Roberts, Ziba, 1840-1928

Papers, 1858 March 14-1928 November 12
97 items

Roberts, Ziba, 1840-1928
Rank:	Private
Regiment:	28th New York Infantry, Co. D (1861-1863)
Service:	1861 November 8-1863 June 2

Background note:

Ziba Roberts was born at East Shelby, near Medina, N.Y., on July 31st, 1840. In November, 1861, he enlisted in Co. D of the 28th New York Infantry, which had formed the previous May, and joined the regiment while they were assigned to the defense of Hancock, Md. In March, 1862, they were reassigned to the 1st Div., V Corps, led by N. P. Banks, and took an active part in several skirmishes and battles during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. On May 25th, as Banks was retreating from near Bunker Hill, Va., Roberts and several other members of his regiment were captured by elements of Ashby's Cavalry and removed first to Winchester, and then to Lynchburg. Roberts contracted severe, chronic diarrhea during his imprisonment at Lynchburg, permanently affecting his health, but appears otherwise to have suffered somewhat less than other prisoners, having money -- partially from the sale of a revolver and watch -- with which to purchase food and a shirt. Medical care during his imprisonment was available, if not ideal, and Roberts received treatment for diarrhea and had two teeth pulled as a P.O.W. On August 8th, Roberts was transferred to Belle Isle, where food was even less plentiful than at Lynchburg, but by assisting with dispensing rations, he received an extra half-loaf of bread a day. He was paroled at Aiken's Landing on September 13th, but was not formally exchanged until October. He rejoined his regiment in Maryland, and served out the remainder of his enlistment, mostly at Fairfax Station and Stafford C.H. The 28th were engaged at Chancellorsville, before they were mustered out in June, 1863.

After the war, Roberts returned to farming in East Shelby. He married Cynthia Dewey (b. March 19, 1845) on January 13th, 1867, and the couple lived to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary together. They had eight children. Roberts was very active in veterans' organizations for many years, serving of commander of the local G.A.R. post in Medina, N.Y., and as President of the 28th Regiment Association. He was instrumental in arranging Regimental reunions, distributing the regimental newsletter, and occasionally lent personal assistance to fellow veterans of the 28th Infantry in securing pensions, or, in one case, loaning money to a financially strapped homesteader (squatter) in the Dakota Territory, his former tentmate, Bill Eastman. In turn, Roberts was aided by his fellow veterans in securing his own attempts to secure a disability pension, or in adjusting the pension rate. Roberts was still alive in 1928, at a time when only about 15 members of the 28th Infantry remained. A quietly, but deeply religious man, Roberts remained active in his church to the end of his life.

Scope and Contents:

The Roberts Papers contain 21 letters written by Roberts during his service in the 28th New York Infantry and 5 letters written to him, mostly by his brother Daniel. There are three excellent letters written by Roberts immediately prior to and during the beginning of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign describing the often confused maneuvering for position of Union forces near Winchester, Va. The two letters written after his release from prison are bitter in tone, as much for the poor treatment the parolees received after leaving prison as for the experience of imprisonment itself. One of his fellow prisoners in Richmond, William G. Wade, later wrote to Roberts for assistance in securing a disability pension for illness contracted during their imprisonment.

Roberts' diaries span the period from November 14, 1861, through the end of Decemder, 1862, and include the period of his imprisonment in Lynchburg and Richmond. Both are small pocket-sized (16mo) diaries written mostly in pencil and many entries are smudged, dirtied and nearly illegible. The entries are daily, but are very brief -- few are longer than seven lines -- however all of the entries for his imprisonment and nearly all of the entries written during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign are legible.

The post-war correspondence consists of 5 letters from a former tentmate, Bill Eastman, struggling at making a living on a homestead in Huron, Dakota Terr., and 53 letters from comrades in the 28th Regiment Association concerning reunions or materials otherwise relating to veterans, veterans' organizations, or pensions. The largest single group of correspondence consists of responses from veterans concerning the 51st reunion of the regiment in May, 1912. Roberts had apparently assumed the role of coordinator for the reunion following the illness of then-President, C. W. Boyce. The majority of respondents, many of whom were scattered across the plains states and far West, declined to take part in the reunion, citing distance, age, and health as reasons. Their intense interest in the reunion, and the comradery that the veterans still felt for each other after 50 years, however, seems unabated. Two of the respondents remarked that they expected the 1912 reunion to be among the last. The letters discussing efforts to secure pensions in the 1880's and 90's, before the pension laws were liberalised, include some interesting reflections on the soldiers' war-time experiences and their anger over what they perceived to be lack of governmental support for veterans.

Also of interest in the collection are four commissions as Aide-de-camp in the G.A.R., and some ephemera relating to the massive G.A.R. encampment at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893.

M-2882
Cat. 6/93 rsc

Link to subject index to the Ziba Roberts Papers

Alphabetic index to the Schoff Civil War Collections

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