Alfred Marmaduke Hobby facts for kids
Alfred Marmaduke Hobby (born in 1836 – died February 5, 1881) was an important person from Texas. He was a businessman, a politician, an officer in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, and a poet. He was born in Macon, Georgia. His family included famous politicians: his nephew, William P. Hobby, was the governor of Texas from 1917 to 1921, and his grandnephew, William P. Hobby, Jr., was the lieutenant governor of Texas from 1973 to 1991.
Early Life and Business
In the 1850s, Alfred Hobby's mother, who was a widow, moved with her sons first to Madison, Florida, and then to Galveston, Texas. Around 1857, Hobby started a business partnership and opened a general store in a new town called St. Mary's of Aransas, in Refugio County. Even though he was only about 22 years old, he quickly became a leader in the county's politics. In 1861, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives.
Role in the Civil War
Alfred Hobby strongly believed that states should have more power. He helped start a group called the Knights of the Golden Circle in St. Mary's. He represented his area at the Secession Convention, where he voted for Texas to leave the United States. He was elected again to the Texas Legislature but left his position to join the Confederate States Army.
On May 14, 1862, Hobby formed the 8th Texas Infantry Battalion and became a major. The next year, his battalion joined with other groups to create the 8th Texas Infantry Regiment, and Hobby became its colonel. He led the Confederate soldiers during the Battle of Corpus Christi and successfully stopped an attack by the Union Army.
During the war, Colonel Hobby was stationed in Galveston. He married a widow named Mrs. Gertrude Menard. He also wrote several patriotic poems, which were printed in newspapers at the time. One of his well-known poems was "The Sentinel's Dream of Home."
Life After the War
After the Civil War ended, Hobby focused more on his writing. His most famous prose work was Life of David G. Burnet, published in 1871. He also wrote Serfs of Chattenay and Miscellaneous Poems around 1881, which included his "Poem in Honor of Colonel Thomas S. Lubbock."
After the war, Hobby sold his properties in Refugio County and moved to Galveston, where he continued his business. He spent the last years of his life in Silver City, New Mexico.
Death
Alfred Marmaduke Hobby died in New Mexico on February 5, 1881. He passed away in a wagon accident near Mimbres Creek. He did not have any children of his own, though his wife had children from her previous marriage.
