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J.B. Robertson

J.B. Robertson

Confederate (CSA)

Colonel

Jerome Bonaparte Robertson

"Polly"

(1815 - 1890)

Home State: Texas

Education: Transylvania University (KY), Medicine, Class of 1835

Command Billet: Commanding Regiment

Branch of Service: Infantry

Unit: 5th Texas Infantry

Before Sharpsburg

After medical school in Kentucky he went to Texas and was a Captain in the Republic of Texas Army in 1836-37. He later served in local Indian actions and against Mexican forces into the 1840s. He started a medical practice on the Brazos River in Washington County and was elected to the Texas State House in 1847 and the State Senate in 1849.

He organized a Company of troops in 1861 and was commissioned their Captain when they became Company I, 5th Texas Infantry on 1 July 1861. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 1 November 1861 and Colonel on 1 June 1862. He was wounded at Gaines' Mill, VA on 27 and again at 2nd Manassas on 30 August.

On the Campaign

He led the Regiment into Maryland but collapsed from previous wounds or exhaustion at South Mountain on 14 September and was taken to the rear.

The rest of the War

He was appointed to command the Brigade on 22 October 1862 when General Hood was given the Division, and was promoted to Brigadier General on 1 November. He was again wounded, at Gettysburg, PA on 2 July 1863. He was court-martialled on 25 February 1864 on charges of defeatism by General Longstreet and then sent west to command the Reserve Forces of Texas from 24 June 1864 until paroled 12 July 1865 at the end of the war.

After the War

He returned to his medical practice and was a passenger agent for the Houston and Texas Central Railroads. He moved to Waco in 1879

References & notes

Service information from Simpson.1 His gravesite is on Findagrave. His picture from MOLLUS Massachusetts Collection.2 His son Felix was also a Confederate General officer.

Birth

03/14/1815; Woodford County, KY

Death

01/07/1890; Waco, TX; burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Waco, TX

Notes

1   Simpson, Harold Brown, Hood's Texas Brigade: a Compendium, Hillsboro: Hill Junior College Press, 1977, pg. 4  [AotW citation 20875]

2   US Army, Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC), Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS)-Massachusetts Photograph Collection, Published 2009, <https://arena.usahec.org/web/arena>, Source page: Vol. 85, pg. 4298  [AotW citation 20876]