Date: Mon, 27 Jun 1994 23:39:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: William Albert Davis <wmadavis%iglou.com@KSUVM.KSU.EDU>
Subject: Geo ROBERTS/Gettysburg/RIDENBOUGH ?? (fwd)
FORWARDED MESSAGE FROM ROOTS-L
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 1994 20:02:01 -0600
From: Lesley Wischmann <JANSEN@UWYO.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list ROOTS-L <ROOTS-L@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: Geo ROBERTS/Gettysburg/RIDENBOUGH ??
I'm interested in finding more information about a Civil War
veteran who, it is said, was the youngest breveted-General from the
Civil War.
His name was George H. ROBERTS and he was "on the staff" of
Gen. Joe HOOKER. He was wounded three times, at least one of those
happened at Gettysburg. All I know of that injury comes from a
newspaper article about his return to Gettysburg for the 50th
anniversary. It says he "took a long walk down a familiar dusty
road...vaulted over a stone wall...and walked again through the same
orchard where fived decages ago, he had left a crimson trail of his
own blood." (Not much to go on, huh?)
But then this wonderful story: "General ROBERTS was seeking
the farm house where two Pennsylvania-Dutch girls had hidden him and
nursed him after he had staggered wounded through their kitchen
door. Standing at the entrance now and filled with bittersweet
memories, he pulled the bell cord, wondering as he did so if the two
women were still living here... The door opened to reveal a stout,
comfortably dressed woman, Her cheeks had the same rose, wrinkled
bloom as the apples in the orchard through which he had passed.
General ROBERTS removed his hat with a gallant flourish and bowed,
before inquiring for the ladies Ellen and Lizzie RIDENBOUGH who had
lived there as girls 50 years ago. He started to tell her his name
but before he could finish she cried, 'Lizzie, be comin' now. Here's
our George ROBERTS.'"
The rest of what I know about George ROBERTS is that he was
born in Philadelphia on 13 Jul 1841 of Welsh and Quaker ancestry.
His grandfather was said to be the Lord High Sheriff of Wales who
came to PA with William PENN. He joined the Union Army when he was
22 and a student at the Univ. of PA, with his family purchasing him
a commission as 2nd LT.
After the War, he married Julia CULBERTSON, daughter of a
renowned fur trader on the Upper Missouri, and became attorney
general of NE and then the first attorney general of ID.
If anyone has more information on George ROBERTS or the RIDEN-
BOUGH family of Gettysburg or anything that could help me pin down a
bit more about George ROBERTS, please e-mail me directly!
**PLEASE reply to this address rather than what may
be listed under REPLY-TO: Thanks!**
Lesley Wischmann jansen@plains.uwyo.edu