William McKendree Robbins

He taught mathematics at Normal (now Trinity) College (NC) for two years, moved to Glennville, AL and opened the Female College there, but by 1858 he was a lawyer in Selma, AL. He enlisted on 24 April 1861 at Selma in the Marion Light Infantry, which mustered into service as Company G, 4th Alabama Infantry. He was appointed First Lieutenant. He was elected Captain on 22 April 1862.

He assumed command of the Regiment as next senior officer after Capt Scruggs was wounded on 17 September at Sharpsburg.

He was promoted to Major on 3 October 1863. He was wounded in the head in action at the Wilderness on 6 May 1864. He was with his Regiment at the surrender at Appomattox, VA on 9 April 1865.

He returned to North Carolina in December 1865 and practiced law in Salisbury. He was elecetd to the State Senate in 1868 and 1872, and to the US House of Representatives 1872, '74, and '76. He moved his practice to Statesville. In 1894 he was appointed by President Cleveland to the Gettysburg Battle Field Commission.

Service information from the Alabama database.1 Details from a bio sketch from the NCpedia. Photograph above from one in the collection of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, found online through Alabama Mosaic, a project of the Auburn University Digital Library.

His papers are in the Southern Historical Collection at UNC, many digitized and online.

10/26/1828; Randolph County, NC

05/03/1905; Salisbury, NC; burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Statesville, NC