Robert M. Newton (abt. 1830 - 1884)

Born about 1830 in Hall, Georgia, United States

Descendants

Died 1 May 1884 at about age 54 in Haralson, Georgia, United States

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Biography

Robert was born about 1830. He passed away in 1884.

Sources

• U.S. Civil War Soldiers 1861-1865

Robert was a physician in Company H. Georgia 55th in the American Civil War. His brothers, Thomas and James were in the same unit.

Robert contracted tuberculosis, while tending to the needs of his men within his military unit. As he became more ill, he went home on furlough. While home, his brothers were captured at Cumberland Gap, Tennessee and shipped to Camp Douglas, Chicago.

While at Camp Douglas, younger brother, Thomas, contracted small pox and died at the age of 23. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Chicago. His brother, James, was released at the end of the war, and moved his family to Greenville, Texas.

While Robert's younger brothers were incarcerated at Camp Douglas, Robert was sent to work at Andersonville, Georgia as an orderly in the hospital.

(Wouldn't it have been interesting to interview these men, about their wartime experiences?)

After the war, Robert came home to a burned down farm. He could no longer practice medicine due to his medical condition. Family members have stated that he opened a small school where he taught Latin, and essentially started over again.

Sadly, tuberculosis killed him in 1884. His burial had remained a mystery for years. Recently. family members have discovered that he is buried in an unmarked grave in Whitesburg Cemetery, in Carroll County, Georgia.