George was born on April 12, 1837 in Alymer, Ontario, Canada, the first son and second child of Mark William Hopkins and Susanna COLLVER. George came to Minnesota with his family to Minnesota in 1856, where he married Caroline CUDNEY on January 17, 1858 in Chatfield, Fillmore County, Minnesota. Caroline was born in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada on October 8, 1842. It is unknown as to whether they met in Ontario or Minnesota. This union produced 10 children over a period of 23 years, five boys and four girls, including one set of twins. All of the children were born in Minnesota, with the exception of John who was born in Michigan, and Myrtle who was born after they moved to South Dakota.

George was the first son to venture out and leave the Hopkins family farms in Orion Township in Olmsted County. In the Spring of 1878, George traveled west with his son John Mark and son-in-law Tom Jennings to survey the land in Dakota Territory that he had filed on using his soldiers rights from his service in the Civil War (see description of George’s Civil War service in the Willcox section in this chapter of the book). Dakota Territory was created from Nebraska Territory in 1861, and Deuel was created the following year, but was unorganized. In 1878 Deuel and the adjacent Hamlin and Codington became organized counties. Brookings to the south had previously become an organized county in 1871. This group of counties were adjacent to the western border of Minnesota, which had become a state in 1856. South Dakota was not admitted as a state until 1889. George and his family were real pioneers in the westward expansion of the northern portion of the United States in the later part of the 1800s.

George and the boys returned to Minnesota after surveying the property, but went back again to Dakota Territory in the Fall with three of his boys to plough the land and plant crops, returning to their farm in Minnesota for the winter. In the Spring of 1879 George and his wife Caroline took the long trip back with horses to their land in Dakota Territory to change their filing to a homestead. The next year, in the Spring of 1880, George again made the trip west to put in a crop of corn and build a dug-out and put up house timbers. Each of these trips west were with wagons, bringing machinery, tools, and carrying tents to sleep in. The family then moved in September of 1880 permanently, taking two covered wagons with their personal belongings, along with horses, cows, and pigs on a trip that took three weeks. The family lived in a granary they had built until the house could be finished, which took two years.

George was a farmer for most of his working life, and was very active in politics after the family moved to South Dakota. He was a judge briefly, and a Justice of the Peace for many years. He was a member of the first legislature, in the House representing Deuel County. George and Caroline farmed full-time until then moved to Estelline in Hamlin County in 1892, but retained their property in Deuel County.

George enlisted in the Union Army as a Private at the age of 26 on February 29, 1964 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was to be paid a total bounty of $300 by the U.S. government, and $60 of this was paid at the time of signing. At the time he was farming in Orion Township in Olmsted County with his father and brothers, and living with his wife Caroline, daughter Estella Ann, son John Mark Collver, and six week old son Hollace Lincoln. He was mustered into the 2nd Regiment of the Minnesota Volunteers for a period of three years. His physical description in his volunteer enlistment records report “this soldier has blue eyes, brown hair, fair complexion, is five feet, 9 1/2 inches high.” He was assigned to Company A in the regiment on March 9th when the unit was rendezvousing at Fort Snelling. Although George did not join the 2nd Regiment until March of 1864, the regiment was organized in July of 1861. It was engaged in many battles, skirmishes and sieges, and was noted for its patriotism and the bravery of its men and officers. It participated in the battle at Mill Spring, January 19, 1862; was at the siege of Corinth, in April, 1862, and then transferred to the army of the Tennessee. Was at Bragg’s raid, Perryville, October 8, 1862; participated in the skirmishes of the Tullahoma campaign; was at Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863; at Mission Ridge, November 25, 1863. The 2nd Regiment was veteranized in January, 1864. This was right before George enlisted and was mustered into the unit at the end of February. During this time the veterans were on furlough from January 8 to April 9, and the non-veterans were on duty as provost guard at Division Headquarters until April 1864. After George volunteered the 2nd Regiment participated in the battles an skirmishes of the Atlanta campaign, namely, Resaca, June 14, 15 and 16, 1864.

Although family lore handed down over generations indicate he participated with his regiment on Sherman’s March to the sea, his military and pension records show that a portion of his service during the Civil War was spent in the hospital. His unit muster roll for September and October of 1864 shows him as being absent and in the “general hospital.” Furthermore, in his pension records there are numerous documents relating to his illnesses that were contracted during the war. The most telling appears in a letter written from Delaware, Minnesota by Samuel E. James July 10, 1889 to the Commissioner of Pensions, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. includes the words ...

... remember he was taken sick some time in March 1864 he had diarrhea. He had another severe attacked some time in May of the same year and about this time he was severely prostrated by sunstroke. At or near Atlanta, Geo. He was again so low with diarrhea that I had to report to our surgeon for him and get medicine. He was again attacked with the diarrhea somewhere on our march from Savannah Geo. to Raleigh North Carolina. He was unable to march with us f rom Richmond to Washington and was sent up on a transport. I think the disease was brought on by exposure as we were without tents or blankets and some of the time ordered to build no fires at that time.

George was mustered out of the service as a Private on July 11, 1865 in Louisville according to the muster rolls. His pension rolls state he served for a total of one year, four months, and 13 days. Of the total bounty of $300 promised to George at the time of signing, $180 had already been paid with $120 remaining due.

According to written family narrative about George, he received land in Dakota Territory that he had filed on using his soldiers rights from his service in the Civil War. A Declaration for an Original Invalid Pension found in George̓s pension records dated September 10, 1887 states that at or near Calhoun, Georgia on or about May 12, 1864 that he incurred sunstroke from overheat and chronic diarrhea from army diet, exposure, etc. in the latter part of August 1864. It further states that he was treated in a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia as a member of the 3rd Division, 14th Corps, 2nd Brigade. He entered the hospital about September 20, 1864 and left about November 20, 1864. The pension application concludes with the statement that he was one-half disabled at that time.

Although not wounded in battle, George was just one of the many soldiers, both Union and Confederate, who suffered greatly from the hardships of life on the battle field and on the run. Sadly, George suffered from a number of health problems resulting from his service throughout most of the rest of his life. This is documented in affidavits from his doctors, neighbors and one of his comrades in his pension records.

An affidavit in George̓s pension records dated November 21, 1922 and signed by Dr. F. W. Hess states he has practiced medicine at Estelline for the past 38 years and during that time he had given George his professional services at various times. He further states that George is totally blind, caused by Senile Cataract on both eyes, and requires the personal aid and attendance by another person. An affidavit dated January 22, 1923 and signed by Harriet Livie states that she was 52 years of age and came to Estelline on June 30, 1921 to take care of her father. She states that he is totally blind and unable to care for himself for that reason, and has given him constant personal attention up to that time. In an affidavit dated November 21, 1922, Harriet states that it was necessary for her to give up her home in Long Beach, California, and make her home in Estelline to give constant attention to her father due to his total blindness.

George was laid to rest soon after he passed away on December 24, 1923 in the Hopkins family plot located in Mount Hope Cemetery in Watertown, Codington County, South Dakota.