Submitted by: Marilee Wilkins DittrichWilloby Wilkins was born in southern Illinois in 1843 to John and Mary Ann (Johnson) Wilkins. His father died when he was young and his mother remarried Thomas Griffith in 1847.
In the 1860 census, Willoby was living with the Matthew Bracewell family and working as a farm hand. He would have been 17 years old at this time. The Bracewell farm was near the farm of Willoby's step-father Thomas Griffith in Pope County, IL.
In August 1862, Willoby joined the 120th Ilinois Regiment and was placed in Co. F as a Private. His name was spelled Williby, Willoby, Willie, and Welbur in his records. He spent much of his service on the sick roll, with a variety of complaints. Among these were intermittent fever, chronic inflammation of the liver, contusion, rheumatism, bronchitis, inflamation of the lungs, erysipelas leg (an acute infectious disease of the skin caused by a streptococcus), pneumonia, constipation, several cases of severe diarrhea, and intermittent tertian (a term usually applied to fever or a disease causing it esp. any of certain forms of malaria).
Unlike his younger brother James Knox Polk Wilkins, Willoby's regiment saw very little action during the war. They did participate in the seige of Vicksburg, May to July 1863; and in 1864 they were at the Battle of Brice's Crossroads which they lost. This regiment spent much of its time in guard duty, much of the time in Memphis, Tenn. During their service, this regiment lost 285 men, 261 of which were to disease.
The Company Muster Roll shows that on February 20,1865, Willoby was dishonorably discharged from the service by sentence of a General Court Martial as per G. O. No. 15, Hdqrs. Dist. West Tenn., Memphis. According to official records, there were 3 charged filed against him:
1) Drunkenness on duty, to the Prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline. SPECIFICATION: That Pvt. Willoughby Wilkins, was drunk while on duty at the Navy Yard, at Memphis, Tenn., on the evening of the 21st of January, 1865.
2) Contempt and disrespect toward his commanding officer. SPECIFICATION: That Pvt. Wilkins, having been ordered by his superior officer, Capt. Wm. Roark, to to with a Corporal, did wilfully refuse to obey said order and did reply in words, "I'll be --- ----- if I go, and no such ---- rascal as you can get guards enough to make me go," or words to that effect.
3) Drawing a weapon on his superior officer, being in the execution of his office. SPECIFICATION: That Pvt. Wilkins, did draw a dirk knife on, and threaten to kill his commanding officer, Capt. Wm. Roark, the said Capt. being in the execution of his office on the evening of the 21st of Jan., 1865.
Willoby pleaded guilty only to the first charge. During the trial he stated, "I know nothing about what they said I did to the Capt. He has been down on me ever since I have been in the company and has been always trying to get a hold on me."
When a Lieut. Abel O. Will was called in for the defense he stated, "In a part of the performance of his duty he has been a very good soldier; in a part of it he has been a selfish crabbed kind of a man.... He is different at different times. At times he would do duty when ordered to, but at other times he would refuse and would not want to do it.... Sometimes he would be a good soldier and do what he was ordered to do and then again he would be contrary about it."
The court found Willoby guilty on all three charges and sentenced him to be dishonorably discharged from the military service of the United States with the loss of all pay due, or to become due, and to be confined at hard labor on the fortifications of Fort Pickering in Memphis, Tenn. for the term of one year.
Willoby's younger brother, James, says in a letter to their parents, dated May 28, 1865, "I haven't herd any thing from Brother since we left Savannah. I am mighty sorry to here that he had got himself in trouble by giting drunk but that man Whiskey is calculated to ruin amost any man that partakes of it much."
Willoby was released from prison and restored to his regiment July 13, 1865 and was mustered out with his company September 10, 1865 at Memphis, Tennessee. After the War, he married Lucretia East in Massac Co., IL in 1866. Eight and a half years later they had a son, William M.
Less than three years later on March 2, 1878 Willoby Wilkins passed away at the home of his step-father Thomas Griffith in Pope Co., IL. His brother James was with him at the time. His wife Lucretia gave birth three weeks later to a second son, Josephus M. Wilkins. Lucretia remarried two years later on Feb. 28, 1880 to Noah Woolsey in Massac Co., IL.
References:
1850 US Census, Massac Co., IL, #69 69
1860 US Census, Pope Co., IL, Twp.11S, R5E, #636 625
Affidavits, military and court martial records from the U.S. Natl. Archives
"History of the 120th IL Infantry", Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, Vol. VI, page 367-369
