Herbert J. Hawthorne

Herbert J. Hawthorne is one of the most promising young engineers now sailing the lakes, and possesses a great fund of sound common sense and philosophical logic. He was born in Big Beaver, Mich., and acquired his education in the public schools of that town. He is a son of Robert and Catherine (Dunn) Hawthorne. His father was one of the patriots of the Civil war, having enlisted in 1861 in the 22nd Mich. Vol. Inf., and serving throughout the conflict. His regiment was in the Army of the Cumberland, and participated in all the hotly contested battles in which General Sherman's army was engaged, up to the fall of Atlanta. The regiment was then incorporated with General Thomas' army and returned to Nashville, Tenn., where they met and defeated General Hood. The father received a flesh wound in the left leg, at the battle of Chicamauga, but was soon ready for duty again. His father's two brothers, William and John, also enlisted and served the country faithfully. John being in the Army of the Cumberland and William in the 7th Mich. Vol. Cav., assigned to the Army of the Potomac. All are well-to-do farmers, and enjoy the privilege they have on winter's nights in coming together and recounting the different phases of their soldier life.

But to return to Herbert J., the subject of this sketch: After leaving school he went to Bay City, and entered the employ of the Folsome Arnold Milling Company, but he remained only one year on account of illness. After his recovery he went to Chicago and engaged in the milk business for two and one-half years. On the occasion of his visit to the World's Fair, his desire of becoming an engineer again came to the front, and on April 1, 1894, he shipped as fireman on the steamer Masaba. The next season he joined the steamer Cumberland in the same capacity until July 1, when he transferred to the steamer Alfred P. Wright. In the spring of 1896 he shipped on the steamer Pathfinder as oiler. In 1897 he was granted first assistant's papers, which covered steamers of 2,225 tons, which is considered exceedingly good for a first issue, and he was appointed second engineer of the steamer City of Genoa, the flagship of the J. C. Gilchrist fleet. Mr. Hawthorne is a member of the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association No. 53., of Marine City, Mich. When ashore he makes his home with his father in Big Beaver, Michigan.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.