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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 953
WILLIAM WILKINS, one of the successful farmers of Wingville, Grant county, and an honored veteran of the war of the Rebellion, is now residing upon his well cultivated farm, where he is enjoying life, surrounded by comforts his own toil has procured.
Mr. WILKINS was born in Wiltshire, England, in January, 1833, a son of James and Ann WILKINS, who lived and died in England. Our subject was reared to the occupation of farming, and when yet a young man came to America, locating at Linden, Wis., and after working at several places, finally accumulated sufficient money to purchase his present pleasant home, which he has greatly improved, until it is now one of the finest farms, in Wingville township.
The war record of our subject is a very interesting one, he enlisting, August 4, 1862, at Georgetown, in the 25th Wis. V.I., this regiment being the one with which General, afterwards Governor Jeremiah Rusk was identified. Mr. WILKINS was one of the first to be enrolled in his company, and was mustered into the service at La Crosse, Wis. The first assignment of the regiment was at New Ulm, Minn., to assist in quelling the Indian disturbances, and it was sent via Winona and La Crosse to Madison, and thence to Columbus, Ky. From here they were sent to Vicksburg, and the regiment participated in the famous siege, keeping Gen. Johnston from relieving the Confederate forces. After the surrender of Vicksburg the regiment was ordered up the Mississippi river to Cairo; up the Ohio to Paducah, Ky., and across country to Montgomery, Ala., joining the army under Gen. Sherman. The regiment participated in the famous March to the Sea. However, Mr. WILKINS was so unfortunate as to be wounded in his left arm at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, and as it was very severe, being four inches long and two wide (so described by the surgeon), he was obliged to have it treated in the field hospital. In those days the facilities for caring for and transporting the sick and wounded were poor transporting were poor and meager; the weather was unbearably hot, and Mr. WILKINS suffered untold agonies with his arm. Later he was taken to Resaca, where he had been previously engaged in battle, thence to Chattanooga, on to Nashville and Louisville. The next removal was to Mound City, and from there he was taken to Keokuk, Iowa, where he was honorably discharged, on June 21, 1865. William WILKINS was not the only one of his family who did gallant service for his country, as his brother, Stephen, enlisted in the 7th Wis. V.I., was wounded at the second battle of Bull Run by a fragment of shell. However he recovered, and is now a resident of Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
On Nov. 9, 1869, Mr. WILKINS was married to Miss Jane BLAINE, a daughter of James F. BLAINE. Of the children born of this union, two sons are now living: George and Charles; Edwin B. James, Elmer and Nellie died in infancy. Mrs. WILKINS passed away June 13, 1897, leaving two sons and her husband to mourn her loss. She was a good, Christian woman, loving wife and mother, and in her the community lost a sympathetic neighbor. Mr. WILKINS is a consistent member of the M. E. Church, of which his wife was also a member. Genial, kind hearted, generous, Mr. WILKINS is liberal in his donations to the Church, ready in his support of all movements tending towards the advancement of the community, and he enjoys the respect and confidence of a wide circle of friends.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck