Career
Thompkins joined the Army from his birth city of Paterson, New Jersey, and by June 30, 1898 was serving as a Private in Troop G of the 10th Cavalry Regiment. On that day, American forces aboard the United States Ship Florida near Trinidad, Cuba dispatched a landing party to provide reconnaissance on Spanish outposts in the area. The party was discovered by Spanish scouts and came under heavy fire.
Their boats were sunk by enemy cannon fire, leaving them stranded on shore.
The men aboard the Florida launched several rescue attempts. The first four were forced to retreat under heavy fire.
William Thompkins died in 1916 and was buried in San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California.
