ROBERT WILSON TURNER -- 118th INFANTRYFOUGHT IN THE CRIMEAN WAR - Robert Wilson Turner enlisted as a privatein the 118th Infantry on July 18, 1832 when he was 30 years old-within a week he was promoted to be the Sergeant-Major of the regiment,probably because of his prior military experience. He had been in the39th Infantry in England for 7 years. While in the British Army, hehad been in the Crimean War in 1854 and had fought in the Battle ofAlma, Sevastopol, Balaclava, and Inkerman, among others. By September1855, he was in Montreal with his regiment where he resigned, andmarried Martha Gilbrath. They came to the Clinton County in 1857.Robert was from a fighting family. His father had been in the BritishArmy and had died in 1836, when Robert was four years old. He had twouncles who had fought all over Europe before fighting with Wellingtonagainst Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Both uncles died in thebattle. Robert's grandfather had been in the British Army at the time ofthe Irish Rebellion in 1798 and wounded at the Battle of Vinegar Hillwhich was the last attempt of United Irishmen to hold and defend groundagainst the British.All went well with Robert in the 118th until the Battle of Drewry'sBluff. He was shot in the instep of his right foot and was sent tohospital, at Suffolk, VA. In March 1865, by Special Order of the ProvostMarshal General, he was transferred to the 4th Regiment of the VeteranReserve Corps. On June 17, 1865, he was mustered out at Rock Island, IL.His family including wife, Martha Gilbrath, and four children ended upfarming in Downs, KS, about 250 miles due west of Kansas City. In 1880he started receiving his Invalids Pension of \$12 a month. Afterbecoming widowed, his health declined and he was admitted to theDisabled Veterans Home in Leavenworth, KS, just outside Kansas City, inFebruary 1899. Almost three years later, he died there on December 28,1901, at 6:06 pm. At 8 am, two days later, he was buried in theLeavenworth National Cemetery adjacent to the hospital with "the usualmilitary ceremonies."So far, we have found five soldiers, who enlisted in Clinton County,buried in Leavenworth National Cemetery.
