Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-04-16
Maj. Wells J. Hawks, G. S. A.

MAJ. " ciiS ,. il1Wks, ~. >. a.
An Appreciation by his son, A. w. Hawks.
lFRoM THE CONFEDERATE VETERAN
A good many years ago up in the bleak
hills of Massachusetts, a young boy whose
father had been killed at a barnrasing
was Harmed OUT to an old farmer. The
| farmer was coed, kind hearted farmer,
but his wife was termageant, mean and
cruel. Besides the boy. there were two
orphan girls, Trypheny and Tryphory.
| One day the boy saw the farmers wife
take one of the little girls hands to use
| as protector in taking the hot frying
pan off of the stove. That night he ran
off with both of the girls, left them with
| a relative, and worked his way to New
Haven. Conn, where he learned the
trade of a wheelwright, saved a bit of
money. and went to Winchester, Va.
where he entered the carriage business
with Hugh l.. Gallaher. The firm pros
| pered, and shortly after my father went
to Charles Town, Va, bought an old
church. and turned it into carriage fac
| tory. He was married three times, his
first two wives being daughters of DR..
| Smith, of Massachusetts,. His last wife
was Miss Sarah Worth;ngton, my good
stepmother. who is buried by my father
in Charles Town.
My father prospered in his business;
became an ardent Democrat and an in
tensely devoted Southerner. He served
the State for three terms of the legisla-
ture, and was an officer in the militia.
was with him at Harpers Ferry, when l
first saw Gen. Robt. E. Lee. During
the trial of John Brown and his men
General August and his staff were my
fathers guests. Governor Wise often
visited in our home, and / remember
hearing John Wilkes Booth read Shake
speare in our parlor.
| When the War Between the States
broke out, my father went to Harpers
Ferry with the and Virginia Regiment,
and received his fist commission as cap
| tain aud commissary of that regiment
| Afterwards he received his commission
as major, and served on Gen. Stonewall
Jaekson's staff until the General passed
lover the river" to rest under the shade
of the trees" And among the last words
of Stonewall Jackson were these: Tell
Major Hawks - am very proud of that
After the passing of General Jackson,
my father served on the stats of Ewell
Early, and in Pennsylvania on the staff
of General Lee. He had charge of the
money presented to US by the people of
Pennsylvania, and l never will forget
how we hustled that money from Gettys-
burg to Winchester. He paid great
deal of it out in the Valley for flour, meat
cattle, ETC., and they came in very well
shortly afterwards.
In my father S departments served Capt.
]. ]. Lock. James Campbell, William
Gallaher, and ]. Fred Blessing, all OF
CharlesTown. and James North, OF Bunker
Hill.
was mere boy, but my father took
me along with him, and acted as a sort
of courier. My recollections of that
eventful. period are all pleasant, save
about thirty days spent in prison al
Harper's Ferry. Father came out of the
war as SO many other good folks did
broken down in health and spirits-bu
went hard to work to build up his shattered
fortunes.
Ona green hill in Charles Town, in the
Valley of Virginia, near the Shenandoah
and the Old Blue, Ridge, a marble slat
tells of his record IN the Confederate
army.
l am proud to be the son of Maj
Wells !. Hawks, of Stonewall Jackson
staff