b. 1834 Scotland. d. 29/02/1908 Cranston, Rhode Island.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 23/12/1864 Fort Fisher, North Carolina.
Hawkins was born in either 1834 or 1835, depending on the source, in Scotland. He lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and enlisted in the Union Navy from New Hampshire. He served on board the USS Agawam, as one of a volunteer crew of a powder boat. He was given his Medal of Honor on December 23, 1864, when his boat exploded on that date near Fort Fisher. His boat was towed in by USS Wilderness to prevent detection by the enemy, and less than two hours after boarding the boat, the explosion took place, and the following day fires were observed still burning at the forts. Hawkins was awarded his Medal of Honor on December 31, 1864. He received his Medal on May 12, 1865 on board USS Agawam off New Bern, North Carolina.
MOH CITATION:
Hawkins served on board the U.S.S. Agawam as one of a volunteer crew of a powder boat which was exploded near Fort Fisher, 23 December 1864. The powder boat, towed in by the Wilderness, to prevent detection by the enemy, cast off and slowly steamed to within 300 yards of the beach. After fuses and fires had been lit and a second anchor with short scope let go to assure the boat’s tailing inshore, the crew again boarded the Wilderness and and proceeded a distance of 12 miles from shore. Less than two hours later the explosion took place, and the following day fires were observed still burning at the forts.
BURIAL LOCATION: ST MARY’S CEMETERY, CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
