William Hawk - Mormon Battalion - California Goldrush

3rd Great Grandfather

William Hawk headstone - Salt Lake City Cemetery Courtesy of FamilySearch.org

William Hawk was born on the third day of November, 1799 in Botetourt Co., Virginia. His mother’s name was Christina (Tened) Hawk, but we do not know his father’s name. His stepfather was Adam Black. His mother gave him to John Ferance to bring up at the age of three years. Some years later he moved to the state of Ohio where he was bound to John Ferance until of lawful age. While serving John Ferance, he worked rolling logs and plowing until he was eighteen years old. With John Ferance’s consent he moved to Washington County, Indiana and married Elizabeth Kimball. They had one son name Nathan. Elizabeth died three years later. He then married Margaret Harris who was born 23 December 1803 in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

 William was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in December 18 1833 along with his wife Margaret by Moses Harris. William was ordained to the office of an Elder at this time. He then moved to Kirtland, Ohio soon after his baptism and took an active part in the labors of building the first temple erected in this generation unto the name of the Lord. When the Saints were compelled to leave Kirtland, the Hawks moved to Missouri and while there suffered mobbing, driving persecution and affliction. The Hawks did not move to Nauvoo but settled in Montrose, Iowa just across the Mississippi River. When Brigham Young told the saints that they were to migrate across the Mississippi River in the dead of winter, William Hawk gathered his wife and family and moved to Council Bluffs with most of the other members of the church in the spring of 1846.

William and his family arrived in Council Bluffs in time to hear Brigham Young appeal to members to form the Mormon Battalion. William and Nathan and William’s nephew Silas Harris enlisted in the Mormon Battalion. They were privates in Company B and participated in the longest infantry march ever recorded by soldiers in the U.S. Army. Silas Harris, in his own history, speaks of William as being a doctor and how William took care of Silas when he was ill. He was proud that he was one of the first Americans to plant the American flag upon the gold fields of California, then a portion of Mexico. William left Margaret in poor health with four children to care for and only limited resources. Company B of the Battalion was spoken of very highly in the vicinity of San Diego where they were quartered. The Battalion men were well known for their character and willingness to serve their country. William Cooke, their non-Mormon commander, several years later with Johnston’s army parading down the streets of Salt Lake City, bared his head in honor of the men who had served with him in the Mormon Battalion. After his discharge from the Mormon Battalion, William, following the advice of Brigham Young, remained in California until 1848. William, Nathan Hawk, and Silas Harris we employed to carry the U.S. mail overland to Missouri. They were the first to bring news of gold found in California to rest of the nation.

 On their way to Missouri eighteen of their horses were stolen by Pawnee Indians and several shots were fired and at least one Indian slain. William was miraculously saved when the guns of the Indians that surrounded him failed to fire when they attempted to shoot him. One Indian attempted to shoot him with an arrow, but William Hawk parried it off and was then struck by a bow of one of the Indians. The scar of being struck by that bow was on his forehead until his death. William, Margaret and family were making the journey to Salt Lake City when as they were passing through Ash Hollow, Nebraska there was a stampede of cattle and Margaret was killed.

Years later in a reunion of members of the Mormon Battalion in Salt Lake City, William bore his testimony:

 “Brethren and Sisters, I want to bear my testimony to one saying that has been thrown out here, viz., that the President (Brigham Young) promised this Battalion that in as much as they would go forth and do right here should not be ball shot at them; and I can say, for one, that I realize the truth of that saying: I have experienced it — I have seen those words fulfilled and that promise verified to the very letter. When placed in the midst of my enemies with nothing but these little mallets to defend myself with [exhibited his fists], and they were well armed with bows and arrows, knives and rifles, but they burnt the priming, the powder flashing in the pan, and not a gun aimed at me went off, and their arrows broke” “When Brigham Young said he wanted us to go, I put my name down to go for one, and the Indians did not kill me. I had to leave my family at the Bluffs, my wife in a very weakened state of health. I had five children, and the oldest went with me to California, and he is now in Sacramento City. On my return, I brought my wife and was coming to his place, and she got killed in Ash Hollow, in a stampede, and her body is laid by the road side. I wish to make mention of her, for she was a noble woman. The rest of the family are here rejoicing in the truth, and I feel thankful for the blessings that have attended me; and I feel to wish I may ever pour out my soul to God for continuance of his blessings. And I do not wish my services in that Battalion to be the last good deed of my life.” 

William Hawk cabin Salt Lake City, Utah Courtesy of FamilySearch.org

The Hawk family settled on land located at 3rd West and 5th North (458 North 3rd West) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The home that William Hawk built out of native pine trees at that location still stands and has been placed on the National Historic registrar. William was ordained a member of the 35th quorum of Seventies on the 27th day of July, 1869, and was afterwards ordained a President of the same quorum and remained so until the day of his death. William was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word and he loved the church and the gospel.