Biography of Willard Uriah Hawks

Willard Uriah Hawks
Company C
1842-1864

Willard Uriah Hawks was born in 1842 in Irvine, Warren County, Pennsylvania to Uriah and Sarah Thompson Hawks. Uriah came to Warren County between 1820 and 1830 and was engaged in the manufacturing of furniture. The family moved to Austinburg, Ashtabula County, Ohio sometime between 1850 and 1860.

Willard married Alvira Ranney and, shortly thereafter, enlisted into the Civil War on February 29, 1864 in Austinburg, Ohio. His enlistment papers stated that he was 5 feet 7 inches tall with blue eyes, dark hair, and a fair complexion. He was 23 years old at the time of his enlistment and was a cabinetmaker. From Austinburg, he went to Cleveland, Ohio where he was sworn in on March 1, 1864. From Cleveland, he went to Columbus where, on April 5, 1864, he was listed on the muster roll of Company C of the 60th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

On April 21, 1864, he left Ohio and headed for Virginia. The regiment was attached to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. Willard was with the regiment in the following actions:

Battles of the Wilderness May 5-7, 1864

Spottsylvania May 8-12, 1864

Ny River May 10, 1864

Spottsylvania Court House May 12-21, 1864

Assault on Salient May 12, 1864

North Anna River May 23-26, 1864

Ox Ford May 23-24, 1864

On Line of the Pamunkey May 26-31, 1864

Totopotomoy May 28-31, 1864

Cold Harbor June 1-12, 1864

Bethseda Church June 1-3, 1864

Before Petersburg June 16-18, 1864

Siege of Petersburg June 16, 1864

Killed in Action June 25, 1864

On June 25, 1864, Willard was killed in action. His muster roll records stated that he was shot by a sharpshooter. Family tradition is that he was filling canteens with water when he was shot. He was buried originally at Meade Station, a Ninth Army Corps supply station on the Union R/R system. Later, he was moved to Poplar Grove National Cemetery, grave number 1740.

A special thanks to Dean Willoughby for contributing this information. Willard Uriah Hawks was his great great grandfather's brother.