.At the time of his death Justin B. Heath was one of the representativeagriculturists and leading citizens of his native county, where his broadmental ken and impregnable integrity made his influence at all times helpfuland benignant in all of the relations of life where he commanded unequivocalconfidence and esteem, his circle of friends having been virtually coincidentwith that of his acquaintances. His well improved landed estate in BurkeCounty comprised 4,000 acres, and he was one of the most progressive agriculturists of the county, besides which he was a recognized leader in connection with general community affairs and was called upon to represent hiscounty as a member of the State Legislature, as well as a member of theGeorgia Constitutional Convention of 1877. It is needless to say that thedemocratic party found in him a stalwart supporter, and he was a zealousmember of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as is also his widow, whoseancestors came to Georgia in an early day, from South Carolina. Both theHeath and Rouse families are of English lineage and both were founded inAmerica in the early colonial period of our national history. Of the tenchildren of Justin B. and Mary (Rouse) Heath only three are now living,tHe subject of this review having been the tenth in order of birth. Nettie isthe wife of Robert H. Welch, and they reside at Columbia, Richland County,South Carolina; and Justin Benjamin is one of the substantial agriculturistsand representative citizens of Burke County, where he resides in the oldfamily homestead at Girard. One other son, Joseph J., likewise attained toyears of maturity and he was a prosperous planter and merchant at Girardat the time of his death, when thirty-three years of age.Evans V. Heath acquired his early education in the public schools of hisnative county and then entered Emory College at Oxford, this state, in whichinstitution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1909 and fromwhich he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In preparation for hischosen profession he completed the prescribed curriculum of the law department of the University of Georgia, in which he was graduated in 1911, withthe well earned degree of Bachelor of Laws and with concomitant admissionto the Georgia bar.After his graduation in the law school Mr. Heath established his residenceat Waynesboro, the judicial center of his native county, where he opened anoffice and entered confidently and ambitiously upon his professional novitiate,and shortly afterward he was elected justice of the peace. The young barrister not only proved his ability as a skillful and resourceful advocate andwell equijjped counselor, but also was accorded significant testimonial of popular confidence and esteem, in that the year 1912 recorded his election as representative of his county in the lower house of the Georgia Legislature. Likehis honored father, he gave excellent account of himself as a careful, conscientious and loyal legislator, and became one of the leading younger membersof the House of Representatives in the first general assembly in which heserved, with the result that he was honored with re-election in the autumnof 1914 and has been able to continue his effective work in behalf of his constituent district and in support of wise legislation for the state at large. InVol. VI 19