b. 23 April 1839, d. 29 June 1882
Birth | 23 Apr 1839 | Robert Moffett Allison Hawk was born on 23 Apr 1839 on a farm 2 miles east of Greenfield in Hancock County, Indiana.1 |
Name Other | | Robert was often referred to by his initials: R.M.A. |
Moth-Death | 30 Oct 1843 | When Robert was 4 years old his mother died following the birth of a younger brother. Robert's father left him in the care of William Moffett (Robert's uncle) who lived in neighboring Rush County.3 |
| | In Oct. 1845 Robert's father married Margaret Davis in Carroll County, Illinois. The following summer Robert joined them.3 |
| | There he became the eldest in a large family, which eventually numbered 14 children. Robert attended Carroll County public schools and also studied under a cousin who prepared him for college. He attended Eurka College for 4 months in late 1861 before enlisting in the Union Army while visiting at home in Carroll County.4,5,6 |
Military | | Robert joined Company C of the 92nd Illinois Mounted Infantry at Lanark, Illinois on July 26, 1862. He was 23 years old. The company elected Robert as their first lieutenant. In January 1863 William Stouffer, the companies captain, died of typhoid fever and Robert assumed his command.
The company participated in various campaigns and eventually found themselves in the vicinity of Atlanta, Georgia where they were assigned to participate in Sherman's march to the sea. After reaching Savanna the troups turned north into the Carolinas. On the morning of the April 12, 1865 Robert and his company approached Swift Creek, near Raleigh, North Carolina. The remaining Confederate troops had destroyed the bridge and held the opposite bank of the stream. Members of the 92nd managed to force them back, control the bank and rebuild the bridge. As they were doing so a messenger approached the 92nd with news of Lees surrender to Grant 3 days earlier. But the Confederate troops did not know this and they fought on.
In the ensuing fighting Robert was severely wounded, taking a bullet in the abdomen as he rode on horseback in front of his company. Although he recovered from the wound, the loss of blood supply to his right leg caused gangrene to set in and 13 days later the leg was amputated. Robert's father traveled from Illinois to be with him as he recovered. On June 21, 1865 Robert was mustered out at Concord, NC and returned to Carroll County, Illinois where he married the following month. In 1867 Robert was appointed Major by Brevet for his faithful service.7,8 |
Marriage | 21 Jul 1865 | He married Mary Gertrude Clark, daughter of Robert Mansfield Clark and Cynthia Mills Dickinson, on 21 Jul 1865 in Freedom Township, Carroll County, Illinois. The couple had met when both were students at Eureka College before the war.9 |
Cens-1870 | 13 Aug 1870 | Robert and Mary settled in Mt. Carroll where in the early days of their marriage Robert served as the county clerk.10 |
Residence | | The couple raised their family in a comfortable residence on the corner of Clay and Pleasant Streets in Mt. Carroll (see photo below). Four children were born to them, including a son Robert who died in infancy. As a child their youngest son Egbert suffered a serious leg injury in a carriage accident.11,12 |
Public Serv | 1878 | In 1878 RMA was elected to the United States Congress to represent the fifth congressional district comprising Jo Daviess, Carrol, Whiteside, Ogle and Stephenson Counties. He introduced 2 bills during his first term, one to provide for re-organzing the army and a second that required imitation butter be labeled as such. In 1880 RMA was elected for a second term.12 |
Death | 29 Jun 1882 | Robert died on 29 Jun 1882 in Washington, DC, at age 43. |
Burial | 2 Jul 1882 | He was buried with full military and Masonic honors on 2 Jul 1882 at Oakhill Cemetery in Mt. Carroll, Carroll County, Illinois.13,14 |
| | RMA's funeral was attended by many members of Congress who escorted his body from Washington D.C. to Mt. Carroll. Hundreds of Masons and G.A.R. members (Grand Army of the Republic) also attended.12 |