Rush Hawkins Rush Christopher Hawkins ( September 14 , 1831 – October 25 , 1920 ) was a lawyer , Union general in the American Civil War , politician , book collector , and art patron . Early life . Hawkins was born in Pomfret , Vermont to Lorenzo Dow Hawkins and Maria Louisa ( Hutchinson ) Hawkins . At age 15 , Hawkins enlisted in the 2nd United States dragoons for service in the Mexican - American War . After the war , he settled in New York City where he studied law . Hawkins married Annmary Brown in 1860 ; she died in January 1903 of pneumonia . Civil War . In 1861 , Hawkins helped raise the 9th New York Infantry , a Zouave - styled regiment , popularly known as " Hawkins Zouaves " for service in the Civil War . Hawkins was appointed colonel of the regiment on May 4 , 1861 and served with distinction in North Carolina early in the war . He was part of Benjamin F . Butler ' s expedition to capture Fort Hatteras in 1861 . Expecting to win a promotion to brigadier general for his service at Fort Hatteras he was instead relieved of command for insubordination . On October 8 , 1861 a disgruntled Hawkins wrote " brigadier generals are made of such queer stuff nowadays , that I should not esteem it any great honor to be made one . " Hawkins would in fact receive a brevet promotion to brigadier general in 1865 . Despite his belligerence an early dispatch of Hawkins ' caught the attention of President Abraham Lincoln . Hawkins was invited to the White House to confer with the President and General - in - Chief George B . McClellan . There he was instrumental in convincing the Union high command of the possibility of a combined operation against Pamlico Sound in North Carolina . The idea became the objective Ambrose Burnside ' s North Carolina Expedition . Hawkins was again conspicuous at the battles of Roanoke Island and New Bern in 1862 . Upon the arrival of significant reinforcements to North Carolina in April 1862 , he assumed command of a brigade . Hawkins ' brigade was attached to Jesse L . Reno ' s division and fought at the battle of South Mills where he was wounded in the left arm . After recovering Hawkins returned to Virginia with his regiment and briefly commanded the 1st Brigade , 3rd Division in the newly formed IX Corps . He was not present with the brigade during the Maryland Campaign but resumed command during the battle of Fredericksburg . After Fredericksburg , the 3rd Division , commanded by George W . Getty , was transferred to the VII Corps in southeast Virginia . Hawkins led his brigade ( now the 1st Brigade , 2nd Division , VII Corps ) during the siege of Suffolk . Just two days before the siege was lifted , Hawkins turned over command of his brigade and on May 20 , 1863 was mustered out of the volunteer service with his old regiment . He did not return to active duty but was appointed brevet brigadier general of U . S . Volunteers on March 13 , 1865 . He remained active in the New York Militia receiving a brevet promotion to brigadier general of New York Militia in 1865 . Later life . Hawkins was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly ( New York Co . , 11th D . ) in 1872 . He became a noted — and certainly obsessive — rare book collector , having started shortly before the Civil War . He amassed a collection of 225 incunabula ; his goal was to have the first and second books from every European printer before 1501 . Remarkably , he was able to acquire 130 of the 238 known fifteenth century European printers . In 1990 , the book collection was moved from the Annmary Brown Memorial at Brown University and transferred to the John Hay Library . Hawkins and his wife were also avid art collectors and created an excellent collection of 19th century American art . Hawkins was appointed Assistant to the Commissioner General for the United States Commission to the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris , France . Hawkins was " Commissaire Expert des Beaux Arts " and was responsible for selecting and organizing American art works for the exhibition . Hawkins feuded with James McNeill Whistler , who removed all of his work in protest and later wrote " The Gentle Art of Making Enemies " ( 1890 ) , which in - part details his experiences with Hawkins . While attempting to cross the street in front of his home at 42 5th Avenue in New York City , Hawkins was struck by an automobile and died from his injuries . He is buried with his wife in a crypt at the Annmary Brown Memorial on the Brown University campus in Providence , Rhode Island .