Biography

09/06/1843 - 07/18/1899

Colonel Alexander Leroy Hawkins (R46), 1899-1900 Beaver and Washington Counties

Early Life: 

Colonel Alexander Leroy Hawkins, born September 6, 1843, Greene County, Pennsylvania; George’s Creek Academy; Waynesburg College; private, Civil War, 1862-1866; teacher; engaged, drug business, Pittsburgh, 1866; moved to Washington County; married, Cynthia H. Greenfield Hawkins, 1869, children, daughter Hawkins, Clyde Emile Hawkins, Jessie Benton Hawkins Darragh and Frank Burson Hawkins; deployed, Philippines; Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War 1898, Philippine Insurrection 1898-1899; elected, while on active duty, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1899-1900; died, in office, July 18, 1899 (aged 55), Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Philippine Insurrection, cancer of bowels at sea; Interment Washington Cemetery, Washington, Washington County, Pennsylvania (i)

Early Career:   

Enlisted, private August 7, 1862, Company K, 160^th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 15^th Pennsylvania Cavalry; participated in 64 battles, Antietam, Tennessee Campaign, Union General George B. Stoneman’s raid into Virginia and participated in the capture of President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis; mustered out January 21, 1866.

Pennsylvania National Guard, Captain, Company H, 10^th Regiment, 1877; elected Colonel, 1884; mustered, United States Army, May 12, 1898, deployed, Philippines; Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Spanish American War 1898, Philippine Insurrection 1898-1899. (i)

Pennsylvania Politics:

Washington County Treasurer, 1875. 

Elected, while on active duty, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 46^th district, Beaver and Washington Counties, 1899-1900.

Legacy:

Colonel Alexander Leroy Hawkins Memorial.

Location: Schenley Park Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15217 Panther Hollow Drive, south end of the Panther Hollow Bridge, Squirrel Hill South neighborhood.

Date of Installation: July 4, 1904.

Organization Responsible for Installation: Tenth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment

Plaza memorial with larger-than-life size bronze statue of Colonel Hawkins. He was the commander of the Tenth Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment during the Spanish-American War and Philippines. He died on July 18, 1899 enroute home from complications due to an illness. (ii)

Cited:

Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, (1899) Cochran, T.B., Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 1146 and 1173

      (i) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/102144418/alexander-leroy-hawkins

      (ii) https://www.legion.org/memorials/239853/colonel-alexander-leroy-hawkins-memorial