Sons of John Hawk, Sr. Hardy County, VA

Okay, thought I'd get back to this since it's one of those things I really enjoy.  I promised a copy of this to a distant relative and while digging it out, thought I'd just share it with all.  This is what I've used as proof for the parents for my
gr-great grandfather John Hawk, Jr. (of Indiana and Illinois). As a reminder, John Jr. was born 8 March 1790 in Hardy County, Virginia and moved to Tippecanoe County, Indiana about 1838.  He later moved to Christian County, Illinois where he died 25 May 1880. 

Here are photos of the front and back of a copy of a deed record in Hardy County dated 10 Dec 1816, wherein John Hawk Sr. and wife Catherine, give 410 acres on Luneys Creek, including the flag meadow and mud lick, to all their sons, for consideration of $100.  They list their sons as Henry, Solomon, Jacob, and John Jr., and  I presume the sons are listed in order of their birth.  Each son got 100 acres except Jacob who received 110. 

 

 Although wife and mother Catherine is listed, she wasn't required to sign the deed.  Nice that things have changed. 




Below is a page from Hardy County, Virginia (now West Virginia)General Index to Deeds, with book and page numbers listing the record for this transaction as Book 7, Page 664. There are many other listings of Hawk grantees.  I'll post the Hawk Grantors page another day. 

Great Grandfather W.R.M. Timmons and the Battle of Perryville

Co. G, 31st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry, C.S.A. That is the only military information I had on Gr-Grandfather Timmons (1842-1905) and was taken from his tombstone in Bee Cemetery, Johnston County, Oklahoma.  I knew he had fought in the Civil War, and had been wounded.  Or so I was told. For years I looked for some real material giving details - where, what happened, what battles.  Finally - FINALLY! - I've finally found some records. I signed up for Fold3 which specializes in military wars.

The Battle of Perryville, Kentucky
There were quite a few pages documenting Grandfather Timmons'  involvement in the war, including the one at left which says he was wounded October 8, 1862 and left at Perryville Hospital.  With a tiny bit of research I learned the Battle of Perryville is considered one of the bloodier ones with an estimated 7,407 casualties (including dead, wounded, and missing or prisoners of war).  This battle came after the Battle of Shiloh.  Troops from both sides fought each other along the way until they reached Perryville.  Although the Confederates were considered to have won from a tactical standpoint, they retreated and the North was able to retain Kentucky for the rest of the war. 

Imagine being wounded and left behind as your regiment pulled out, leaving you in the hands of the enemy.  To give you an idea of what the situation was like, I found this quote from a Confederate surgeon at Perryville (from the Tennessee4Me website):

Dr. Charles Todd Quintard's description of a field hospital at the Battle of Perryville:
" When the wounded were brought to the rear, at three o'clock in the afternoon, I took my place as a surgeon...and throughout the rest of the day and until half past five the next morning, without food or any sort, I was incessantly occupied with the wounded. It was a horrible night I spent,--God save me from such another....
About half past five in the morning of the 9th, I dropped--I could do no more. I  went out by myself and leaning against a fence, I wept like a child.  And all that day I was so unnerved that if any one asked me about the regiment, I could make no reply without tears...The total loss of the Confederates...was 510 killed, 2,635 wounded,  and 251 captured or missing, and of this loss a great part was sustained by our regiment [the Rock City Guards from Nashville]."

Doctor Quintard, Chaplain C.S.A. and  Second Bishop of Tennessee, edited by Sam Davis Elliott, Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, 2003.

The video at this link shows the Dye House  which was used as a hospital.  Other sites were also used, but this appears to have been the first hospital set up during the battle. The video also gives you a good idea of what the area looked like, since not a lot has changed in the intervening years.

Grandfather Timmons, wounded, became a prisoner of war.  He was traded back to the Confederate Army and the document at left is a receipt for the exchange of prisoners on November 15, 1862 in Vicksburg.  He went back to fighting for the South and was promoted to Corporal later on. There are more documents like this following his career during the war. 

Here are some sites with great information about the Battle of Perryville:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Perryville

http://www.battleofperryville.com/ 

http://www.perryvillebattlefield.org/

Surname Saturday: Is this MY Hess Family?

This photo is one I got from the Historical Society Museum in Rooks County, Kansas when I visited there searching for relatives.  I don't know if it's my family, because I have only photos of my grandmother as very old and one of her sister when she was very young.  I'm hoping and wishing someone out there might know - maybe one of my Hess relatives from Cloud County, Kansas. I do think the old lady resembles my grandmother in this photo.

Here's what I do know about my grandmother's family.  Her father, Charles Hess, was born in Ottsveiler, Prussia (Germany)in 1806 and came to the United States to Grant County, Wisconsin.  There he married Margaret Martin, daughter of Augustus Martin and wife Elizabeth, on 28 Oct 1852.  All their children were born in Grant County, except their last: Sarah. Children of this union were:
1. Louise Elizabeth Hess, b. 21 Mar 1854, d. 14 May 1933, Richland County, Wisconsin. She married Absalom James Daughenbaugh 4 May 1873.
2. Anny Isabel Hess, b. 14 Sep 1855.  She married W. Riley Alderman.
3. Martha Jane Hess, my grandmother, and information is available at
4. Charles Alexander Hess, b. 7 Jan 1871, d. 9 Oct 1946 in Cloud County, Ks.  He married Arvilla Resco 31 July 1831.
5. Sarah Margaret Hess, b. 29 Oct 1873 in Iowa, d. 31 May 1898 in Cloud County, Kansas.  She married James Dexter Jenkins, 12 Dec 1892.  She is buried by her parents in Kansas.

My Hess family is shown on the 1880 census in Rooks County, Kansas so this could be my family.  Of course, there are quite a few Hess families in Kansas, so they could belong to some else.  All the Museum knew was the notation on the photo "Mr. Hess and family."

Surname Saturday - Joseph W. Hawk family

I see looking back where I listed the family of George Washington Hawk, my great grandfather, but not that of his son, my grandfather, Joseph Washington Hawk (b. 16 May 1858, Montgomery County, Indiana, d. 11 Oct 1935, Clemville, TX).  So here goes:*Married Martha Jane Hess, daughter of Charles and Margaret (Martin) Hess 21 Sept 1881 in Phillips County, Kansas
Children:
1. Hattie Florence, b. 25 Aug 1882, Kirwin, KS; d. 18 Feb 1967, Bay City, TX; m. Tony Showers, 17 Jan 1903 Rooks County, KS;
2. John Walter, b. 26 Aug 1885, Kirwin, KS, d. 1 Oct 1972, Lake Wilson, MN; m. (1) Lillian Brown 14 Apr 1909 Phillips County, KS, later divorced, (2) Josephine Margaret Shannon, 26 Nov 1920, in Sanborn County, South Dakota;
3. George Washington, b. 30 Oct 1887, Kirwin, KS, died in World War I on November 1, 1918.
4. Charles Edward, b. 25 Aug 1890, Kirwin, KS, d. 29 Nov 1962, Mitchell, South Dakota; m. Amelia Idella Sterner (Mattie) on 14 Sept 1921 in Kingsburg County, SD;
5. Alexander Quintas, b. 12 Feb 1893, Kirwin, KS, d. 13 Mar 1893, Kirwin, KS;
6. William Evans, born and died 13 May 1894, Kirwin, KS;
7. Salina Edythe, b. 17 Aug 1896, Kirwin, KS, d. June 1978 Texas; m. Marshall C. Alexander on 2 Mar 1916 in Matagorda County, Texas;
8. Joe Hesacar (my dad), b. 23 Nov 1899 Kirwin, KS; d. 21 Nov 1981, Palacios, Texas, m. Alma Josephine Bond Showers on September 2, 1936;
9. Rosie Clarcey, b. 30 Oct 1903, Kirwin, KS, d. 14 Jun 1949, San Antonio, TX.

A Letter from Mama

Just recently I came across this letter from my mother written in December, 1977.  (Wow, that was a long time ago.)  People often have one picture of a person--some thought my mother was super critical, for example--but a truer vision of that person might be seen when their thoughts are expressed in a carefully written letter. The sweet concern for me expressed in her letter paints a portrait of the mother I knew and loved.  Without letters like this, her caring and concern would be lost. Sadly, letter writing is going the way of the buggy whip. What a great loss.  Without letters like this, we can't look back at the love that was expressed.  And so often today, we don't take the time to know a person's inner thoughts.

This was written two and a half years before she died.   Her writing is pretty shaky.  This was probably written after her first stroke. Letters were important to her and me at that time because there was still no phone service to the farm.  Thankfully, that did arrive  not long after this and we were able to speak often before her death.   I hope you are able to read the letter. Just in case, I've transcribed it below.

 


Tuesday 13, 1977 (Dec. 13, 1977)

Dear Genie, Teddy & Amy,
Sure wanted to come down for TJ's (Teddy's) birthday.  We just didn't have the push to start start out. Thought of the three of you all day.
Thank you Genie for the C. Will try to see about a water heater this week. Papa and I just can't make it to Lake Jackson.  Not now anyway. Thank you Genie, so very much love.  We may not cash it. You see you had such a rough time. Don't be mad at us or think it wasn't appreciated. It is. You will never know how much. Please understand. Okay?
It's raining here this morning but not cold.
Oh! Did you get the gift for TJ's birthday?
Would he like a watch for Xmas do you think.
Must get this out there. (Getting the letter to the mailbox at the farm.)
Love from Mama and Daddy.
God's care our Love.

Benjamin & Nora Timmons Bond Marriage Certificate

This is a copy of my grandparents' marriage certificate.  They were married in Bowie  County, Texas on November 29, 1898.  I came by this document after visiting the Bowie County courthouse and learning that the old marriage certificates which had not been picked up were given to a lady from Arkadelphia, Arkansas.  The clerk gave me the address and instructions to visit a feedstore in Arkadelphia.  So Bob and I traveled on down the road, met the lady in the feedstore, and were rewarded with several marriage licenses.   This document is getting a little fragile, but then it's only over 100 years old.  You will need to enlarge it to see it clearly.  The little part below belongs on the bottom of the certificate, but for some unknown reason I bought a scanner that would only scan a page about letter size.  Oops.

Gold Star Grandmother Martha Jane Hess Hawk

This is not a group anyone wishes to join, but an admirable group has seen to it that mothers of fallen soldiers are recognized.  Gold Star Mothers Day is always the last Sunday in September.  More information is available at Gold Star Moms.
Jane Hess was born to Charles Hess and Margaret Martin in Grant County, Wisconsin in 1859.  She married Joseph Washington Hawk in Phillips County, Kansas in 1881.  Their son George Washington Hawk was born there in 1887.  In 1908 they left Kansas for south  Texas and lived in Matagorda County, Texas the rest of their lives.   Their son George was first buried in France, but was later moved to Hawley Cemetery and interred with the rest of the family, at his mother's request.  There is information on George W. Hawk, her son who was killed in France in November 1918 at this Matagorda County Sons of World War I.   

I've been searching for a photo of George W. Hawk for some time but haven't been able to find one.   Neither the Kansas nor Texas books of photographs of World War I soldiers include one, although he is listed in the Texas book.   I only have one known photo of my grandmother, included here.  If there are others out there, I'd love to see them or have copies.