Hamilton Smith Hawkins (November 13, 1834 – March 27, 1910) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

Biography

Hamilton S. Hawkins was born in

Fort Moultrie Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...

, South Carolina on November 13, 1834. He attended the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

between 1852 and 1855, but did not graduate with the class of 1856 due to deficient academics. Despite being a South Carolinian, Hawkins served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He fought at several battles, including the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

. He remained in the army after the Civil War and participated in campaigns against the Plains Indians. He became Commandant of Cadets at

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, the only one to have attended the academy and failed to graduate. He served in this position between 1888 and 1892. Hawkins was Commandant of the United States Infantry and Cavalry School, at

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., and the oldest perman ...

between October 1894 and April 1898. On May 4, 1898, Hawkins was appointed

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the volunteer army and was in command of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, VII Corps stationed in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

when the

began. He was transferred to command the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, V Corps and sailed to

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. His brigade landed at

Daiquirí Daiquirí () is a small village, 14 miles east of Santiago de Cuba. It became a focal point of the United States invasion of Cuba in the Spanish–American War. Overview Spanish General Arsenio Linares y Pombo ordered the area from Daiquirí to ...

, was lightly engaged in the fighting at the

Battle of Las Guasimas The Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898 was a Spanish rearguard action by Major General Antero Rubín against advancing columns led by Major General "Fighting Joe" Wheeler and the first land engagement of the Spanish–American War. The ba ...

and spearheaded the assault at the

Battle of San Juan Hill The Battle of San Juan Hill, also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Spanish fo ...

. While the main U.S. attack was pinned down under Spanish artillery on

San Juan Hill San Juan Hill is a series of hills to the east of Santiago, Cuba, running north to south. The area is known as the San Juan Heights or in Spanish ''Alturas de San Juan'' before Spanish–American War of 1898, and are now part of Lomas de San Jua ...

, Hawkins permitted Lieutenant Jules Garesche Ord to begin an attack on the hill and then rushed to the front of the main body of his brigade yelling "Come on! Come on!" and led his troops up the hill where he was severely wounded in the foot near the crest. On July 8, 1898, Hawkins was appointed

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

of volunteers and returned to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He retired on October 4, 1898. Hawkins died at the Glen Springs Sanitarium in

Watkins Glen, New York Watkins Glen is a village and census-designated place in and the county seat of Schuyler County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,829. Watkins Glen lies within the towns of Dix and Reading. To the southwest o ...

on March 27, 1910. Battery Hawkins built in 1914 to protect

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...

was named for him.

Personal

Hawkins was the son of Hamilton Smith Hawkins, an Army surgeon from Maryland who was killed during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. His son Hamilton Smith Hawkins III was an 1894 West Point graduate who commanded the 1st Cavalry Division from 1934 to 1936. His grandson Hamilton Smith Hawkins IV was a member of the Military Academy Class of 1926 who received his diploma posthumously after dying in a polo match one month before graduation. His son-in-law

Robert Lee Howze Robert Lee Howze (August 22, 1864 – September 19, 1926) was a United States Army major general who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Indian Wars. Howze graduated from the United States Military Academy i ...

and two other grandsons were also West Point graduates. Hawkins and his wife Annie Gray Hawkins were buried in Section I of the

West Point Cemetery West Point Cemetery is a historic cemetery in the eastern United States, on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It overlooks the Hudson River, and served as a burial ground for Revolutionary War soldiers and early ...

. His son, daughter-in-law and grandson were buried in Section V. His daughter, son-in-law and grandson Hamilton Hawkins Howze were also buried in Section I.

References

1834 births 1910 deaths People from Sullivan's Island, South Carolina United States Military Academy alumni People of South Carolina in the American Civil War Union Army officers Commandants of the Corps of Cadets of the United States Military Academy Commandants of the United States Army Command and General Staff College American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Army generals Burials at West Point Cemetery {{US-army-bio-stub