My Genealogy Hound

F. M. Hawkins, farmer, Vineyard, Ark. In the year 1836, in Tennessee, there was born to the union of Jehu and Sarah (Owens) Hawkins, a son, F. M. Hawkins, who was the youngest of three children, only one, our subject, now living. The parents were natives of North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively, and the father came to Arkansas in 1847, locating ten miles east of Jacksonport in Jackson County. After remaining there for four or five years he moved to Missouri and settled near Prairie City, where his death occurred sometime during the war. Mrs. Hawkins died in 1837. After the death of Mrs. Hawkins, the father married Miss Armstrong who bore him three children: Henry, Winfield and Mary. Mrs. Hawkins died in 1849 and Mr. Hawkins’ third marriage was to a sister of his second wife. F. M. Hawkins was principally reared in Jackson County and received the major part of his education at home. He commenced for himself at the age of eighteen years by tilling the soil and this has been the principal pursuit through life. In 1861 he joined the army as a private and was promoted first to fifth sergeant, then to lieutenant and later to captain of the Nineteenth Arkansas Regiment and served in the Trans-Mississippi Department, Tappan’s brigade and Churchill’s division for nearly four years. He was in the battles of Mansfield (La.), Pleasant Hill (La.) and Jenkins’ Ferry. He was captured at Arkansas Post and was sent to Camp Douglas, Chicago, where he remained until March, 1863. He then succeeded in making his escape. He returned to his company at Little Rock, and his command surrendered at Shreveport (La.) at the close of the war. Mr. Hawkins then went to Kentucky, remained there eight years and was engaged in cultivating the soil. In 1872 he came to this county and bought 117 acres of land the following year and on that he now resides. To the original tract he has added enough to make 353 acres, and now has 100 acres of deadwood, preparatory to clearing. He produces on his farm about forty bales of cotton, but devotes a great deal of his time to the raising of stock. He has some graded cattle and hogs and is also raising some horses. He was married in 1874 to Mrs. Bettie Brady (nee Payne) of Shelby County, Ky., and the daughter of John Payne and wife (nee Nugen) of the same State. Mr. Hawkins is a member of the Old School Presbyterian Church, and Mrs. Hawkins is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.