William b 1826 Illinois found with wife Sarah (Wilson)b 1832 Missouri and child Henry b 1849 Missouri in Neosho Newton Co MO in 1850 census. Then show up in 1860 in Marion, Newton Co with kids Margaret, Jacob, James, Lucinda, Joseph.

Sarah's autobiography indicates she was burned out of her home on Diamond Grove Prairie the summer of 1864 by Militia (Union) forces based out of Newtonia, lead by a "Captain." This apparently after receiving assurances from the "Major" in Neosho that no harm would come to them. William Robinson was clearly not at home at the time. Building the time line a bit, William met them on the trail in Arkansas in Sept 1864. He then reappears in the story on "furlough" in fall of 1864 and apparently remained with the family from then on.

Of interest is the death date of William's father, Beverly Robinson, being 15 August 1864, Diamond Grove Newton Co. This would match pretty well with the time of William and Sarah's home burning. Williams brother James returned to Illinois during the Civil War apparently to escape the strife of SW MO.

Here is a link to a brief history of Livingston and his units during the war. http://www.ozarkscivilwar.org/archives/1142

From Schrantz, Ward L., Jasper County, Missouri, in the Civil War Carthage pg 195 ( http://digital.library.umsystem.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?sid=eca927153ce97d99cd0e6656b032e76e;g=;c=umlib;idno=umlr000069 ) is this incident that was listed as happening after August 2 1864 in the vicinity of Diamond Grove.

"Meanwhile an old confederate sympathizer by the name of Robinson who lived in Jasper county had been murdered for his money. William Rader had been seized by a number of Robinson's friends and charged with the murder. When we arrived on the scene he was trying to explain to his accusers that he could not have killed Robinson because the wound was inflicted by a different calibre revolver than the one he carried."

This fits the time of Beverly Robison's death. There is a lot of indirect evidence that the William Robinson of Livingston's unit could very well be your man. The closest thing to a roster is that published in "Such a Foe as Livingston" by John C. Livingston. Try your local library or here http://www.majorlivingston.com/Home_Page.html. As Livingston was killed at Stockton Mo in late 1863 Robinson may have migrated to Coffee's command or stuck with the 1st Mo Cav Battalion under Piercy and Pickler. The best evidence comes from this entry in the OR that puts Capt William Robinson in the right part of Arkansas at the time Sarah relates and ties him to Stand Waite and Livingston.

"SPRINGFIELD, Mo., August 18, 18G4.

GENERAL: I have the honor to inform you that having complied with Special Orders, No. 213, headquarters District of Southwest Missouri, I have returned to this post and make the following report:

I assumed command of the different detachments of troops ordered by you to Neosho on the morning of the 13th instant and marched to Cowskin Creek. The advance guard saw six men in the evening and killed 1 of them. On the morning of the 14th Captain Kelso killed Lieutenant Baxter, a noted bushwhacker, whom we learned from the ladies at the house at which he was killed had brought dispatches from General Stand Watie to the companies in that vicinity to join Stand Watie near Fort Smith. On the 14th I marched near Maysvilie, Ark., but did not discover any enemy, but learned from reliable sources that the forces which had been in the vicinity of Cowskin Prairie had gone south, and that there was no rebel force left in that section except a few bushwhackers, who hide in the bluff and caves when any Federal soldiers are near. Having become satisfied from the trails of the rebels and rebel horses that the information received to the effect that Captains Rusk, Roberts, and Robinson, rebel officers, who attacked Major Burch about the 6th [7th] instant, had left for Stand Watie near Fort Smith, and that there was no probability of overtaking them, I returned to Neosho and ordered the different detachments of troops to return to their respective posts. On our return to Neosho the advance guard severely wounded 2 bushwhackers. They returned the fire and slightly wounded 1 man of the Sixth Provisional Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia.

I have the honor, general, to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSEPH J. GRAVELY,
Colonel Eighth Cavalry Missouri State Militia."

SOURCE: OR, Series I, Volume 41, Part I, Page 198

Hope this helps.
John R