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| “ | There's no honor in this. | „ |
| ~ Wilkins expressing his disgust in Tavington's intentions on burning a church full of people. |
Captain James Wilkins is the secondary antagonist in the film The Patriot.
He was portrayed by Adam Baldwin.
Biography[]
Wilkins was a British Colonial soldier who opposed the idea of the American colonies' independence. He walked out of a meeting discussing the issue and went and joined the British Army. He ended up as a captain in the Green Dragoons and served under Colonel William Tavington.
Initially, he was certain of where his loyalties were. He considered himself an Englishman and thought that anyone who opposed the notion of independence from the Crown was a traitor. When pressed by Tavington about his loyalties, he told his new commanding officer that all those who opposed the King deserved to die a traitor's death. These words would return to haunt him later in the conflict.
By and large, Wilkins had it relatively easy assisting Tavington in attempting to put down the rebels. He and Tavington clashed several times with Benjamin Martin and his militia, but always failed to catch them. Eventually, Tavington's tactics, already brutal, were turned fully upon civilians - particularly the friends and relatives of Martin's men. Wilkins first hesitated in his duty when Tavington asked him for the location of places Benjamin Martin's family might be hiding. Realizing Tavington's intentions to target Martin's family, Wilkins initially hesitated before telling Tavington of Martin's sister-in-law's plantation.
Eventually Tavington targeted the civilians supporting Martin's militia. Wilkins was ordered to round up a number of citizens and confine them to a church, many of them his neighbors who recognized and greeted him. After Tavington promised forgiveness if the citizens gave up Martin, one of them revealed Martin's hiding place in the swamp. Tavington then sealed the church, claiming that forgiveness was between the citizens and God.
After sealing the church Wilkins informed Tavington his men were ready to burn the town. Tavington instead ordered Wilkins to burn the church. Shocked and horrified at this order, Wilkins refused, but Tavington reminded him of what he said before. Tavington then handed Wilkins a lit torch, ordering him sternly to burn the church. After a moment of hesitation, Wilkins knuckled under and threw the torch into the church, setting it alight. Wilkins, visibly distraught, was comforted by Tavington that history would forget the incident and that "the honor is found in the end." As the screams of the townspeople filled the air, Wilkins remorsefully watched the church burn down, killing everyone inside.
He later participated in the final Battle of Gulliford Courthouse. When Tavington spots Martin commanding the militia, he ignores Cornwallis's commands and instead orders a charge. Wilkins reminded Tavington that their orders were to remain hidden, but Tavington igorned him and charged, leaving Wilkins to hastily lead the men in support. In the battle Wilkins saw Martin rally the colonial rebels by running through the lines with a US flag. After this his fate is unknown, as he was not seen afterwards, perhaps dying in the chaos and confusion of battle.