WI BIO - Lafayette Co - ROBBINS, J. C.

History of La Fayette County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, 
p 756

J. C. ROBBINS, grain and livestock, Town of Belmont, Lafayette County, 
Wisconsin, was born 03 September 1838 in Chautauqua County, New York. In 
1841 he came with his parents to Jo Daviess County [Illinois], and there 
followed farming until 1856, when he removed to Apple River [Jo Daviess 
County, Illinois, very near the border with Lafayette County, Wisconsin] and 
engaged in raising grain and livestock, continuing that business there until 
1868, when he came to Belmont.

In August 1861 J. C. ROBBINS enlisted in Company B, Forty-fifth Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, and served with that regiment until 09 July 1863. He was 
then promoted to Captain in the Ninth Louisiana Colored Infantry. In 1864 he 
was transferred to the United States Heavy Artillery, and was discharged on 
account of physical disability on 27 November 1864. He was wounded in the 
left arm at the battle of Shiloh, 06 April 1862, and participated in the 
battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, siege of Corinth, siege of 
Vicksburg and others.

In 1860 J. C. ROBBINS married [his first wife] Miss Sarah FROST, who was born 
in 1841 in Vermont, and died in 1866. They [J. C. and Sarah (FROST) ROBBINS] 
had two children: James W. and Herbert J. J. C. ROBBINS was again married 
in 1869, to [his second wife] Miss Emily BUSS, who was born in Buffalo [Erie 
County], New York. They [J. C. and Emily (BUSS) ROBBINS] have four children: 
Louis F., Laura E., Frank M., and Cora. Mr. ROBBINS held the office of 
Constable in Jo Daviess County [Illinois]; in 1870 was elected Justice of the 
Peace, has held this office four terms, and is now Treasurer of the School 
Board [in Belmont, Lafayette County, Wisconsin].

[For another ROBBINS, see the Lafayette County, Wisconsin, biography of 
Jeremiah WECKERLEY, who married a "Flora Ella ROBBINS," born in 1848 at Nora, 
Jo Daviess County, Illinois. One of four purchasers of land for the village 
of Belmont, Lafayette County, was "H. ROBBINS" (p 621). One of eleven men 
from Benton Precinct, Lafayette County, who served on the first petit jury in 
Lafayette County in 1847 was "J. ROBBINS." When the Lafayette Guard (a home 
guard organized in August 1863 during the draft trouble of that year to 
maintain the authority of law) was reorganized and combined with a similar 
body from Benton, the muster roll of the new company, filed with the County 
Clerk on 27 August 1864, contains the name "James ROBBINS," a private. In 
its discussion of lead mines in Lafayette County, the text mentions (p 364) 
diggings in the Platteville District called the "Robbins Range" (in the 
vicinity of the village of Platteville, a short distance north of the Gillis 
Range), was struck in 1840, from which 500,000 pounds of lead was mined.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly