Alexander T. Hawthorn

{{Infobox military person

| name = Alexander T. Hawthorn

| image = Alexander T. Hawthorn.jpg

| caption = Hawthorn, before 1861

| birth_name = Alexander Travis Hawthorn

| birth_date = {{birth date|1825|01|10}}

| birth_place = Conecuh County, Alabama, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1899|05|31|1825|01|10}}

| death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| placeofburial = Greenwood Cemetery,
Marshall, Texas, U.S.

| placeofburial_coordinates = {{coord|32|33|14.5|N|94|22|34.7|W|region:US-TX_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| allegiance = {{unbulleted list|United States|Confederate States}}

| branch = {{unbulleted list|United States Volunteers|Confederate States Army}}

| branch_label = Branch

| serviceyears = {{unbulleted list|1847–1848 (U.S.)|1861–1865 (C.S.)}}

| rank = {{unbulleted list|First Lieutenant (U.S.)|Brigadier General (C.S.)}}

| commands = {{unbulleted list|6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment {{nowrap|(1861–62)}}|39th Arkansas Infantry Regiment {{nowrap|(1862–64)}}|4th Arkansas Infantry Brigade {{nowrap|(1864–65)}}}}

| battles = {{tree list}}

| battles_label = Battles

| spouse = {{marriage|Anna Medley|December 1850}}

| children = 3

}}

Alexander Travis Hawthorn (January 10, 1825{{spaced ndash}}May 31, 1899) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. After the war, in company with a party of friends, he traveled extensively in Brazil as the guest of the imperial government, the policy of the government being to encourage immigration from the Southern States. In 1880, he was ordained a minister of the Baptist Church.

Early life and education

Hawthorn was born on January 10, 1825, in Conecuh County, Alabama, and educated at Evergreen Academy and Mercer University.{{cite magazine |editor-last=Cunningham |editor-first=S. A. |editor-link=Sumner Archibald Cunningham |date=September 1899 |title=Gen. A. T. Hawthorn |url=https://archive.org/details/confederateveter07conf/page/418/mode/2up |magazine=Confederate Veteran |volume=VII |number=9 |location=Nashville, Tenn. |publisher=S. A. Cunningham |pages=418–419 |oclc=1564663 |via=Internet Archive}} He then studied law at Yale University, from 1846 to 1847,{{cite book |author= |title=Catalogue of the Officers and Students in Yale College, 1846–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/catalogueofoffic00yale_8 |location=New Haven |publisher=Yale College |page=[https://archive.org/details/catalogueofoffic00yale_8/page/10 10] |date=1846 |via=Internet Archive}} relocating to Camden, Arkansas, where he commenced the practice of law.{{citation |last=Warner |first=Ezra J. |authorlink=Ezra J. Warner (historian) |year=1997 |title=Generals in Gray: Lives of Confederate Commanders |publisher=Louisiana State University Press |location=Baton Rouge, La. |isbn=0-8071-0823-5 |pages=129–130}}

American Civil War

When the 6th Arkansas Infantry Regiment was organized in 1861, Hawthorn was elected lieutenant colonel and then, the following spring, was appointed its colonel. He was wounded at Shiloh and, in 1863, took a gallant part in the assault on Hindman Hill during the attack on Helena.{{citation |last=Thomas |first=David Y. |year=1926 |title=Arkansas in War and Reconstruction, 1861-1874 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015002678582;view=1up;seq=11 |location=Little Rock |publisher=Arkansas Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy |lccn=27003960 |oclc=2306662 |via=Central Printing Company |page=191}} During the Spring 1864 Red River Campaign and Battle of Jenkins' Ferry,{{cite book |editor-last=Evans |editor-first=Clement A. |editor-link=Clement A. Evans |date=1899 |title=Confederate Military History. Vol. X |url=https://archive.org/details/confederatemilit10evanuoft |location=Atlanta, Ga. |publisher=Confederate Pub. Co. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/confederatemilit10evanuoft/page/402 402]–403 |lccn=02017198 |via=Internet Archive}} he commanded the 4th Arkansas Infantry Brigade of the 1st Arkansas Infantry Division.{{cite news |author= |title=Louisiana and Arkansas—Banks and Steele |newspaper=The Daily Conservative |volume=1 |issue=31 |page=1 |location=Raleigh, N. C. |date=May 28, 1864}} Meanwhile, Hawthorn had been promoted brigadier general to date from February 18, 1863. He remained with the division until May 1865.

Later life

Hawthorn traveled to Brazil in 1867, but returned in 1874 and engaged in business in New Orleans. Six years later he entered the Baptist ministry and was ordained, after which he lived in Texas until his death on May 31, 1899, at Dallas. He is buried in Greenwood Cemetery at Marshall, Texas.