Zina Robins remembered little about his father, since he was a young child at the time of his death. He did recall, "Father went to Civil War at age 16, had the measles on Sherman's March to the Sea."1

Samuel Robins must have been chafing to get into the action, perhaps fudging a birthday, since his enlistment as a Private in the Union Army dated April 10, 1862 lists his age as 17 years old. Or, young Robins' age at enlistment may be a detail that his son Zina got wrong. Whatever the fact, it was the case that a man had to be age 18, and with parental permission at that, to serve.2 But, it was common enough for boys of 16 to join the ranks despite regulations. The news of the carnage at the Battle of Shiloh must have raced through the newly-mustered ranks at the time of Samuel's joining the infantry of Company I, 63rd Regiment, Illinois Volunteers.

His enlistment papers describe a young man of 5'5", light complexion, blond hair, and blue eyes.3

The Report of the Adjutant General on the activities of the Regiment put them at Cairo, Illinois and then into Kentucky where they were assigned to the Fourth Brigade, First Division, Seventeenth Army Corps. In late November of 1862, the 63rd Regiment moved in the van against Confederate General John Pemberton, compelling his retreat to Grenada, Mississippi. May of 1863 found the Regiment at Vicksburg, where they "completed the investment of the city on the extreme left." On May 24th they were shifted to the center-right, and then were "relieved by the Forty-sixth Illinois Infantry, who lost five companies captured that night 25th," the 63rd barely escaping that disaster.

In June, the Regiment joined in the reduction of Richmond, Louisiana, and returned to Vicksburg via Young's Point. Movements and changes in command eventually found them at Memphis, and then arriving at Chattanooga under the Third Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, Brigadier General John E. Smith in command, on November 20 in relief of the besieged Union forces there. The men of the 63rd participated in the battle of Mission (Missionary) Ridge under General William T. Sherman's Army of the Tennessee through the 23 and 24th of November, 1863.4

On the 25th, Sherman's forces maneuvered around the north, General Hooker's the south, and General George Thomas assaulted the ridge in a frontal attack, exceeding General Grant's orders to merely take the first line of defense. Instead, the momentum of his attack – and the murderous fire he was taking from the second and third lines of Confederates higher on the ridge – carried him on to rout the Rebels.5

After-battle photos of the approaches to the Confederates' heavily-defended position on the crest of the ridge show a field scrubbed clean of trees, bushes, even grass by the shells of the contesting armies.

The Adjutant General dryly goes on: "After pursuing the enemy to Ringgold, Ga., [the 63rd Regiment] returned to Bridgeport, Ala., December 3. December 21, ordered to Huntsville, where it arrived 26th, and went into winter quarters. January 1, 1864, 272 men re-enlisted as veterans."6

One of those men was evidently Samuel Robins (Robbins), since he was not mustered out "disabled" by measles until February 23, 1864. And, while the 63rd did join Sherman in his march from Atlanta to Savannah in November and December of that year, Samuel Robins was apparently not with them.

Zina, who was three at the time of his father's death, remembered the story as having Samuel on that infamous March. "There were no hospitals in those days; he managed to keep up, but the doctor attending him at death said he never fully recovered from the measles."

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We're just beginning to compile the record of the Robins line, and there are several rich stories to be related about them. Please check back soon, or write us with specific questions or contributions.

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Notes:

1) (0177) "Grandma Rakestraw's Obituary ," Unknown, 1928.
2) Historical Data Systems, Inc., © 1997-2005, civilwardata.com/ca_demo2.html, 2005.
3) National Archives, Washington, D.C. attested to by Elva (Moore) Templeton, ca. 1997.
4) Redman, Bob, "Army of the Cumberland and George H. Thomas Source Page," http://www.aotc.net/Opposing.htm 2005.05.30
5) "Battle of Chattanooga III," Wikipedia information on http://www.answers.com/ 2005.05.30
6) "63rd Illinois Infantry Regiment History - Adjutant General's Report" transcribed by Pat Hageman of the Illinois USGenWeb Project, ©1997.