Jacob Welday Roberts was the son of Robert Rutter Roberts. Jacob was born Dec 1839 in Ohio died 1864 in Tennessee. He lived in Wells Jefferson Co. Ohio at the age of 11 according to census records. At 21 yrs old he lived in Cross Creek Jefferson Co. Ohio. In 1863 he lived Lick Jackson Co Ohio. He served in the Civil War he was a Union solider. He was a private with the US Army. He died at the age of 25 on 22 Dec 1864. He is buried at Nashville National Cemetery at 1420 Gallatin Road, South Madison TN 37115 Buried at Section K Site 13094. Not too sure if he died from wounds or from a disease which was very common during the Civil War. Many men in the war did not make it. The battle last for 4 yrs, it killed more men than during the World Wars of I and II.
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| Jacob Welday Roberts Civil War Draft Record |
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| Jacob Welday Roberts Pension File |
Update 3/5/17
Letters that
was written by Jacob Welday Roberts, to his sister Eliza Jane Dawson. The son
of Robert Rutter Robert and Margaret Amanda Welday. These letters were in
written in 1863 during the Civil War. The letter was transcribed by Vernie
Dawson Lee, in which she contrubite to the book called: Families of Ruebsamen,
Spear, Dawson and Burley by Neil Ruebsamen. The letters are on pages 268-273.
These letters gave us a look what Jacob had experience during these difficult
times during the Civil War. It shows us what he had to endure, what were his
daily activities. The towns and states he walks or rode by horseback through.
Old Letters and “Alminac” Written
Home
By
Jacob Welday Roberts, During the
Civil War, In 1863
May
the 5th 1863
Mrs. Eliza
Jane Dawson
I take up my
pen to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well. I will send you my
almanac. You can give it to Clarinda to take care of for me as she has got the
others when you read it. My almanac of February got lost so Clarinda stated in
her letter it told of our expedition on the yahoo pass; well lida I got safely
though the fight and did not get hurt. I don’t know whether I killed any of the
rebels or not but they kept falling when we fired. Our wounded men were taken
into the hospittle for Fort Gibson; Also the rebels wounded were taken to the
same palce and our doctors and the rebel doctors are working all together
takeing care of the rebels were brought in from Grand Gulf to Port Gibson. They
got hurt the time of the gun boat fight at Grand Gulf; The rebels have
aracuated and blown up their magazines at Grand Gulf. We have a large force
here, we are about 3 miles from Grand Gilf and 12 miles from Port Ginson and 28
miles from Victsburgh. We are marching towards the Rail Road Back of Vickburgh.
I expect we will be in a big fight before long.
From your, J.W Roberts
Alminac for
April 1836
1 We. On
Battalion Drill.
2 Th.
Washing clothes, on Battalion Drill.
3 Fri.
Gerneral Inspection, Bregade Drill
4 Sa. Fixing
bunk, Company marches to town.
5 Su. Arrive
at Friars Point, return to Helena.
6 Mo.
Speaking at the fort by L. Thomas, A.J
7 Tu. On
Picket Guard, got letter from home.
8 We.
Relived from picket by Co. F. Bregade Drill.
9 Th.
Washing Clothes, we get 4 months pay.
10 Fri.
March to town and get on boat.
11 Sa. Start
for Vicksburgh.
12 Su. Pass
Napoleon, Arkansas.
13 Mo.
Arrive at Milligan’s bend.
14 Tu. In camp
at Milligan’s bend.
15 We. March
to Holmes Plantation.
16 Th. In camp
at Holmes Plantation.
17 Fri. In camp
at Holmes Plantation, Washing clothes.
18 Sa. Camp
Morton Rifles. Holmes Plantation.
19 Su.
Inspection of guns Holmes Plantation.
20 Mo.
Fixing up quarters at Holmes.
21 Tu.
Marched to Pontoon Bridge.
22 We. In camp
near bridge.
23 Th. Still
in camp near Pontoon, LA.
24 Fri. Camp
at bridge near Carthage, LA.
25 Sa. Still
in camp at the bridge.
26 Su.
Inspection of guns.
27 Mo. March
through the river below Carthage. Detailed to get wagons over.
28 Tu. Still
in camp near river.
29 We. March
to river and get on boats. Boats run down the river. Battle at Grand Gulf our
loss 6 killed and 13 wounded one gunboat. Disabled Battle Commences at 7pm and
the boats draw off at 4am all the rebel guns silenced but five; the boats run
the blockade.
30 Th. Got
off the boats and ran 15 miles down the river landed on Mississippi side drawed
5 days rations marched all night.
May the 1st fought all day and slept on the battle
field at night.
Camp of the
Morton Rifles on the battlefield at Vicksburgh, Friday June the 5th,
1863
Dear
Friends,
This morning
finds me still on the land amongst the living and enjoying good health. We have
not got Vicksburg taken yet but we have them surrounded so that they can’t get
out. Our line of battle around Vicksburg is 13 miles long; the left line lays
on the Mississippi River below Vicksburg and the right line lays at the mouth
of the Yazoo River above Vicksburg. We have them completely surrounded and have
got about as strong fortifications all around our lines as what the rebels have
and intend to keep them in here till they starve out. Our men keeps shelling
them in their forts from our batteries which are set on every hill, the rebels
cant get to shoot a cannon at us because our sharp shooters in the rifle pits
shoot them when they go to load it and then a ball or two from our big siege guns
is enough to break their cannon and knock it clear off of their forts, so they can’t
use their cannon on us and our sharp shooters are close enough to fetch one
every time he put his head up above the fort, but the rebels have the same
chance and shoot at us in the rifle pits, some get killed nearly every day.
Our men have
got a telegraph put up clear around Vicksburg outside of the line of battle and
can send dispatches all along the line. We lost one of our sergeants by the
bursting of a shell from one of our cannon it bursted too soon and the pieces
flew thick among us at the rifle pits a piece about the size of my fist struck
him in the forehead and tore the whole side of head off; it was a horrible
sight.
Yours, J.W Roberts
Alminac For
May 1863
1 Fri.
Battle of Magnolia on Rodney Hills. The lost in killed & wounded in 34 Reg:
51.
2 Sa.
Marched into Fort Gibson, Mississippi
3 Su.
Marched to Willow Springs.
4 Mo. Camped
at Willow Springs.
5 Tu. Still
in camp at Willow Springs.
6 We.
Marched to Rocky Springs.
7 Th.
Marched 2 miles beyond Rocky Springs.
8 Fri. On
Picket beyond Rocky Springs.
9 Sa.
Relieved from Picket by Co. F
10 Su.
Marched all day pass through Intica.
11 Mo. In
camp between Vicksburg, and Jackson.
12 Tu.
Marched to Little Black river; Skirmishing.
13 We.
Marched within 7 miles of Raymond.
14 Th.
Marched through Raymond, after the battle.
15 Fri.
Marched on to Clinton where we heard that Jackson taken and marched back in the
direction of Edward Depot on the railroad.
16 Sa.
Fought at Champion Hills& Bakers Creek the loss in out Division is 1,360;
loss in 34 Reg. 76.
17 Su. On
Picket, burying the dead.
18 Mo. In
camp on the battle field.
19 Tu.
Marched to Black River Bridge.
20 We. In
camp at Black River; March all night.
21 Th.
Marched at Vicksburg.
22 Fri.
Fighting at Vicksburg.
23 Sa.
Fighting all day; Rolling in cotton bales.
24 Su.
Fighting at Vicksburg; On Picket. Boon Killed.
25 Mo.
Fighting; the 2nd brigade of Horey’s Division comes up.
26 Tu.
Fighting at Vicksburg; Building forts.
27 We.
Fighting; On Picket at the fort.
28 Th.
Fighting general shelling and sharp shooters
29 Fri.
Fighting at Vicksburg, sharp shooting.
30 Sa.
Fighting; Line of battle 13 miles long.
31 Su.
Fighting; I am detailed to go with teams to Haines Bluff on the Yazoo River and
return on Monday.
(P.S) I
shall omit sending the statement of the Magnolia fight for want of space.
Morton Rifles
At New Orleans
September the 3rd 1863
Mr. Robert R. Roberts,
Dear father in accordance with your order I take up my pen to
write you a few lines in reply to your ever welcome letter which I had the
honor of receiving today; I am glad to hear that you are all enjoying good
health and doing well. I was surprised to hear of that little friend of mine at
home and hope it is doing well; and also I was much surprised to hear that
Clarinda was going to get married. I hope I will get a good looking man for a
brother in law. I suppose the reason you did not tell me who it was is because you
want to keep it a secret until they get married. I suppose the grand affair and
the fun will all be over long before this letter gets home and the secret will
be made manifest that the twain are one flesh; I suppose old John Dawson was
pretty badly scared when the rebels took him prisoner bully for Old Alexandria;
Buckingham’s galls will have to walk to meeting since the rebels took all of
the old Bucks horses. Tell Samantha that I sent her a present by Morris Connett
who is going home on a sick furlough.
From Yours Truly
Jacob W. Roberts
To Robert R. Roberts; Special.
Alminac for September 1863
1 Tu. In camp at New Orleans
2 We. In camp near New Orleans; went to Carrollton.
3 Th. Still in camp near New Orleans & Carrollton.
4 Fri General review by general Banks & Grant.
5 Sa. Went to Carrollton.
6 Su. Went to Carrollton to church.
7 Mo. Still in camp near New Orleans.
8 Tu. Wrote a letter home.
9 We. Detailed on guard at the brass foundry.
10 Th. Still on guard at the brass foundry, guarding rations.
11 Fri. Relived from guard at the brass foundry.
12 Sa. Got aboard the boats for Algiers.
13 Su. Took the cars at Algiers for Brashear City.
14 Mo. Went into camp at Brashear City.
15 Tu. Still in camp at Brashear City.
16 We. Still at Brashear City; wrote a letter home.
17 Th. The 18th army corpse crosses the bay;
general inspection.
18 Fri. Still in camp at Brashear City.
19 Sa. Troops are still crossing the bay.
20 Su. Still in camp at Brashear City.
21 Mo. Removing camp at Brashear City.
22 Tu. On company drill at Brashear City.
23 We. On provost guard at Brashear City.
24 Th. Relieved from guard; A man in the first misouria
battery drummed out of service with the hair shaved off of one half of his
head; for stealing money from his bunkmate; preaching in the saw mill tonight.
25 Fri. Still at Brashear City; Preaching in the 11th
Indiana.
26 Sa. Detailed on camp guard; Clint Clark of company A of
the 34th Indiana Regiment court marshaled for staying back in the
times of the battles at Port Gibson and Champion Hills and for forging a pass
to stay back at the battle of Vicksburg, and is sentence to hard labor at Ship
Island the remainder of his term of enlistment with all the pay stopped that is
due to him and all that might be due him the remainder of his time together
with his bounty money and at the end of the times be dishonorably discharged
from the service of the United States, by order of Grig Gen McGinniss Com
Bregad.
27 Su. Relived from camp guard; general review by general Ord
commanding 13th army corpse.
28 Mo. Marching orders; crossed the bay; rained.
29 Tu. Still raining; Very disagreeable in camp.
30 We. Still raining; Very disagreeable without any tents
today; Talk of marching into Texas soon; Very wet weather.
Letter written by Jacob Welday Roberts to his brother in law,
Joseph S. Dawson, husband of his sister Eliza Jane Roberts Dawson, only a few
weeks before he died of small pox in Civil War.
Camp of the Morton Rifles
At Algiers, Louisiana
Christmas Day, 1863
Dear friend:
I seat myself to write you a few lines to let you know how I
am getting along; Well Joe I have been nearly all over New Orleans this
morning, I got a pass from Capt. Deam and went across the river and had a big
time in general in the city of New Orleans; I went to the express office and
expressed 40 dollars for you; I paid the express and insurance and for a receipt,
and all you will have to do will be to take care of the money when it comes
through; I will send you the receipt in case there might be some difficulty in
the way to prevent you from getting the money.
Well Joe they think we will take a ship from here to
Brownsville in Texas in a few days, I think the Old Continental is the ship
that will take us around there; she is a good ship and can take on 1500 soldiers
besides their freight and wagon trains;
We are present at Algiers just on the opposite side of the
river from New Orleans; We can get everything we want to eat here just as cheap
as would buy it at home; bread, apples, oranges, jams, potatoes and in fact
everything; and Irish woman peddling there is no end to it in the camps; fath;
and wadent ye buy a loaf of bread for a pickeune;
Oh: Joe you ought to be here to see the big fleet that stands
here; the masts look like some old deadening just to look at them there is so
many ships here; there is some British schooners here with the old British flas
floating on them; I counted twenty six large guns on one of them; I think they
could do pretty good fighting. Well you can tell the folks that I am well and
hearty at present and would be glad to see them all once more if providence permits
me to get home again. I hope the folks like their new situation out at Murry; I
would be glad to spend a few more days in old Indiana and see some if the young
folks and have a good time; I hope all them gall around there are flourishing;
I would like to be there to help them flourish this winter; I have nine months
more to serve and them “Home again” I think will be my name; I believe I have
nothing much to write at present; please write soon and let me know whether you
get the money and how you are getting along and give me all the good news from
old Bluffon and the surrounding country.
Our regiment is talking of going into the veteran service to
serve three years longer if they can get three fourths if the regiment to
volunteer they will then go home to recruit and fill the regiment up again
provided that the general commanding the department can spare them from the
field; The 24th Ind regiment has made up its quota and got
permission of Gen Banks to go; they will start home in a few days; We have got
369 veteran volunteers in our regiment and I think the regiment would go for if
they could get permission to leave the department; for the present I must bring
by scribbling to a close as it will soon be dark.
Yours truly J.W Roberts
J.S Dawson Esq.
