BIBB COUNTY, GA - OBITS William H Hodnett Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: vickie.family@earthlink.net Vickie Wilson Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/bibb.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm This is the newspaper account on the death of my gr-gr- grandfather William H Hodnett. The Macon Telegraph, Saturday Morning June 22, 1894 pg. 7 Bill Hodnett, Coroner, Dead Died Suddenly at his Residence on Columbus Road Yesterday Morning A Brave Soldier and True Man His Death has Brought Sorrow to the Hearts of all Who Knew Him - Funeral This Afternoon - No Afternoon Court Session Coroner William Hodnett, familiarly known to everybody in Bibb county as Bill Hodnett, is dead. This announcement will carry sorrow to the heart of every man, woman and child who knew Bill Hodnett, and few there were in this community who did not know him in one capacity or another. Coroner Hodnett's death was sudden and unexpected. For some time past he has been afflicted with muscular rheumatism, but no serious result were anticipated. Thursday he was in attendance upon the superior court as usual and apparently in good health. At his usual hour in the afternoon he went to his home on the Columbus road about two miles from the court house and retired at night at the usual hour. About 3 o'clock yesterday morning he was awakened by violent pains in his breast, of which he informed his wife. The pains were so severe that he could not sleep and he went out in the yard and walked about, after which the pains subsided and he returned to bed. At 4 o'clock Mrs. Hodnett was awakened by her husband's unusually hard breathing, and as she aroused to ascertain the cause he struggled slightly and wwas dead. Dr. Woraham was summoned, but Mr. Hodnett was past human aid before the messenger started. Coroner Hodnett was born in Henry county 48 years ago. He entered the Confederate service when 14 years of age and was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863. This wound neccesitated the amputation of his left arm near the elbow and disabled him from further service. Bill Hodnett possessed one of the noblest, truest, bravest hearts that ever beat in a human breast. As a soldier, and a boy soldier at that, there were none more reliable, none braver or more true to the cause of the South. He was a fighting soldier-a private-and was always found where the fighting waged fiercest. He did not fight for promotion in ranks - he wanted to be only a private - he fought for a cause he believed just and this belief he maintained until he died. At the breaking out of the war he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-second Georgia regiment, Rance Wright's brigade, and it was just such soldiers as he that made that brigade one of the most famous in the Confederate army. He was reckless, bold and daring and true to the cause in war and brave and true in peace. After the war Mr. Hodnett came to Macon to live and followed various avocations until eight or ten years ago when he was elected coroner of Bibb county. After serving one term of two years he was defeated, but was again elected in January, 1893 and has held the office since. In the discharge of his duties as coroner and as a deputy sheriff Mr. Hodnett was faithful, considerate and scrunlously honest, and although he was uneducated this shortcoming was more than compensated for in his concscientious fidelity to duty. An evidence of his fidelity to his friends might well be gained from the staement of a county officer who remarded to a Telegraph reporter yesterday that Mr. Hodnett's defeat for re- election as coroner was due to the fact that he “neglected his own interests in working for my self and another one of the present county officers.” He cared less for himself than he did for his friends. There is no doubt about the reward awaiting a man with a heart like that. Coroner Hodnett leaves a wife and several small children. His funeral will take place from his late residence on the Columbus road this afternoon at 3 o'clock and the interment will be at Jones Chapel by the side of his first wife. Judge Harde?ns announced that there would be no session of the superior court this afternoon on account of the death of Coroner Hodnett.