John William HOBBS

Sources:

Civil War Pension Index (ancestry.com)
US Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles (Ancestry.com), enlisted 20 Jul 1861
County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 (Ancestry.com), 1888, Union, Hamilton, NE
FindAGrave.com
Historical Sketches of Giltner, Nebraska (1985)
1860 US Federal Census Point,Calhoun,Illinois, Relation to household unknown
1870 US Federal Census Mason, Cerro Gordo, Iowa
1880 US Federal Census Union Twp., Hamilton County, Nebraska, Population and Agricultural Schedules
1900 US Federal Census Union, Hamilton, Nebraska
1910 US Federal Census Union Twp., Hamilton County, Nebraska
1920 US Federal Census Orange, Orange County, California , Emma Widowed, with sister and son's families
1860 Iowa State Census Mason, Cerro Gordo, Iowa, age 19 living with Susane Hobbs, 41
Cerro Gordo, IA Genweb Project, Marriage confirmed
U.S. City Directories (Ancestry.com), Mason City, Cerro Gordo, IA, 1914
1850 US Federal Census Boats and Hands, Cook, Illinois
Bates, Bears, and Bunker Hill. By Edward Deacon, 1911 (Google Books)

Notes:

                   NOTES:
    -According to census records William's father was born in England and his mother was born in Indiana.
    -Likely the John Hobbs located on the 1860 Census in Mason, Cerro Gordo, IA, living with Susan/Susana Hobbs, near Daniel Hobbs, both of New York.
    -John Served in Civil War in company I (?), 2nd Iowa Cavalry. John W Hobbs and David Hobbs enlisted in Cerro Gordo together. Applied for Invalid pension on 5 Aug 1891. Widow applied for widows pension on Jan 28 1915.  
    -He lived In Giltner, NE from 1872, along with father-in-law Lovey Franklin.
    -John is found at the age of 9 working or living on a boat in Chicago.  Also working or living on different boats are Susan, David, and Charles Hobbs.  Daivd, Susan, and John all move to Mason City together, and David and John join the Army on the same day together.  Charles eventually settles in Kalamazoo Michigan.  It is possible that these were orphaned siblings, or for some reason separated from their parents, though John's age is much younger than the other three. It is also quite possible that John is Susan's illegitimate son from an Englishman, giving reason for John listing his father an English born.  Also Susan might be a widow of another Hobbs brother.  There is a James Hobbs in the Chicago directory for 1844, working as a sailor, living on Kinzie St. between Cass and Rush Streets.