WI BIO - Dodge Co - ROBY, Jacob W.

History of Dodge County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1880, pp 
651-652

Col. Jacob W. ROBY, farmer, Section 3 [Williamstown Township, Dodge County, 
Wisconsin], P. O. Kekoskee [Williamstown Township], was born 09 July 1824 in 
Oneida County, New York. His parents were farmers, and he was educated in 
the common schools of Oneida County. When about twenty-one, he was made 
Captain of a boat on the Erie Canal, which position he held until the fall of 
1851, when he settled on 130 acres of his present farm. About twenty acres 
of this were poorly cleared, upon which was a log house. As a result of 
years of toil and management, the Colonel has 170 acres of well improved 
[land], with the best of buildings; he also owns a farm of 200 acres in York 
County, Nebraska.

He [Jacob W. ROBY] enlisted 14 September 1861 with eighty-four men of Dodge 
County, and received eighty-three votes for Captain, voting himself for J. 
ADAMS of Horicon [Hubbard Township, Dodge County]. This company was called 
the Lyon Guards, and was organized with the Tenth Wisconsin Volunteer 
Infantry as Company B. He served as Captain of this company until 20 
September 1863, participating in all engagements, including Perryville, where 
his belt plate was dented by a rebel bullet, and Stone River, where his right 
arm was broken by a piece of rebel shell.

In the battle of Chickamauga, Lieut. Col. ELY was mortally wounded. Capt. 
[Jacob W.] ROBY then took and retained command of the regiment, was afterward 
commissioned Lieut. Colonel by Gov. LEWIS, and commanded the remnant of his 
heroic regiment at the battles of Buzzard's Roost, Lookout Mountain and 
Missionary Ridge. He [Jacob W. ROBY] was then about two months in command of 
the post at Tyner's Station, East Tennessee. The regiment then joined 
SHERMAN in his Atlanta campaign and was among the foremost at the battles of 
Snake Creek Gap, second Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Dalton, Kenesaw Mountain, 
Chattahoochee and Peach Tree Creek. [An account of the Battle of Peach Tree 
Creek follows.]

In this battle, Col. ROBY was ordered to advance from the second line with 
his regiment to a certain position, on reaching this position the first line 
began fighting, here the Colonel's horse was wounded; dismounting, he 
advanced without orders to a position near the first line to protect his men 
by the shelter of a hill, from the crest of which the first line was 
repulsed. The Colonel tried in vain to stay the mad retreat of this, the 
104th Illinois Volunteer Infantry; he then, still without orders, ordered a 
charge on the three rebel regiments, now in full possession of this partly [p 
652] entrenched hill, this seemingly reckless dash so surprised the enemy 
that their fire passed harmlessly over the heads of our boys, the Colonel 
ordered his first line to fire, which fire broke the rebel lines; the second 
fire completed the rout, the Wisconsin boys still pouring in merciless fire 
upon the flying foe, many of the boys firing twenty or more rounds.

This was one of the most wonderful as well as daring feats of the war, as the 
10th did not lose a man; Col. ROBY received a shot through his hat and one 
officer was wounded in the shoulder. The regiment then participated in the 
siege of Atlanta and the battle of Jonesboro; after helping to pursue HOOD 
over Sand Mountain, the time of the regiment having more than expired, it 
returned and was mustered out in Milwaukee, 03 November 1864. The Colonel 
then retired to his farm, where he now recounts, with pride and pleasure, the 
exploits of his famous regiment. Among his souvenirs he has a sword 
presented by his company and one presented by the regiment; also a splendid 
scarf given him by Capt. DONAHUE, of Company E, 104th Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, whose life was saved by the charge at Peach Tree Creek.

In 1844 the Colonel [Jacob W. ROBY] married Miss Esther C. MOON, of Herkimer 
County, New York. They [Jacob W. and Esther C. (MOON) ROBY] have five 
children: (1) George H., (2) Elizabeth C., a twin; (3) Samuel D., twin of 
Elizabeth D.; (4) Milton H., and (5) Eugene W. Col. ROBY is Republican.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly