William K. Hankins

Submitted by:
The Late Ken Clark, San Antonio, Texas
Lesli Christian, Kitts Hills, Ohio
The Late Paul Hankins, Williamsburg, Kentucky

Information received was approx 3/4 inch thick. this information only includes abstracts of information and William K. Hankins’s pension deposition (which is quite lengthy).

Term of Service: 3 years, from April 5, 1862, through April 30, 1865.

• Private, Company H, 9th West Virginia Infantry. Transferred to Company H, 1st WV Veteran Infantry, for his last six months of service.
• Pension Deposition, May 27, 1899; of William K. Hankins: [transcribed exactly as written]

I am 56 years of age, P.O., Coal Grove, Lawrence Co, Ohio, Farmer by occupation. I am the identical William Hankins who served as Pvt. Co H, W. Va. Inf. from April 1862, and I was discharged in April 1985. I was in Co. H, 1 W.Va. Vet for the last six months of my service. Inf. Never had any other service military or naval. I am now a pensioner under the Act of June 7, 1890, and am claiming pension under the general law on account of Rheumatism, disease of the head of Catarrli, and disease of the lungs. I made no claims for any other disability whatsoever.

I claim that the starting point of all the disabilities was typhoid fever which attacked me at Gauley, W. Va., on about the first of August 1862. I was sick for five or six weeks before getting around. I did not go to the hospital, stayed the night in my tent, and was treated by an old citizen doctor. I think his name was Grant. Dr. Morris, our regimental surgeon, had been captured at this time. The reason I did not go to the hospital was that all our boys that had gone to the hospital had died, and I protested against going.

After I joined the company, or rather after I was able to get about (the Co was at Gauley all the time I was sick), it was a long time before I was fit for duty. That same fall and winter, I was on scouting duty through the mountains of Va. and W. Va; and kept it up all winter. I had not fully regained my strength, and late that fall or early winter, I first felt pneumonia. It struck me in the right hip and down my right leg to my ankle. I was excused from duty for a few days and was treated by Dr. Morris (dead), our regimental surgeon.

During my service, I was troubled with rheumatism, more or less, and always in my right hip and down my right leg. I was often excused from duty and attended sick calls but never in hospital and would occasionally have to ride in an ambulance as I could not walk. I remember one time during the summer of 1864 that I had to ride in the ambulance from Cedar Creek to Winchester, Va., because of my Rheumatism. There were other times that I had ridden, but I cannot recall when or where that was.

Ever since my discharge, I have had Rheumatism, more or less. I had no acute attacks until about 1867 when I commenced to feel it more severely than usual. It kept up in this way, some days worse and some days better, but not enough to lay me up entirely until 1873 when I was laid up and unable to leave my house for three months that fall on account of Rheumatism.

Alexander Woods living in Ironton Tunnel, Ohio, was my tent bunkmate throughout the service, and he took care of me while I was sick with typhoid fever at Gauley, W.Va., and knew all about it during service. Ruben Higgins, Sgt Daniel Gossett, William Lucas, and Clinton Miller were friends of mine during service and knew about my condition. These witnesses all live in this vicinity except Clinton Miller, who now lives in Ashland, Ky. [attested to by: W.E. Brammer and W.H. Davidson, 27 May 1899]. I cannot say that they would recall my case, though they were with me in the company.

I had three captains during service, Wheeler, Smith, and Johnson. Wheeler and Smith, I know, are dead, and I think Johnson is also, but If living, his address is unknown to me. At the time of my enlistment, I was living at Vesuvius Furnace, this county, and was working on a farm for John Glanden. For him, one year before enlistment. I had lived in that vicinity for about two years, and before that time, I lived on Ice Creek, this county, with my grandfather, who had long since dead.

Immediately upon discharge, I returned to Vesuvius Furnace, this county, and remained there until 11 June 1866. I chopped wood and worked laboring work. In June 1866, I went to Hecla Furnace, this county, and remained there for 16 years and dug coal and ore. In 1882, on or about that time, I moved to Whites Creek, Wayne Co, W.Va., remained there for about six years, then moved to Sheridan, where I remained for about six years. Since then, I have lived in the vicinity where I now reside. Since I left Hecla Furnace, my occupation has been farming.

The first physician that treated me after discharge was Dr. Adams, who lived just about this city. He first treated me in 1873 and was my physician until 1882. While in W.Va., I was treated by Dr. John Marshall, my family physician. Since I returned from W.Va, I have employed no physician as I was satisfied they could do no good, but I have treated myself with patient medicines.

When I lived in Hecla Vesuvius Furnace, the first years following my discharge, I was intimately acquainted with George Hamilton, living now in Lick Creek, and James Bowman, living in Rock Camp, O. Worked a good deal with George Hamilton. These men knew me well before my enlistment. While at Hecla Furnace, William L. Moore, Living back of Coal Grove, O. and John Lyons of the same vicinity, knew me well and remained with me a great deal during this time. At the same time, I was living in Whites Creek, W.Va. Mrs. Mary Thacker, Joseph Lett, and William Hutchinson also knew me well. Since my return to this county, William Taylor and Alfred Jones of Sheridan, O. have known me well and any of my neighbors you might want to see.

I never had lung fever, to my knowledge, at any time. I never stated in my declaration for a pension that I was taken with lung fever At Gauley, W.Va., in August of 1862. I had typhoid Fever, so the Dr. said, and I know all my hair came out. Any statement in my application that I had lung fever in service is incorrect and was made without my knowledge.

I am married. My wife is Jane Lyons, married June 9, 1867, at Hecla, O. by J.P. Polley, J.P. Record in probate office, this county. My wife nor I was previously married. I have seven children living as follows:

1. Daniel, Born Jun 17, 1869
2. William, born May 22, 1873
3. John, Born June 21, 1875
4. Rebecca, born Oct 5, 1878
5. Myrtie, born Oct 5, 1881
6. George W, Born June 4, 1886
7. Benjamin H., born May 28, 1889

My attorney is S.K. Hastings, Deering, O. Signed a written contract for $25.00, paid $1.25 for expenses in securing an affidavit and paid no fees. I do not care to be present or represented during the special examination of my claim. I understand the questions, and my answers have been correctly secured herein.

Depositions provided in support of the Pension case of William K. Hankins:

1. James W. Taylor, Sheridan, Lawrence County, Ohio
2. Alfred P. Jones, Lawrence County, Sheridan, Ohio
3. Gaines P. Massie, Arabia, Lawrence County, Ohio
4. Michael A. Smith, Barbourville, Cabell County, West Virginia
5. Alfred Brown, Central City, Wayne County, West Virginia
6. Mrs. Mary Thacker, Whites Creek, Wayne County, West Virginia
7. Dr. George W. Adams, Barboursville, Cabell County, West Virginia
8. James Minton Ball, Olive Furnace, Lawrence County, Ohio
9. George Ball, Pedro, Lawrence County, Ohio
10. Ruben Estes, Member of 9th West Virginia Infantry
11. John Lyons, Hecla, Lawrence County, Ohio
12. Landress Massie, Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio
13. William L. Moore, Hecla Furnace, Lawrence County, Ohio
14. David Gassett, Member of the 9th West Virginia Infantry
15. William C. Lucas, Deering, Lawrence County, Ohio
16. Ruben J. Higgins, Member of the 9th West Virginia Infantry
17. John A. Wood, Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio
18. James C. Miller, Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky
19. Joseph Lett, Whites Creek, Wayne County, West Virginia
20. William J. Smith, Whites Creek, Wayne County, West Virginia
21. G.R.B. Bowman, Rock Camp, Lawrence County, Ohio
22. George Hamilton, Ryansville, Lawrence County, Ohio

William K. Hankins: Place of Residence was Ironton, Ohio; RR#2, attended by Dr. J.H. Ramsey, Rock Camp, Ohio.
Undertaker: W.W. Phillips, Waterloo, Ohio.
Date and Place of Burial: Jan 13, 1930, at Zoar Cemetery.
Personal effects: $500.00 to Son William Abram.
Burial arrangements were made by Son: William Abram (Barlow) Hankins.
Burial Cost: $315.