 1824 - 1906
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| Prefix |
Col. |
| Born |
9 Jul 1824 |
Oneida Co., NY  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Died |
24 Aug 1906 |
Grafton, Fillmore, NE |
| _CRE |
15 Feb 2015 |
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|
| Notes |
- Married Esther Catherine Moon,of Herkimer Co, NY,in 1844, she died 30 Oct 1899. They moved to Dodge Co.WI in the Fall of 1851. Their children: George H., Elizabeth C. and Samuel D. (twins), Milton H., and Eugene W. He was Captain, and later Lt.Col., of the 10th Wisconsin Infantry, Co.B. In 1883 they homesteaded in Myron Twp., Faulk Co, Dakota Territory, with Milton and Julia Ann Deloy Roby. After Milton's death they moved to Grafton,NE where his son George H. was living. His middle name was originally Whittemore, after his mother's maiden name, but he usually used Whitman.
History of Dodge County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1880, pp
651-652
Col. Jacob W. ROBY, farmer, Section 3 [Williamstown Township, Dodge County,
Wisconsin], P. O. Kekoskee [Williamstown Township], was born 09 July 1824 in
Oneida County, New York. His parents were farmers, and he was educated in
the common schools of Oneida County. When about twenty-one, he was made
Captain of a boat on the Erie Canal, which position he held until the fall of
1851, when he settled on 130 acres of his present farm. About twenty acres
of this were poorly cleared, upon which was a log house. As a result of
years of toil and management, the Colonel has 170 acres of well improved
[land], with the best of buildings; he also owns a farm of 200 acres in York
County, Nebraska.
He [Jacob W. ROBY] enlisted 14 September 1861 with eighty-four men of Dodge
County, and received eighty-three votes for Captain, voting himself for J.
ADAMS of Horicon [Hubbard Township, Dodge County]. This company was called
the Lyon Guards, and was organized with the Tenth Wisconsin Volunteer
Infantry as Company B. He served as Captain of this company until 20
September 1863, participating in all engagements, including Perryville, where
his belt plate was dented by a rebel bullet, and Stone River, where his right
arm was broken by a piece of rebel shell.
In the battle of Chickamauga, Lieut. Col. ELY was mortally wounded. Capt.
[Jacob W.] ROBY then took and retained command of the regiment, was afterward
commissioned Lieut. Colonel by Gov. LEWIS, and commanded the remnant of his
heroic regiment at the battles of Buzzard's Roost, Lookout Mountain and
Missionary Ridge. He [Jacob W. ROBY] was then about two months in command of
the post at Tyner's Station, East Tennessee. The regiment then joined
SHERMAN in his Atlanta campaign and was among the foremost at the battles of
Snake Creek Gap, second Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Dalton, Kenesaw Mountain,
Chattahoochee and Peach Tree Creek. [An account of the Battle of Peach Tree
Creek follows.]
In this battle, Col. ROBY was ordered to advance from the second line with
his regiment to a certain position, on reaching this position the first line
began fighting, here the Colonel's horse was wounded; dismounting, he
advanced without orders to a position near the first line to protect his men
by the shelter of a hill, from the crest of which the first line was
repulsed. The Colonel tried in vain to stay the mad retreat of this, the
104th Illinois Volunteer Infantry; he then, still without orders, ordered a
charge on the three rebel regiments, now in full possession of this partly [p
652] entrenched hill, this seemingly reckless dash so surprised the enemy
that their fire passed harmlessly over the heads of our boys, the Colonel
ordered his first line to fire, which fire broke the rebel lines; the second
fire completed the rout, the Wisconsin boys still pouring in merciless fire
upon the flying foe, many of the boys firing twenty or more rounds.
This was one of the most wonderful as well as daring feats of the war, as the
10th did not lose a man; Col. ROBY received a shot through his hat and one
officer was wounded in the shoulder. The regiment then participated in the
siege of Atlanta and the battle of Jonesboro; after helping to pursue HOOD
over Sand Mountain, the time of the regiment having more than expired, it
returned and was mustered out in Milwaukee, 03 November 1864. The Colonel
then retired to his farm, where he now recounts, with pride and pleasure, the
exploits of his famous regiment. Among his souvenirs he has a sword
presented by his company and one presented by the regiment; also a splendid
scarf given him by Capt. DONAHUE, of Company E, 104th Illinois Volunteer
Infantry, whose life was saved by the charge at Peach Tree Creek.
In 1844 the Colonel [Jacob W. ROBY] married Miss Esther C. MOON, of Herkimer
County, New York. They [Jacob W. and Esther C. (MOON) ROBY] have five
children: (1) George H., (2) Elizabeth C., a twin; (3) Samuel D., twin of
Elizabeth D.; (4) Milton H., and (5) Eugene W. Col. ROBY is Republican.
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| Person ID |
I26708 |
Moon Anderson Family History & Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
15 Feb 2015 |
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