At the Battle of Bad Axe, George was wounded severely through the wrist of the right hand……. "So that he could grasp nothing strongly in that hand."

In his words in a petition "On a Claim to Land in Michigan -- communicated to the House of Representatives, April 5, 1836" (in part): "..... during the Indian campaign of 1832, I served during the whole campaign under Colonel Henry Dodge, and, unfortunately for me, at the very close of the campaign (at the battle of Bad-Axe), I was wounded, having a ball pass through my right wrist, then cutting ball deep across the breast, and passing through the left arm above the elbow, and has entirely disabled me from doing any manual labor. A small pension I receive from the United States and my farm are the only means I have for the support of a wife and two children."

The murder of George Willard: A former Sing Sing inmate and U.S. Army deserter, L. B. McUmber*, came to the Willard house armed with a large club to take possession of his step-son. The Willards had taken the boy in to raise and protect at the urging of relatives, and he had been with them for many months. McUmber had mistreated, threatened and beat the boy in the past, and even sold him as a slave. George was not home when McUmber came and demanded the boy from Mrs. Willard. When George arrived, he told him to leave his property which McUmber refused to do. So George stepped into his home for his gun to protect the boy and his family, having been stolen from and threatened with death by McUmber several times. George, seeing McUmber riding towards the spot where the boy lay concealed in the field, mounted his horse to follow him. During their encounter, McUmber landed a severe blow on Willard's left arm, and since Willard was disabled in his right hand, McUmber was able to wrestle the gun from Willard. McUmber ran off with the gun and Willard pursued him, requesting his property be returned. McUmber shot him in the head. At the trial, according to a witness, he seemed unmoved by the sobs of the family and "the piercing screams of the inconsolable wife".

* Two spellings "McUmber" and "McCumber"

The trial was held in Elk Grove, Iowa Co, Wisconsin Territory.

Possibly buried in Old Elk Grove Cemetery in (modern) Lafayette Co, Wisconsin.
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George married Aurillia Shattuck
on 16 Feb 1834
in Iowa Co (now Lafayette),
Wisconsin Territory
They had two sons:
Ralph Clark Willard, b. WI
Hamilton A. Willard, b. 12 Jan 1836 WI
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After George's death,
Aurillia married Stephen W. Peyton
on 24 Apr 1840 in Jo Daviess Co, IL
They had the following children:
Mary Ann Peyton 1841
Samuel L. Peyton 1842
Caroline Peyton 1845
Leonidas "Lon" Peyton 1848
George W. Peyton 1850
Scott Peyton 1852