The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-01-31
RISEN FROM THE DEAD.


A Well Known st. Louis Omcial
Aears Fro IN Man He Saw Killed
Twenty Years Ago.
From the st. Louis Globe. Democrat.
Just twenty years ago to-day the
Thirtv-seventh Virginia Regiment, I'M
der Col. Bob. Claiborne, now Prosecu-
ting Attorney of the St. Louis Court OF
Criminal Correction, sailed forth
from Moorhead, Va, to meet that holy
terror Of all Confedrates, the celebrated
"Stoneman Brigade" Gen. stoneman
was on his famous raid, the object Of
which was to assaii Lees army in the
rear, while the Army OF the Potomac
attached him in front. He had already
met and whipped half-a-dozen bands of
rebels, and Col. Claiborne's regiment
was the most formidable antagonist he
had yet encountered. The engagement
was not an important one. and Purvis'
"Record of the Rebellion" is the only
history of the war which mentions it.
But 1t was remarkable for the daring
bravery of two men, who proved them
selves the only true soldiers out of a
whole company. In the early part ofthe
day Col. C!aiborne's regiment was, with
the execution of one company, bearing
the whole brunt of Stoneman's terrific
onslaughts. Hy three o'clock in the AZ
ternoon the fine body of men which
that morning formed the Thirtv-seventh
regiment had been reduced to a mere
handful. They bad been decimated
again and again. One more attack and
M q 1~fk ~
the best of their men either killed or
wounded, and the balance ready to sue.
cumb with fatigue and wounds, there
seemed no possibility of escape for any
one. But suddenly the missing COM
pany appeared on the field, and though,
even with the re-enforcements. the
fight was hopeless, shout Of relief went
up from the wearied and bleeding sur.
vivors. There was only one chance for
them, and their commander was quick
to see it. In flash he had leaped from
his horse, and, calling on the new ar
rivals, he shouted:
Every man dismount and follow
mew
But at that moment the blue coats of
Stoneman's brigade appeared over the
crest of the hill in 'front.' and the cheers
Of the Union soldiers we're ringing in
the ears Of the confederates. In vain
did their colonel try to rally them and
urge them on. The solid line Of steel
i'll front was too appalling, and almost to
man they broke and fled. A second
later and Col. Claiborne found himself
deserted by all his men but one. That
man was rough backwoodsman from
North Carolina, whom he had, but a
short time before, taken from the ranks
nd tad To ,tos
and daring conduct on the battlefield.
HIS name was Roberts, and as he pressed
close beside his commanding officer he
shouted: "I'll stay by you, Colonel, if
lose every drop ofblood in my body"
The words were hardly out of his mouth
before he fell full length on the ground
with a rifle-ball through his chest.
The next moment Col. Claiborne was
surrounded by the boys in blue and cap
tured. He atterward reported to the
Confederate Government the death OF
Capt. Roberts, and from that day until
yesterday, exactly twenty years, he has
heard nothing Of the man who aided
him in his CHI rye on Stoneman's brigade.
Yesterday morning Col. Claiborne,
while looking over his letters, came to
| one with the postmark Raleigh. N. c.
addressed in lead pencil to Maj. G.. T.
Claiborne, St. Louis. On opening it the
first thing he saw was the name Capt T.
B. Roberts. Jumping to his feet he ex-
claimed to bystauder: my God,
have got letter from the dead. I saw
this man shot and killed with my own
eyes at the battle of Morehead, Dec. 81
1868, and here is his writing to me-"
The letter, however, explained how
Capt. Roberts escaped, and as all the
/ <,IN ,e,ko ~Iroh
produced here verbatim:
Raleigh, N. c., Dec. G.-Maj. Clai
borne: l have been trying to find ou
| your address ever since the war; have
asked hundreds of people about it. and
have only just succeeded. believe
would rather see you than any othel
man on God Almighty's earth. Do you
remember when you rode up to me q,
the a.tle of Orange Courthouse? was
only tarheel soldier before that. bu
when you done what you did I woulG
have died lor you. Then do you re-
member the fight at Morehead, wher
you and I started alone to charge
Stoneman's brigade? tell you that fel
low Stoneman was the worst crlss in the
whole Yankee army for us fellows t.
tackle. But that d company o
mine. VANITY the the meanest, mos
cowardly-of- ever saw?
tell you they were the worst God AL
mighty ever had hand in making. NJ
decent man would have run off and lef
you in the lurch the way they did. I
they felt like me they would have died
every On mothers son of them, first
You thought was dead, didn't you
Well, l am the healthiest dead man il
North Carolina. l got an ugly wound il
scrimmage at Morehead, and never dit
know now it all turned out, but long at
ter you had all gone Icame to and foune
boss there and managed to get on {,
him and ride until found some friend
who took care of me and brought me ou
|O.K
Now. Major, want you to write me .
long letter, and tell me all about your
self and what you are doing. You
true friend, CART. T. e:.RoBERrs,
Overseer at State Prison. Raleigh, n.
Capt. Roberts speaks of Col. Claiborn,
as Major, because he first knew him be
tore he was made Colonel. The lat
ter said to Globe. Democrat reporte
yesterday that he should spend most O
his time to-day writing to his old com
rade.
Negro Philosophy.
During the civil war, though hundre d
of colored men at the North and in tn
South joined the Federal Army and dit
good service, yet the great mass of tn
negroes did not seem inclined to risl