Henry Roberts

Born: Abt 1821 on Mine Lick Creek in what is now Putnam County, Tennessee

Died: 12 Feb 1863 Regimental Hospital, Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee

No Photo Available

Company I, 5th Tennessee Cavalry, USA

24 Nov 1862-12 Feb 1863

Henry was the son of Joseph Roberts and Rachel Carter.  He married Martha Elizabeth "Bell" Whitefield daughter of Thomas Logan Whitefield and Mary.  They had seven children between 1842 and 1856.

Henry saw no action in the Civil War.  He enlisted on 24 Nov 1862 with his oldest son, brothers, and other neighbors on Mine Lick Creek.  Several who joined on that day were mustered into Company I, of the 5th Tennessee Cavalry.  However, after enlisting on 24 Nov, his son, Joseph M. became sick and was admitted into the hospital and died on 20 Dec of chronic diarrhea.  Four days after his son's death, Henry was admitted into the hospital on 24 Dec and died in Feb from measles.  His unit fought in the Stones River Battle (Battle of Murfreesboro) but Henry was in the hospital at Nashville at the time of the battle.  He was later moved to the Murfreesboro hospital where he died.

Henry and Joseph's deaths left mama at home on Mine Lick Creek with six children.  Bell relocated with the children to Rough Creek, Kentucky.  Four are buried there in Rough Creek.  The other two migrated to Missouri.

While some oral stories would have Bell Whitefield to be a full-blooded Indian, DNA has proven that to be incorrect.

Although Henry died in the Regimental Hospital at Murfreesboro, we do not know where he was buried.  There is no grave in the Stones River National Cemetery, at Murfreesboro, that seems to correspond with Henry.  It is doubtful that his body was picked up by family but that is a possibility.  If they did, where did they bury him?  Likely he was put into a "temporary" military burial site.  In the Civil War National Cemeteries there is a grave for "unknown" soldiers.  If the remains were unidentifible from the temporary burial sites, they are said to be reinterned into the grave for unknown soldiers.  This is likely Henry's fate.