grave import

Obituary

Hawley, Major William C. - 1837-1909
Major William C. Hawley, a distinguished veteran of the civil war and probably the oldest railroad man of Burlington, passed away Sunday morning at 7:45 o'clock at the Burlington hospital. Death was due to creeping paralysis, deceased being an invalid for the past four years when he was first stricken by apoplexy. Mr. Hawley served in the civil war in the rank of major and was a warm friend and intimate companion of General J.M. Corse, General J.M. Dodge, Col. J.M. Mercer, Lieut. H.M. Sprague and others. Since coming to Burlington thirty-one years ago he engaged in railroading and although he had as distinguished a record as any man who fought in the rebellion, he was very modest and never discussed war times, except with his former companions in arms, Every year some of his friends who enlisted in the old Ninth Ohio, would visit him and only on these occasions would he review the memories of the sixties. That he held the rank of Major was known to but few Burlingtonians, owing to his modesty and retiring nature. He never bragged. William Hawley was born in Pine Plains, Duchess county, New York, September 22, 1837. He went to Ohio as a young man and when the war broke out in 1861 he was one of the first to enlist, becoming a private in the Ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, mustered in at Belleview, Ill. He was soon promoted to the rank of second lieutenant and served with that organization until transferred in February, 1864 to the 110th U.S. Infantry. In the meantime by fearlessness and ability to handle men under fire he was being advanced in rank and in 1863 he was commissioned as major. The first battle this young man engaged in Ft. Donelson, where he was wounded. He recovered but at Corinth he was again wounded and was in the hospital at Pittsburg Landing. He considered the worst battle he was in that of Shiloh, but he fortunately escaped without being wounded. Another important engagement was that at Bentonville, N.C. William Hawley was taken prisoner at Athens, Ga., by Gen. Forrest, the confederate commander. He remained in prison for sixty days until paroled in November, 1864, when he went north as a paroled prisoner. He returned to his regiment after being exchanged. Mr. Hawley kept a diary during his service for the union. One entry reads as follows: "While on the march with Sherman's army from South Carolina I was appointed aide-de-camp and provost marshal in the rank as major on the staff of General J.M. Corse, in which I served until the Army of the Tennessee was mustered out at Louisville, Ky., inn 1865, then being transferred. During the summer of 1865 I was in charge of four sub-districts of Tennessee with headquarters at Gallitan, Tenn." Major Hawley after being discharged from the army at the close of the war, turned to railroading. He was appointed in charge of the construction work on the Louisville and Nashville, southeast from St. Louis. Completing that work he came to Burlington, Iowa, taking service with the old B.C.R.& N. as section foreman. He first entered the employ of that road thirty-one years ago and until four years ago was actively engaged in construction work. A stroke of paralysis compelled him to lay aside his duties. The Rock Island route, which took over the BCR&N honored this veteran by allowing him to retire on a pension. Mr. Hawley was married to Carmie, Ill., May 28, 1874, to Miss Lucinda L. Williams. To the union were born five children, four of whom, with the mother survive: Rolley and Charles J. of Burlington, Albert C. of San Francisco and Harold E. of Chicago. Mr. Hawley was widely known in railroad circles and was always popular in the service. The same ability which caused him to rise in rank in the army, also told in railroad work and he handled his position as few other men could have done. The funeral will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock form the residence 1210 North Ninth street. The services will be conducted by Mathias Post, G.A.R. of which deceased was a member.