The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-17
Risen From the Dead.

Risen From the Dead.
Just twenty years ago to-day th
Thirty-seventh Virginia Regiment, unde
Col. Bob. Claiborne, now Prosecuting
Attorney of the St. Louis Court Q
Criminal Correction, sailed forth from
N1oorhead, Va, to meet that holy terro
of all Confederates, the celebrated
"Stoncman Brigade" Gen. Stonemal
was on his famous raid, the object 0
which was to assail Lees army in th
rear, while the army of the Potomac at
tackled him in front. He had alread!
met and whipped half.a.dozen bands o
rebels, and Col. Claiborne's regimen
was the most formidable antagonist b,
had yet ecountered. The engagement
was not an important one, and Purvis
"Record of the Rebellion" is the only
history of the war which mentions it
But it was remarkable for the daring
bravery of two men, who proved them
selves the only true soldiers out of s
whole company. In the early part o.
the day Col. Claiborne's regiment was
with the exception of one company
bearing the whole brunt of Stoneman'i
terrific onslaughts. BY 8 o'clock in the
afternoon the fine body of men which
that morning formed the Thirty-seventh
regiment had been reduced to mere
handful. They had been decimated
again and again. One more attack aud
not soul would have been left. With
the best of their men either killed OF
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 compa.
ny appeared on the field, and though
even with the endorsements, the fight
was hopeless, shout of relief went up
from the wearied and bleeding survivors.
There was only one chance for them, aud
their commander was quick to see it.
In flash he had leaped from his horse,
and, calling on the new arrivals, be
shouted: Every man dismount and
follow me /"
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 were 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 in
front was too appalling, and almost to a
man they broke and fed. A second later
ard Col. Claiborne found himself desert
ed by all his men but one. That man
was rough back. woodsman from North
Carolina, whom he had, but short time
before, taken from the ranks and promo
ted to Captaincy for brave and daring
conduct on the battle field. His name
was Roberts, and as he pressed close be-
side his commanding officer he shouted {:
CPL stay by you, Colonel, if lose every
drop of blood in my body" The words
were hardly out Of his mouth before be
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 afterward 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 charge 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. R.
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 bystander: "My God, l
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 he is writing to me-"
The letter, however, explained how
Capt. Roberts escaped, and as all the
circumstances are so remarkable, it is
produced here verbatim:
RALEIGA, N. c., Dec. 26.-1faj. Clai
bourne: have been trying to find out
your address ever since the war; have
asked hundreds of people about it, and
have only just succeeded. | believe
would rather see you and talk to you
than any other man on God Almighty's
earth. Do you remember when you rode
up to me and made me a Captain at the
battle of Orange Courthouse? I was
only tarheel soldier before that, but
when you done what you did I would
have died for you. Then do you remem.
Der the fight at Morehead, when you and
L started alone to charge Stoneman's
Brigade? l tell you that fellow Stone
man was the worst cuss in the whole
Yankee army for us fellows to tackle
VANITY the meanest, most cowardly -
of you ever saw? l tell you they
were the worst God Almighty ever had a
hand in making. No decent man would
have run off and left you in the lurch
the way they did. If they had felt like
me they would have died, every d-n
mothers son of them, first.
You thought was dead, didn't you ?
Well, Pm the healthiest dead man IN
North Carolina. / got an ugly wound
in that scrimmage at Morehead, and
never did know how it all turned out,
but long after you had all gone came to
and found hoss there and managed to
get on to him and ride until l found
some friends who took care of me and
brought me out 0. K.
Now, Major, want you to write me 9
long letter, and tell me all abont yourself
and what you are doing. Your true
friend, CAPT. 7. B. ROBERTS.
Overseer at the State Prison, Raleigh,
N. G.
Capt. Roberts speaks of Col. Claiborne
as Major, because he first knew him be.
fure he was made Colonel. The latter
said to a Globe.Democrat reporter yester-
day that he should spend most of bis
time to- day writing to his old comrade.
Poor John Carlisle.