Hiram Lee McKnight's parents were: John Lee McKnight and Martha Sims.

He was married to Mary Causey Oct 24, 1843 Chambers County, Alabama. Their children were: Richard Henry Lee McKnight, John McPherson Berrien McKnight, and Susan Lorraine Josephine McKnight.

Hiram and his family left Chambers County, Alabama about 1848 and can be found on census records in Rusk County, Texas in 1850 and Cherokee County, Texas in 1860-1880.

I received Hiram's Masonic Lodge history from the Grand Lodge of Texas. He received his Entered Apprentice from Jolet Lodge in Arkansas, presumably during his service in the War between the States. He passed to degree of Fellow craft on Jan 12, 1867 and then raised to degree of Master Mason on Feb 12, 1867 at the A. Jackson Masonic Lodge # 249. This Lodge was chartered June 14, 1860 and met at Pine Town, Cherokee County, Texas until about 1880. The Lodge moved six miles northwest to Cherokee Hall and finally to Dialville, Cherokee County, Texas in 1908. This lodge demised in 1962. Hiram served this lodge as Senior Deacon 1867-1869, Senior Warden 1870, Junior Warden 1872, and Worshipful Master 1873-1874.

Hiram served the 18th Texas Infantry, Company C. Ranked in Junior Second Lieutenant Ranked Out Second Lieutenant.

I found a State of Texas teacher pay receipt for $9.00 at Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas has been added at Ancestry.com for Hiram McKnight. I welcome the addition of that information from anyone who cares to share it.

I have located a copy of the newsletter called "The Roadrunner", from August 1989 Volume 15 Issue 4, published by the Chaparral Genealogical Society, Tomball, Texas, in which Hiram Lee McKnight's 2nd great granddaughter submitted a copy of a letter that Hiram wrote while serving in the civil war to his son John McPherson Berrien McKnight.

The letter reads:

Camp, Near Pine Bluff, Arkansas
March 25, 1863

My Dear Son, Yours of March 1st is now before me and I proceed to answer it. I also had a letter from you dated in January. I wrote to you from Camp Bayou, Mississippi in December last in answer to a letter from you and 'Lindsay" which I suppose you did not get as you say nothing about it. I should have written to you before now but my health has been so feeble that I have been expecting to go home. I have again sent in my resignation but it seems ? not get a hearing at Little Rock as my papers had not come ? or heard from although sent up in form approved by the surgical judicial board and by my Col. and also by my Brigadier Gen'l. I suppose they have been overlooked through carelessness either at Little Rock or by Major Gen'l Walker. If not returned in a few days more I shall make out another application as I am totally unable to perform my duties of the corps as an officer or soldier. I have not been able to report for duty but about one month, since the first of August last and I am now ? in ? unable for duty and have been ever since the 19th day of January but for some ten days past have been improving ?. Slowly ? ? I have little hope of ever being a sound ?. Were ordered to march from this place I could not march with my regiment. This is the reason why I shall urge my resignation. I regret being compelled to this step. I am compelled to do so in justice to my country and myself. I rec'd letters from your mother and Dick with yours last night which I will answer today if I can. We have no news of late date here. There has been some change made in our officers.

Col. Ochilteen has resigned and gone home. Col. G. B. Culberson now commands us. Brigadier Gen'l Haws is in now in command of our Brigade. Gen'l Herbert takes command of Randale Brigade and Gen'l McCullough commands Flornoys Brigade. The whole under Major Gen'l J. G. Walker. Lieutenant Gen'l Kirby Smith is in command of the Grand Miss. Department and Lt. Gen'l Holmes commands the Military District of Ark. and the Indian Territory. We have been doing nothing but lying in camp since the 21st of January. Our troops are scattered along the Ark. River from Little Rock to the mouth of the River and tho' Feds are afraid to attempt to come up the River we learn that the prisoners taken at the Ark. Post have been exchanged and we are looking for them here now. My information on this point is not official tho' generally believed. It is also believed that this Division of the Army will go to Missouri as Gen'l Price is now at Little Rock and is expecting soon to be followed by a portion if not all his Missouri Troops from the other side of the Miss. I do not know how this Army will go to Missouri or anywhere else soon nor can I see how we are to remain here for we have not at this time five days rations ahead and where our provisions are to come from is more than I can tell.

Thus far, I have seen but little of the devastations of the enemy. I have seen more damage done by our people to prevent the enemy from getting possession than otherwise. I have seen many places where the people have piled up their own cotton and burned it and on one occasion I saw 13 large piles of corn burning and at the same time the Arkansas River white with corn floating on its surface thrown there to prevent the Feds from getting it. This was all unnecessary and done purely through fear. While on our way down to rein-force the Post we met droves of negroes and whites running away from home leaving all behind except their negroes and what household furniture they could hastily carry off and running for life. Women and children crying, Negroes panting with severe exhaustion and now and then a white man urging them forward with all possible dispatch. Some on foot, some in waggons and others on horseback. Some were loaded with whatever effects they could carry and others with nothing but the clothes on their back all bent on making escape. I hope I may never witness such a scene again. But our visit was, if in time to save many of the citizens from utter ruin, too late to save our friends at the post. They took between four and five thousand of our troops, destroyed the fort and everything else valuable that they could lay their hands on. We were in one days march of the Post when we learned its fate. We struck camp, remained all night. I was this day thrown forward on the march with a sergeant, 3 corporals and 12 men as ? and at night posted on the bank of the River half a mile in advance of our Brigade to watch the River and give timely notice as well as take up all persons of a suspicious character. Having marched hard this day I was very much wearied and having eaten my supper and posted my sentinals, I lay down on a blanket and slept soundly only when awakened by the call of the guards to examine someone who was passing which was kept up until two o'clock in the morning. At daylight we were called and our position not being a good one and our information led us to believe the Feds would come up and attack us we fell back about 5 miles to a good position and halted to await an attack from them. Here we fortified our Naturally strong position by felling trees and making a temporary breast-work of logs and then felling a great many in our front. The only acceptable pass to us without passing up ? the River by us on our left which would have been a hazardous undertaking for the banks of the River were so high they could not have brought their guards to bear on us while every pilot would have been picked off by our sharp-shooters and every transport could have litterally enfilated (?) by both artillery and infantry at short range for we could have went within 30 paces of them with perfect impunity. Here we waited four days for them, but learning in the evening of the 4th day that they had left the Post and gone down the River we took up the line of march for Pine Bluff in order to be near our depot of Commissionary stores which we reached on the 21st day of January where we still remain and probably will for some time yet.

You express a wish to get a transfer to Arkansas. You do not know Ark. as well as I do and I now beg of you to give over that idea. I know some of your reasons and can guess at others. As to coming here simply because I am here might be but little satisfaction to you and quite likely of your short duration. And as to gaining any renoun on the Battlefield I look upon that as almost hopeless at least in Ark. Besides this you are of too weak a constitution to stand the hardships of a winter campaign here. So let me ask of you to take my advice and the counsel of all my friends here and stay where you are as long as you can, and let me impress it upon your mind once more, be true to your country, yourself, and your God. Be sober, and industrious and always speak with truth and perform ? with-out murmuring. We have had 3 deserters shot in our division and eleven more to be shot, day after tomorrow if not pardoned and many more to try yet and some at home who will be shot doubtless, when-ever they are brought into camps.

I think I will get home shortly. May God be with, guide and protect you through ever danger.
Farewell
Hiram McKnight