The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-07-08
DEATH OF CONGRESSMAN HAWK.
An Illinois Veteran Soldier Representative Passes
Suddenly Away.

Major Robert N. A. Hawk, representative in
at his residence in this city last Thursday night
of apoplexy after only few hours illness. He
returned to Washington Wednesday morning
from his district. where he went on matters
connected with his denomination, and was in
excellent spirits, as fifty-eight of the seventy
delegates to the Congressional convention of
the district had notified his friends of their
intention to vote for his nomination as his
own successor to the Forty-eighth Congress,
which was equivalent to an election. Wedncs-
day he was well and in good spirits, but the
following day he was taken i'll with a severe
attack of bilious collie The attack was pain
ful, but he was easier during the day, and his
friends felt no uneasincss as to his condition.
Early in the evening he grew worse somewhat,
but not alarmingly so. About nine p m., Sen
atOr Logan, whose rooms are just overhead,
called on Major Hawk and ssat smoking for
half an hour, and then returned to his room,
remarking that Hawk would be all right in
the morning. A short time later, about 9:45
p M, lady went to Major Hawks room with
a cup of tea, when he extended his hand and
Immediately afterward was taken with fit
of vomiting, and his servant was sent to sum-
mon friends in the house. When these hurried
to the sick legislators bedside, lady present
said that Major Hawk was in dying cOndi
ton. Physicians were hurricdly sent for, but
a few moments after they arrived the dying
man had another severe fit of vomiting, and
in a moment later he fell back on the pillow
and expired withOuta word. Major Hawk was
a man of large stature, of full habit, and had
recently expressed to friend his apprehension
that he was subject to apOplectic attacks. He
leaves family residing at his home at Mount
Carroll, ILL.,, who were informed by telegraph
of the uneXpectedly-sad tdings Immediately
after the death the Illinois delegation in
Congress was summoned.
Major Hawk was born in Hancock county,
in central Indiana, April %, 1889. He removed
to Carroll county, Illinois, where he was edu
Gated in the common schools and at Eureka Col
lege. During the rebellion he entered the Union
Army as lieutenant of infantry, and was
promoted to captain in February 1868, and
was breveted major April 10, 1865, for
gallantry in the field, where he lost his right
leg in action. After the veterans of the Union
were disbanded in 1860 the young major was
elected clerk of the court of Carroll county,
an Office to which he was elected four times,
serving until 1879, when he vacated the posi-
tiOn to enter Congress, to which he was elected
in 1873 as Republican, and he was reelected
to the Forty-seventh Congress in 1880 by a
majority of more than five thousand over his
Democratic and Greenback antagonists.
Only few hours before his sudden taking
off he received by telegraph the news of his
unanimous denomination for the Forty eighth
Congress, which, as already indicated, was
equivalent to a reelection.
'-8dfspatch from Mount Carroll, ILL.,, dated July
3, says: The remains of Congressman Hawk
were buried this afternoon. The procession to
the cemetery was headed by the Senate and
House committees, and included members of
Major Hawks regiment and the Masonic
lodges of Mount Carroll and the adjoining
towns.