The Washington times., 1917-06-05

FF"ANE- -hiAAs ~ AlAAaA. - sun ~
tive enough to do his bit" by cult
waiting a home garden.
Colonel Hopkins. as he is generally
known. though he was only a private
| throughout the four years that he
served the South. enlisted in the York
County Rangers April %. 1861. when
just eleven years and five months old.
Despite his narrowing experiences, he
was still full Of fight when he came out
Of the contact with Lee at Appomatox
in IS
Left. for Dead on Field.
At Cold Harbor a Yankee she'll blew
of the side OF his face. and he was left
on the battlefield for dead He was in
TERED in shallow grave with one of
his hands protruding above the soil. as
luck would have it, A Confederate sur
geon passing over the field several hours
later noticed the exposed hand twitch-
ing, indicating that the body still had
some life in it, The body was dug up
and the supposed dead soldier was
rushed 10 a Richmond hospital. where
he recovered consciousness. and in
course Of time was again ready for the
fray.
In charge at Malvern Hill he fell
with a saber thrust in the abdomen
Sull game as he toppled over. he cried
out TO his advancing comrades: Go
ahead, boys. give EN- hell. I'm coming"
Baby of Hts Regiment.
big fat overgrown boy, Hopkins
was known as the baby OF his regi:
ment, the Thirty-second Virginia In
fantry, commanded by Col. Edgar
Montague, an uncle OF Congressman
Andrew jackson Montague, who is
a former governor of Virginia
Among his highly priced relics is a
Colts six-shooter which he took from
a young Lieutenant OF a Pennsylvania
command in a skiTmish near Din
widdie Courthouse. when Grant had
nearly completed his development of
Lees forces around Petersburg. The
Pennsylvania had just slain Adjutant
Petit, OF the Thirty-second Virginia.
when Hopkins rushed up and dis
patched him to the other country
with a bullet from his rifle. The
other five chambers OF the Iieuten-
ants revolver remained loaded until
thirty-seven years later when Hop
kins fired the bullets into a plank to
NAA1 fO"NtA O. sun
good.
Colonel Hopkins is the proud pos
SCISSOR OF an Iron Cross which a Rich
mOnd newspaper awarded him some
years ago in a contest in which IL
was decided that he was the young
est Confederate soldier. The emblem
was made from metal from the Con
federate ironclad. the Merrimac
He also has a cleverly designed
Ratchet which the Daughters OF the
Confederscy OF Richmond gave him
for having the best record of any
Virginia soldier. Senator Swanson
once told Hopkins that he would
give 100000 TO be the possessor OF
his war record.
For thirteen years after the war,
Hopkins worked for the Brooklyn
and Coney Island railroad. being
roadmaster part OF the time. He es-
Inmates that he had fully 1000 fights
during that period. resenting what
he regarded as insults to the South
and the Confederacy.
Wears Token Of Peace.
Another badge which he wears Is a
little bronze medal which John Wanna
maker of Philadelphia pinned on his
breast. acting for the PHILADELPHIA
b. igade which presented the emblem
to each member 4 PickettS division
at the reunion at Gettysburg in 1913,
as a token OF peace.
Colonel Hopkins is custodian OF the
Virginia state Library.
CuItIVntes Garden.
At siXty-five. Colonel Hopkins is
still active and vigorous both in body
and mind
He was accompanied on his trip by
his wife. He is a past commander
Of George f. Pickett Camp OF Rich
mond and is never happier than when
rehearsing his war experiences. Last
week he spTained his back grubbing
in his garden and IT was feared for
several days that ne would be unable
to attend the reunion.