Joseph Ellis Roberts (1850 - 1954)

Born 20 Aug 1850 in Monroe, West Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 5 Mar 1954 at age 103 in St Albans, Kanawha, West Virginia, United States

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PVT Lurty's Company, Virginia Horse Artillery

PVT CO. D, Tabb's BN, 28th Battalion, Virginia Infantry

PVT CO I 59th Regiment, Virginia Infantry ((3d Reg't. of Infantry, Wise Legion.)

CPT CO. F 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry

Biography

Served as a drummer boy in the Army of Northern Virginia

Little Drummer Boy clementshawn3 added this on 3 Jan 2015 Joseph Ellis Roberts served as a drummer boy for the Confederate States Army of Northern Virginia. His served in James L Kemper's Brigade. His unit was travelling near the Kanawha county (West Virginia) where is family lived when he received word that his mother (Elizabeth McNeer wife of John H Roberts) was sick. His commander gave Joseph permission to visit his mother during this time which is good news for our lineage, because unknown to the Confederate unit a larger Union force led by General William S Rosecran's Division was heading towards the area and wiped out the unit which Joseph was assigned to. During his visit, he was warned of the Union Army's approach and took his mother to safety. He returned to the family farm in order to save the family Bible. As the young drummer boy was leaving his house Union troops crested the ridge to his farm and began firing at him. Joseph raised the Bible to his heart and ran as quickly as he could into a thick wood line. He kept running until he felt that he lost the Union troops and was safe. That night, he noticed that one of the bullets had struck the family Bible. Joseph peeled the pages of the Bible, following the path of the bullet stopping at Deuteronomy 5:16 "Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you." ******************************************************************************************************************** This story was used in 1950 by a local newspaper to celebrate Veterans Day. The article included a very old Joseph E Roberts with one of his youngest sons Ray Clarence Roberts and the family Bible. Upon Joseph's death, one of his eldest sons claimed the Bible, so I have never seen it other than in a wrinkled copy of the article.

As a drummer boy for the Confederate Militia, Joseph was allowed to leave the unit in order to attend to his mother. While visiting, neighbors reported the approaching Union Army. joseph escorted his mother to safety and returned to recover the Roberts family bible. As he fled the house, Union troops crested a hill and began firing at him. He fled into the woods and once he was safe noticed a bullet hole in the Bible. He traced the path to Deuteronomy 5:16. There was a newspaper article on this.

Sources

• FHL FILM NUMBER: 1984369

http://interactive.ancestry.com/2442/M-T0627-04415-01025/145610537?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3d1940usfedcen%26h%3d145610537%26indiv%3dtry%26gss%3dpt%26ssrc%3dpt_t28327831_p12030008599_ktidz0q3d28327831z0q26pidz0q3d12030008599z0q26pgz0q3d32782z0q26pgplz0q3dtidz0q257cpidz0q26pgpsz0q3d12030008599_h3073671414&ssrc=pt_t28327831_p12030008599_ktidz0q3d28327831z0q26pidz0q3d12030008599z0q26pgz0q3d32782z0q26pgplz0q3dtidz0q257cpidz0q26pgpsz0q3d12030008599_h3073671414&backlabel=ReturnRecord

• Family Bible