The Hawkins Cousins

The Hawkins Cousins. Two West Tennessee Unionists. Although many West Tennessee residents favored secession, Unionism was strong in many areas, particularly in the counties near the Tennessee River. Two of the most notable Unionists lived on the south and north sides of Huntingdon., Isaac R. Hawkins (1818–1880) was a son of Samuel Hawkins, who immigrated to West Tennessee in the 1820s with his brother John Hawkins. A lawyer, Isaac Hawkins volunteered for the infantry during the Mexican War. In 1861, he served as a delegate to the peace conference in Washington, D.C. As colonel of the 7th Tennessee Cavalry (US), he fought in Tennessee at Lexington, Trenton, and Union City. Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's forces captured Hawkins twice; he spent almost a year in prison camps. After the war, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives three times as a Republican., Alvin Hawkins (1821–1905), a son of John Hawkins, also practiced law and won election to the Tennessee legislature in 1853. He supported John Bell's presidential campaign in 1860. After the Union occupation of West Tennessee, Hawkins assisted officials rebuilding local governments on behalf of Military Governor Andrew Johnson. He later served on the state supreme court, was elected governor as a Republican in 1880, and earned a reputation as a judicial and educational reformer., The war divided the Hawkins family, as it did many others. Isaac Hawkins's brother, Lucian Hawkins, stayed with the Union. Of Alvin Hawkins's ten brothers, four became Confederates while Ashton W. Hawkins served as a captain under Isaac Hawkins in the 7th Tennessee Cavalry., Captions: , (Bottom left) Carroll County Courthouse (built 1845, burnt 1931), photo ca. 1860s. , (Top, left) Alvin Hawkins Courtesy Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area , (Top, right) Gen. Nathan B. Forrest Courtesy Library of Congress