Capt Elijah Frederick Hawkins, Civil War veteran

Capt Elijah Hawkins BIRTH 11 Nov 1827 Kentucky, USA DEATH 26 Sep 1908 (aged 80) Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA BURIAL Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18365920/elijah-hawkins

Elijah's nephew Zed Thomas Hawkins compiled and published a history of his part of the Hawkins family entitled, "150 Years of the Hawkins Family," which he published in 1933. That history reports the following about Elijah:

Elijah served in the Union army during the Civil War. He enlisted on 13 August 1862 and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant in Co. F, 16th Indiana Infantry. He mustered out on 30 June 1865. He was promoted to Captain on 14 April 1865 (not mustered).

Elijah received a pension for his service in the Civil War, Application #264238 and Certificate #216859. His pension file reports the following in support of his claim for a pension. On 30 August 1862, less than three weeks after enlisting, Elijah was commanding his company in action against the enemy at Richmond, Kentucky, when, according to his pension file, he was: ... wounded while crossing a rail fence by a cannon ball shot from the forces of the enemy he was fighting, said ball striking the said fence within five feet of him, and so knocking rails against his knees as to fracture both of his knees, his left knee so severely, that he was totally disabled from all duties as a soldier from all manual labor for three (3) months thereafter, and from the effects of which injuries he has been disabled one-half ever since.

He was treated at the Regimental Hospital for about two months, whereupon he was furloughed home for 30 days. He then reported to Camp Morton at Indianapolis where he was again furloughed for about ten more days. Once again he reported to Camp Morton and was given light duty in camp until about the middle of December 1862 when he rejoined his company. He remained with his unit until his final discharge, as a Captain according to the pension file, at New Orleans, Louisiana, on 30 June 1865. However, while serving in the remaining part of the war, he was only able to carry out light duty such as service in the "teamsters department."

The records contained in Elijah's Civil War pension file corroborate the history, cited above, which was written by his nephew Zed Thomas Hawkins. The file reports his residence in Peru, Miami Co., Indiana, his residence in Dallas, Texas, his residence in Portland, Oregan, and his death there in 1908. The notable omission in the pension file is the failure to report Elijah's marriage in Indiana, which he neglected to report, undoubtedly because he had not divorced his first wife.

The pension file reports three marriages in addition the marriage to his first wife, Rebecca (Brandom) Hawkins. His second marriage was to Sarah E. Duncan. This marriage was probably in in Kentucky, where Elijah's pension file reported he lived for a year after leaving Peru, Indiana. Sarah E. Duncan died on 7 April 1892 in Lafayette, Yamhill Co., Oregon.

After Sarah's death, Elijah married Maria J. Burch, daughter of Reuben Birch [sic] and Julia. Maria J. (Burch) Hawkins died on 6 October 1902. Her surname appears as both Birch and Burch in the Elijah's pension file. However, at the time of Elijah and Maria's marriage, she appears to have had the surname Ellis and children by that surname.

After Maria's death, Elijah remarried to Sarah J. (maiden name unknown). She married with the surname Goodwin because she had been married to a man named Elijah Goodwin in 1866 in Sonora, Atchinson Co., Missouri. Elijah Goodwin had been a soldier in the Civil War, serving in Co. G, 2nd Kansas Cavalry. After Mr. Goodwin's death in 1899 in Montavilla, Oregon, Sarah J. and Elijah Hawkins were married on 19 December 1906 in Multnomah Co., Oregon. After Elijah Hawkins' death, Sarah J. remarried to Isaac L. Taylor on 4 January 1910 in Multnoman Co., Oregon. Reaching adult life he was married to Rebecca Hawkins, the widow of Elisha Hawkins, his brother... When the civil war broke out Elijah enlisted and was made a captain in the army, where he served until the end of the war. After a somewhat stormy married life Elijah deserted Rebecca Hawkins and emigrated to Texas where he was again married and raised a family of children. He later moved to Portland, Oregon, where he died September 30 [sic], 1908, at the age of 80 years.