Title	Mr.
Last Name	Hutchins
First Name	John
Middle Name	A.
Maiden Name
Nick Name
Place of Birth	Brighton, ME
Date of Birth	1843-02-10
Place of Death	Dexter, ME
Date of Death	1941-02-03
Publication	The Eastern Gazette 2-6-1941, p.1
Obituary	LAST CIVIL WAR VETERAN PASSES AWAY John A. Hutchins, 97, last surviving member of the H. A. Safford Post No. 8, Grand Army of the Republic, Dexter, Maine, died February 3, 1941, aged 97 years, 11 months, 15 days, and was buried Thursday, February 6, with full military honors in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The funeral was held from the home of his daughter, Mrs. Richard Easley, with whom he had made his home for the past eight years. Rev. Ondon P. Stairs officiated, and pall bearers were Richard Easley, Ralph Easley, Harold Easley, and Ermon Clough. Honorary pall bearers from the Edward J. Poulliot Post of the American Legion were: Elwin Farnham, Allie Bertrand, Raleigh Smart, Robert Cinq-Mars, Ben Dyer, Frank Cloutier, Reynold Thompson. Mr. Hutchins' Civil War record is noteworthy. He made two early attempts at enlistment, but was refused both times on account of his youth. His enlistment was finally accepted August 2, 1862, and he was mustered into the United States service at Augusta, Maine, as private of Captain George H. Summat's Company H, First Maine Cavalry, Colonel Calvin S. Douty commanding. He joined his company at Sharpsburg, Maryland, and served for two years as orderly and dispatchbearer for General David M. Gregg. He was first engaged at Aldie, Va., and his last engagement was at Appomattox Court House, Va., where he witnessed the surrender of Lee. He participated in all the intervening engagements of his regiment, numbering thirty-six major battles, including the battles of Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and The Wilderness. He was mustered out of service with honorable discharge, at Alexandria, Va., June 5, 1865. His regiment was notably gallant on the field losing the greatest number in killed in action of any cavalry regiment in the entire army. He filled all offices of the Grand Army Post at Elkton, South Dakota, except Commander, which he declined. Mr. Hutchins was born in Brighton February 10, 1843, the son of Rev. Perkins and Mary Bunker Hutchins and when a young man came to Dexter where he learned the blacksmith trade. After the Civil War he went to the middle west where he worked for several years, returning to Maine forty-one years ago. He has made his home in Dexter for the past eighteen years. Mrs. Hutchins passed away eight years ago. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. R. O. Easley of this town and Mrs. Sands Chipman of Boston; a sister, Mrs. Tryphena Abbey of Bronson, Kansas; three grandchildren, Mrs. Ermon Clough, and Harold Easley of Dexter, and Ralph Easley of North Newport; and nine great-grand children.