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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Ashley County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Hon. Marcus L. Hawkins, attorney at law of Hamburg, Ark., is an Alabamian by birth, and like the majority of the residents of that State, he is honorable and upright in every worthy particular, and is above the average in intelligence. He was born March 29, 1834, to John C. and Millie (Hosea) Hawkins, the former a native of the “Old North State” and the latter of Alabama. The founders of the Hawkins family were Welsh, and prior to the Revolutionary War settled in Virginia and North Carolina, Benjamin Hawkins, an ancestor, being a member of Gen. Washington’s staff and a great uncle of John C. Hawkins. Warren County, North Carolina was originally settled almost entirely by the Hawkinses, and from this State Thomas H. Hawkins, the paternal grandfather, enlisted as a soldier in that war and served in the Southern division. The subject of this sketch resided in Alabama on his father’s farm, receiving a common-school education, until he attained his seventeenth year, at which time he joined Lopez and started for Cuba, the same vessel that carried Lopez, called the “Pampereau,” returning to the United States for recruits, Mr. Hawkins being one that embarked on the second voyage. They were driven back to Cat Island in Lake Ponchertrain, and the enterprise proved abortive. In 1852 Mr. Hawkins removed to Mississippi and began book-keeping in a dry goods establishment at Camden, where he remained for some time, then went to Canton and read law under Hugh Lawson, being admitted to the bar in 1855. He came almost immediately to Hamburg. Ark., and has since been engaged in agriculture and practicing his profession. In 1802 he joined Wilson’s company of infantry. Jones’ battalion, being first a member of Rusk’s brigade, and was in the engagements at Fort Pillow, Farmington and Corinth. In 1864 he came west of the Mississippi River, and raised a mounted company in Ashley County and Northern Louisiana, known as company I. Second Arkansas Cavalry, which became a part of Fagan’s division and was with Price on his raid into Missouri. At the engagement at Pilot Knob his command took part in the assault on the Federal works, and he was afterward at Independence, Westport and was near Fort Scott when he was captured. He was first sent to St. Louis, thence to Johnson’s Island, where he was kept for about eight months, then liberated, and made his way home. In addition to practicing his profession he also farmed and has been successful in both, for besides having a large clientage, he is the owner of 5,000 acres of land with 150 or 200 acres under cultivation. He represented Ashley County in the Constitutional Conventions of 1861 and of 1874, and was a member of the Judiciary Committee in the latter. He was prosecuting attorney of the Tenth Judicial District, from 1886 to 1888. He is a Mason, a member of the I. O. O. F., the K. of H. and the K. of P. His marriage, which occurred in 1858, was to Miss Harriet E. Hadley, a daughter of James and Hannah Hadley, of Ashley County, by whom he has three sons and three daughters: Mary (wife of John W. Morris), Marguerite P. (wife of R. M. Moore), Kate (wife of Robert Ward), Martin C , Marcus L., Jr., and Ben.

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This family biography is one of 97 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Ashley County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Ashley County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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