Wilburn Harris "Harry" Hopkins 1844-1912 and William Drennan Hopkins 1843-1862.

WIlliam died of disease on the 4th of April, 1862 in Iuka, Mississippi. According to records on this day, General Johnson stated that he had to postpone the date of battle at Shiloh by one day due to the rain and muddy roads. Roads were so bad that animals got stuck as well as anything on wheels. Troops were so green that they were unable to march in a straight line let alone march. So he postponed the battle to April 5, 1862 at Shiloh.

William at age 16 years (he lied and stated he was 22 years old) joined the confederacy in Sept, 1861. On this same day his brother, Wilburn Harris or Harry, also joined at age 15 years old (he too lied and stated that he was 21 years old). So in December 1861 the 45th Tennessee Infantry Company C was called up. Now it must be noted that, as it still is today, in order to join the North or Confederacy during the Civil War if you were under the age of 18 years, you had to have a parent sign for you. Neither of these had any permission from Sam or Sallie (their parents) in their files.

So it can be assumed that both William and Wilburn came down with the measles. They most likely slept in the same tent. We really will never know what William died of, but on April 4, 1862 it can be presumed that since they were in Iuka, Mississippi (which is just a bit east of Corinth) that he died there and was buried there. An obit was found in two different sources stating that they were in Iuka and that William had died there.

Wilburn went on to fight at Shiloh and then become sick with Pneumonia (must be noted that with viral pneumonia you can also have a rash so it is unknown if they had measles for sure) and then fought at the Battle of Baton Rough two months later and again came down with Pneumonia again.

Family lore is that Wilburn was sent home by the general to get well and did not have to come back. Well, that story is partly right, He most likely got sick again and the Confederacy had got the medical aspect of the war down a bit better and got caught that he was under age by the physician (not enough hair on his chest for a 21 year old) and sent him home until he got old enough to re-enlist. This sounds like a much more realistic story then to be sent home to get well.

Harry Hopkins