NOTE:  Feel free to use this information but please acknowledge the source- manuscript by Joel P. Hilbun.

William Hilbun was the third child of Stephen Newberry Hilbun (1805-1888) who was the eighth child of Frederick Hilbun (1768-1850). William was born July 7, 1831 in Lowndes County, Alabama. He married Susan Elizabeth Beard July 3, 1855 in Monroe County, Alabama (Monroe County, AL Marriage Book A) and security was provided by Joseph C. Lambert. Susan was the oldest child of Moses Beard and was 22 years old when she married William. Moses Beard was found in the 1850 census of Monroe County, Alabama. Susan Beard’s sister, Martha married William’s younger brother, David Frederick Hilbun and they also moved to Wayne County and later to Laurel, Mississippi.

William and Susan Hilbun had three sons: Andrew Jackson, born in Alabama in 1856; Steven Filmore, born in 1858, and William P., born in 1860. The youngest boys were both born in Wayne County, Mississippi.

William purchased land in Wayne County, Mississippi, on September 8, 1857- 43.20 acres in Township 10 North, Range 7, Section 31, NE4 NW4, for $108, record # 13632. This land joined that of his father-in-law, Moses Beard. A certificate for a Land Patent was issued by the Augusta Land Office on November 10, 1859. On the certificate his name appears five times as “William Hilburn” with the “r” scratch through each time.

On January 9, 1861 Mississippi was the second state to secede from the Union, and on April 12 of that year the War Between the States began with the firing on Fort Sumter in South Carolina. As many men began enlisting to fight for the Confederacy, on March 8, 1862, William and his younger brother, John Wesley, enlisted in the Shubuta Guards of Clarke County, Company E with T. T. Howze, a Clarke County farmer, as captain. Organized March 1, 1862, the regiment was first called the 37th Mississippi Volunteers. Shubuta, the nearest enlistment station, was just a few miles from where he lived in Wayne County. On April 28, 1862, ten companies from the counties of Clarke, Jasper, Lauderdale, and Smith, rendezvoused at Columbus, Mississippi, and there they were mustered into the Army of the Confederate States of America as the 37th Mississippi Infantry Regiment with a total of 888 men, including field officers and staff. The date on William’s service record states that he enlisted on May 13, 1862, by Col. Orlando S. Holland, who had been editor of a newspaper in Enterprise.

William’s unit participated in the Battle of Iuka on September 19, 1862, after which his company was moved into position for the defense of Corinth as a major railroad center. On October 3 there began a three day siege by Federal armies. William’s service record dated October 13 records that he was absent from his company, the reason being that he was wounded in action at Corinth, Mississippi on October 3, 1862 and sent home. His Company Muster Roll for November and December recorded him “absent, wounded in action, Corinth, and in hospital.” The January and February records show “absent, in hospital.” There is a Hospital Muster Roll of General Hospital at Enterprise, Miss., that says “to February 28, 1863, dated February 28, 1863, listing William ”present” as a patient.
Sometime after February 28 William rejoined his regiment which was already engaged at Vicksburg. In the fierce fighting that led to the surrender on July 4, the casualties of the 37th were 17 killed and 56 wounded. One of those wounded was William. He was captured and taken as a Prisoner of War on July 4, 1863 but was paroled on July 6.

The Company Muster Roll for April 30 to October 31 states “Died in hospital, Vicksburg, Miss., July 15, 1863.” He was buried near Vicksburg in Cedar Hill Cemetery, in a section established in 1866 for Confederate Soldiers called Soldiers Rest, in the Mississippi Section. His grave marker is inscribed:

“PVT WILLIAM HILBURN
CO E MISS INF CSA
JUL 7 1831 – JUL 15 1863.”

(picture- author and daughter Kaye at William’s grave)

William’s younger brother, John Wesley, was discharged by order of General Johnston sometime between April 30 and October 31, 1863. After he returned from the war, he married William’s widow, Susan Elizabeth, probably in 1865. In about 1879 the family moved from Wayne County to Jones County, Mississippi. An oral tradition has it that they were intending to move on to Texas, but were caught in west Jones County by a very unexpected snow storm.  Stranded there for some days, they were treated so well by the Wade family that they decided to just settle in Jones County.

John Wesley Hilbun raised William’s sons and had more children with Susan- Lula, Theodocia, Mary Katherine, John T., and Daniel Benjamin.

William’s son, Stephen Filmore Hilbun grew up in the Big Creek area of Jones County and in 1881 married Mary Almedia Wade, daughter of Daniel Webster Wade and Cornelia Knight Wade. They had the following children- Doctor Franklin, Charles William, Nola Lavada, Persada, Bruce Sharp*, Daniel Wesley, and William Hobson.

*Bruce Sharp Hilbun married Cammie V. Miller and they had the following children, Billy S., John C., Charles C., Joel P., Robert B. and Thomas E.