Biographical Sketch of Wm. Harrison Robinett, Lafayette County, Missouri >From "History of Lafayette County, Mo., carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources" St. Louis, Mo. Historical Company, 1881. ********************************************************************** William Harrison Robinett. Mr. Robinett was born in Marion county, Mo., July 5, 1832. He is a grandson of Capt. Abraham Bird, who was a member of the first legislature held in the state, and also a grandson of John Robinett, one of the first settlers of Kentucky, and who moved to this state and settled in Boone county, in 1823. William H. lived with his father, Moses F., until he was eighteen years of age, when he entered the mercantile trade upon his own responsibility, which he followed until 1855, when he went to St. Louis and entered a commercial school, from which he graduated in 1856. He then entered the employ of Pomeroy, Benton & Company, one of the largest wholesale dry goods firms in the city of St. Louis, at a salary of $1,200 per year. After remaining in their employ one year he left them, notwithstanding their offer to increase his salary to $3,000 and engaged as clerk on the steamer Keokuk, but at the earnest solicitation of his family he shortly after abandoned the river and went to Hannibal and engaged in the machine business, which he followed for two years, and then resumed the mercantile trade, in which he remained until the breaking out of the civil war. Being desirous that peace should exist between the north and south, he cast his influence in that direction; but when he saw that the war was inevitable, he cast his fortunes with the south, and was one of the first to raise the secession flag in the state, and joined one of the first companies raised commanded by Capt. Hawkins. He was afterwards transferred to the staff of Gen. Green, upon which he served until his health failed him, and he was obliged to leave the service. His health improving again he again entered the service, and assisted Col. E. J. Gurley, in raising his regiment of "Partisan Rangers," of which he was appointed adjutant. While on a scouting expedition he was severely wounded, but he remained with his command and returned to camp. He was afterwards promoted to the captaincy for efficient service rendered. After the close of the war he remained in Texas, engaged in raising cotton and also in superintending a machine shop, until 1869. In December, 1865, he was married to Miss Catherine L. Vivion, of Texas. Four children were born to them: Minnie Lee, Ernest V., Walter P. and Roberta. In 1869 he returned to Missouri and settled at Dover, Lafayette county, where he remained until 1877, when he moved to Higginsville, where he has since resided, engaged as a machinist. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe Miller Penny (Eisenbarger) Harrell ====================================================================