James T. Robinson
James Turner Robinson was born near Conrad’s Store (now Elkton), Virginia. (11/20/1837 to 7/5/1917) buried in Hollywood Cemetery)). The history of the 12th Virginia Cavalry (by Dennis E. Frye part of the H. E. Howard Regimental Series) states “5’ 10”, dark complexion, hazel eyes, dark hair. Residence Warren County. Enlisted April 25, 1862 at Conrad’s Store in Company “I” as a private. Dun mare [horse] appraised at $225 killed-in-action at Warrenton Springs 8/23/1862. [Robinson] wounded at Brandy Station 5/9/1863. On detached service Sept/Oct 1863. On detail at Brigade Headquarters Nov/Dec 1863 to March/April 1864. Listed as a courier at Brigade Headquarters March/April 1864. Unofficial Source (Virginia State Library) states wounded at Wilderness, May 1864. Paid on 11/19/64 for service from 1/1/-7/1/1864. No Further Record. Paroled at Winchester April 22, 1865.
Robinson’s obituary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch states that James T. Robinson was “with Mosby’s Rangers.” Unit histories for Mosby’s Rangers state “On April 21, 1865, Mosby disbanded rather than surrender the 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry in Salem, Virginia (Now Marshall, West Virginia). Taking along a small contingent of Rangers, Mosby decided to travel south in hope of linking up with General Joseph Johnston and continue fighting. The sad task of leading the remainder of the command to Winchester, Virginia to seek wartime pardons fell to Mosby’s No. 2 in command William Chapman.” The records of the Mosby’s Rangers that did not accompany Mosby south show that they rode into Winchester on April 22, 1865 and their pardons are all dated that day. James T. Robinson’s pardon was at Winchester on April 22, 1865, so this is compelling evidence that he was a Mosby Ranger.
However, a review of the exhaustive censuses in the 1990 edition of Mosby’s Rangers by Jeffry D. Wert and the 1993 edition of 43rd Battalion Virginia Cavalry Mosby’s Command by Hugh C. Keen and Horace Mewborn does not list James T. Robinson – or any reasonable similar name or entry – on the list of Mosby’s Rangers. Each book prefaces its census with a similar disclaimer stating “The roster contains the names of 1881 men with documentation verifying attachment to Mosby’s command. With the way Mosby operated, especially in 1864, it is conceivable that another 100 to 200 men could, at some time had involvement with his operations. These men would have principally come from other cavalry organizations and joined the 43d for “one-time raids” to secure replacement mounts, arms, etc. Others lived in the neighborhood and being home on furlough, took the opportunity to go out in search of plunder.
The entry in James T. Robinson’s news obituary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch dated July 6, 1917 included “He later fought under Colonel Mosby and barely escaped being a victim of the reprisals at Front Royal [where Colonel Charles Lowell, Jr. and Brigadier Generals Wesley Merritt and George A. Custer ordered executions of Mosby’s men].
In retaliation for the death of Lieutenant Charles McMaster of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, killed by a bullet to the head during a Mosby Raid on Front Royal, Virginia on September 23, 1864, some of the Union cavalrymen who had been present thought McMaster had been killed after he had surrendered. When the erroneous story reached the Federals in Front Royal, the Union men were outraged. Lowell’s command arrived at Front Royal with six prisoners, and the Federals called for revenge for McMaster’s death and they were executed on the 23rd and 24th with the permission of Merritt and Custer.
James T. Robinson’s service in the 12th Virginia Calvary is well-documented. If he was to have participated in the Front Royal Raid as an ad-hoc member of Mosby’s Rangers from the 12th Virginia Cavalry, as the compilers of the Mosby Ranger censuses imply, it would be remote as at the time of the Front Royal Raid, the 12th Virginia Calvary was operating east Petersburg participating in the famous Beefstake Raid.
The most compelling evidence of verifying James T. Robinson’s service with Mosby’s Rangers is still the parole date and location of April 22, 1865 in Winchester with the vast majority of all remaining Mosby’s Rangers.
One of the most famous Mosby’s Rangers was Richmonder Joseph Bryan (8/13/1845 to 11/20/1908), industrialist and newspaper publisher. In post-Civil War Richmond, few people were more powerful in Richmond. Bryan owned and published the Richmond Times-Dispatch and was very active in the establishment of the Laburnum Corporation and his son served on the Board of Visitors at William & Mary during the 1920s and later—its President. Charles M. Robinson built garages, houses for the Bryan Family and renovated the Times-Dispatch building and maintained its permanent offices there. Were James T. Robinson and Joseph Bryan friends? Did Bryan encourage the Robinson family to relocate to Virginia from Pittsburgh? Evidence of close association could be if James T. Robinson was a pallbearer – actual or honorary – at Bryan’s very public funeral on November 22, 1908? Extensive coverage in the Times-Dispatch listing all pallbearers and 100 honorary pallbearers did not list a Robinson name.
After being paroled at Winchester, Virginia on April 22, 1865, Robinson rented land in Hamilton in Loudoun County, Virginia--a farm called “Harmony Hall.” He did not return to live with his father (Samuel Turner Robinson (1801-1886)) in Rockingham County near Conrad’s Store (now known as “Elkton”).
At some point, he met Samuel Crockett, Sr. (1802-1/25/1895), an Irish immigrant that had extensive property in Baltimore, Alexandria and Loudoun County, Virginia.
On January 17, 1866, James T. Robinson married Elizabeth Ann “Lizzy” Crockett (2/23/1840 to 2/1929) of Baltimore, Maryland in Loudoun. She was one of five children born to Samuel Crockett, Sr. (1802-1895) and Martha Lewis Crockett (1816-1865). The other five were Barbara Crockett (1842-1881), Martha Sproule Crockett Peugh (1844-1913), Rebecca Elizabeth Crockett (1847-1896), Samuel Crockett, Jr. (1847-1911) and Robert Bates Crockett (1852-1923). It is not known how they met, but no “Crockett” is listed in the Mosby’s Rangers census in the Wert or Keen & Mewborn books. The 1850 Census for Alexandria, Virginia shows Samuel Crockett, Sr. with a birthplace of Ireland and an occupation as “Rail Road Contractor” and children’s birthplace’s as Marlyand. The 1860 Census for Baltimore, Maryland lists Samuel Crockett, Sr. as a “contractor.”
It is believed that Samuel Crockett, Sr. allowed James T. & Lizzy Robinson to make their home in a house on land that he owned.
The 1870 Census for Loudoun County Virginia shows James T. Robinson as head of a family as three with personal property valued at only $500, so it is doubtful that he owned Harmony Hall. The column after “occupation” is the value of real estate and the next column is personal property. “Lizzie” was pregnant with Nellie at the time of the census.
In 2004, David Robinson purchased the Minute Book of the Hamilton Masonic Lodge #37. The first entry reads: “During the Fall of 1867, a number of Masons in and near Hamilton, Loudoun County, Virginia, conceived the idea of organizing a Masonic Lodge at that place and with this end in view, a petition, signed by George W. Janney, Samuel H. Lowe, David Shawen, Thomas E. Taylor, Frank M. Myers, John R. Smith, James T. Robinson, and recommended by Olive Branch Lodge #144…”
In addition to being a Founder of the Lodge, James T. Robinson would be recognized as the sixth member with an effective date of May 5, 1868:
None of the original members of the Hamilton Lodge are listed in the 12th Virginia Cavalry or Mosby’s Rangers censuses.
On May 5th 1868, the first meeting was held in Hamilton and the Lodge would be called Hamilton Lodge #37. James T. Robinson would hold various committee membership including the Finance Committee and would be one of the Trustees appointed to the Building Committee after Samuel Crockett – on July 16, 1872 – donated the land where a three story Lodge Building would be built for $2,500. On June 17, 1873, the cornerstone –packed full of mostly Confederate and Southern memorabilia (including currency), a copy of the Constitution and various newspapers and coins of the day, would be laid. Samuel Crockett furnished the carriages that the Lodge Leadership rode in for the dedication parade. The Hall would be dedicated on December 17, 1873. Samuel Crockett, Sr. does not appear to have ever been a member of Hamilton Lodge #37 or even a visiting Mason.
On September 2, 1873, J. Wingfield Peugh would be admitted for original membership in the Lodge, having passed the qualifications to become a Mason at age 22. Peugh would become the husband of Lizzy Robinson’s sister, Martha Sproule Crockett Peugh (1844-1913) in 1895 and Charles M. Robinson and J. Wingfield Peugh would purchase a plot together in Hollywood Cemetery in 1908.
Robinson and Peugh would both sign their names to a pledge sheet for a special $15 assessment for debt retirement for the Lodge construction and both are noted as having paid their assessments:
Robinson was Senior Warden in 1868, Senior Deacon in 1869-70 and Senior Warden 1870-73 and hold various temporary leadership positions until 1875. The last time that James T. Robinson’s name appears as being present at a Lodge Meeting in Hamilton is June 1, 1875.
J. Wingfield Peugh would hold the same leadership positions that Robinson had held—and more, being a member of the Lodge for several years beyond 1875.
On August 7, 1879, James T. Robinson’s membership in the Hamilton Lodge #37 was “denuted” according to the membership roster in the Minute Book
On April 19, 1894, Hamilton Lodge #37 records show that James T. Robinson was admitted as a member of an affiliated lodge, but there is no record of what Lodge or where—but probably Altoona and not being a member while in Canada.
At some point in the late 1870s (after June 1875), James T. Robinson resigned his membership in the Leesburg masonic lodge and moved his family and children (Charles and Nellie (1870-1908) to Quebec, Canada after selling his farm. It is believed that he made this decision in order to provide greater opportunities for himself and his son and to leave the politics of Reconstruction in Virginia.
James T. Robinson represented himself as a “builder” in the post-war period until the 1890s when he represented himself as a “farmer.” The family settled in Blair County, Pennsylvania – specifically – in the Altoona area.
The 1900 Census lists James T. (age 62) and Elizabeth A. (age 60) as living in Frankstown, Blair County, Pennsylvania, with James T. Robinson’s occupation as “Farmer,” owning his farm with no mortgage. Three persons are listed as living with them: Robert F. Rurner as “servant” at 19 years old, white with occupation also “Farm Labor”; Margaret Crockett, as “sister-in-law at age 42 as “single” and Charles C. Robinson, listed as “grandson,” age 6.
James T. Robinson’s Farm in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
James T. Robinson owned a large farm in Hollidaysburg on Brush Mountain on Lower Brush Mountain Road—about six miles south of Downtown Altoona. “Sunny Mount” is NOT to be confused with Charles M. Robinson’s “Sunnyside.
Michael Farrow of the Blair County Historical Society prepared a synopsis of the ownership of the farm:
Lewis & May Neely owned Sunny Mount in the 1860s. The Honorable Thaddeus Banks own Sunny Mount farm as early as 1879 and grew a crop of rye, where the stalks measured three feet, six inches and the heads were perfectly formed. He also raised cattle into the 1880s. His son, Cecil R. Banks, became an attorney. On March 31 1881, John Yingling purchased Sunny Mount for $4,165. On December 8, 1881, the Altoona Tribune reported that “John Shubert has sold the well-known ‘Sunny Mount’ Farm, once the property of the late Thaddeus Banks, to Jacob Clapper.” Mr. Clapper apparently immediately sold it to John Shubert who ran the following advertisement in the Altoona Tribune, which described the property—about 200 acres with 125 under cultivation—on December 29, 1881:
The Altoona Tribune ran a small article about the farm on August 13, 1885:
The Altoona Tribune reported that on September 29, 1904 that James T. Robinson was the Master of Ceremonies at the Second Anniversary of the opening of the Altoona Market Company’s Market Houses at 9th and Grove. There was a banquet in the Market House attended by 500 people:
On November 7, 1904, The Altoona Tribune reported that James T. Robinson’s Sunny Mount was in danger of burning because of “The Mountain Fires”:
But the fires did not last for long at Sunny Mount, as James T. Robinson grew a head of cabbage that weighed 28 pounds, as reported in the Altoona Tribune on September 13, 1905:
The following is an article that appeared in the Altoona Tribune on February 13, 1907. James T. Robinson sold his farm AFTER Charles M. Robinson purchased his farm in Goochland, Virginia:
Perhaps the most telling information about James T. Robinson’s transition to Virginia is that on March 6, 1907, the Altoona Tribune reported an Auction or “sale,” implying that the personal property belonging to James. T. Robinson was being sold-off. Charles M. Robinson had purchased the 425 Acres in Goochland on February 1, 1906 – over a year earlier – and perhaps James T. and Lizzie were now ready to move to Goochland, Virginia:
A copious search of City of Richmond Directories does not reveal a presence of James T. Robinson in Richmond until 1911, though it is suspected that he arrived earlier as the 1910 Census for Richmond shows him as “Superintendent Architect” in a huge Charles M. Robinson Household – with the addition of his niece and nephew (including two white servants (one a “butler”)) renting 828 Park Avenue, just before the move to 2901 Grove Avenue:
The City of Richmond Directories for 1911-1913 List “J. Turner Robinson, Supt. Charles M. Robinson, H: 2901 Grove.” The 1914 City Directory lists him as “Supt. Charles M. Robinson H: Hampton, Va.” The 1915-1917 directories list him as “Supt., Charles M. Robinson H: 701 Chamberlayne.”
Another news obituary in the Richmond Times-Dispatch (July 7, 1917) states that James T. Robinson, at the time of his death, “….had been actively engaged in superintending and directing the work of Charles M. Robinson, Inc., architects until he was stricken with paralysis in January, while working on the new Miller & Rhoades addition.”
His death certificate –largely completed in the bold and cursive handwriting of Charles M. Robinson, states that the place of death was 701 Chamberlayne Avenue (later re-numbered to “3701’) at age 79 years, 8 months and 15 days and that the cause of death was cerebral degradation and that a contributing factor was arterio-sclerosis. He was buried in a Masonic Funeral at the family plot that Charles M. Robinson purchased to bury his sister, Nellie, at Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery.
