Hopkins - Robert - CW
ROBERT HOPKINS
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal, April 5, 1924
With the passing of our friend the community loses a good citizen and the Grand Army Post, thinning so fast in numbers, a valiant member. Born in bondage he emerged from the system clothed with citizenship like gold purified by furnace fires. Inborn politeness and a gracious favor of refinement imbibed from the influence of a cultured and humane mistress in ante-bellum days were marked traits of character in Robert Hopkins.
Loyalty to family ties and a devotion to the flag, and the cause which struck the shackles from his race were always a source of pride to him. I last saw him May 1, 1920, in the National Military Home and while the weight of affliction lay heavily upon him, a semblance of his old manner flashed out of his soul and he thanked me for my visit and interest in him. It apropos that his family and the public he furnished his biography briefly, especially the facts of his army service Robert Hopkins was born in slavery at Henderson, Ky., and was at the chattel of Miss Mary Hopkins who recorded his birth as January 22, 1846. His parents were Philip and Katie Hopkins. The refining influence of a talented and humane mistress in a will ordered Southern household developed traits of character that defined him one of nature's noblemen as we knew him.
On the 24th of August, 1864, he was enrolled as a private in Co. C, 118th U.S Infantry, at Owensboro, Ky., subsequently appointed corporal and at muster out at White's Ranch, Texas, February 6, 1866, held the grade of sergeant. On May 8, 1922, he entered a patient in the hospital, National Military Home, D.V.S. Danville branch and later transferred to the Southern Branch at Hampton, Va, where he died April 2, 1924. Crawfordsville Daily Journal, April 9, 1924 The funeral of Robert T. Hopkins, who died on Wednesday evening at Hampton, Va., will be held from the Second Baptist church on east Jefferson street, at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Rev. Brown will be in charge. Internment will be made at Oak Hill cemetery Mr. Hopkins was about 90 years of age at the time of his death, was a civil war veteran and for the greater part of his life was a resident of this city, living recent years at 308 Beach street. Two years ago his physical condition became so weakened that he was sent to the U.S. hospital at Hampton. The body is at the Barnhill undertaking parlors having arrived over the Big Four Friday afternoon. - thanks to Kim H