BIO: Alexander ROBERTS, Sr., Dauphin County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, 
Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the 
Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: 
J. M. Runk & Company, 1896, pages 307-308.
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  ROBERTS, ALEXANDER, SR., son of Col. John and Mary H. (Chambers) 
Roberts, was born in Harrisburg, Pa.
  The Roberts family were among the very earliest settlers of this 
State.  They were Welsh Quakers, and came to America with William Penn.  
The grandfather of Alexander Roberts settled in Dauphin county, where 
now stands the village of Rockville, before the Revolution, and when he 
was about thirty years of age.  He was a worker in steel and iron, and 
a manufacturer of sickles; a most reputable man and a skillful 
mechanic.  Here was born and here grew up his son John, father of 
Alexander.  This son, after the death of his father, removed to 
Lancaster, Pa.; after a residence of a few years in that place he again 
removed to Harrisburg, and practiced law there for many years.
  Col. John Roberts was admitted to the bar at the age of twenty-four 
years, on February 5, 1812, and on November 14, 1812, was commissioned 
by the secretary of the Commonwealth to notify the electors for 
President, in the different counties of the State, at the re-election 
of President Madison.  On October 19, 1813, he became a private in 
Capt. Thomas Walker's company, Harrisburg volunteers, which was 
composed of forty men.  On August 1, 1814, he was elected and 
commissioned by Gov. Simon Snyder to be second lieutenant in the First 
brigade, Sixth division, Pennsylvania militia, from Dauphin, Lebanon, 
Berks and Schuylkill counties, for seven years.  Also, on the same 
date, he was commissioned as first lieutenant of company Ten, First 
battalion, Ninety-eighth regiment, First brigade, Sixth division, 
Pennsylvania militia; and on August 1, 1814, was commissioned as first 
lieutenant of the Ninety-eighth regiment, Harrisburg volunteers, 
referred to above.  The foregoing commissions were under the State 
organization.  After the burning of Washington by the British, August 
23, 1814, the President issued a requisition on Governor Snyder for 
10,000 militia.  A number of uniformed volunteer companies, among which 
were the Harrisburg volunteers, tendered their services to the 
governor, and were accepted by him.  The necessity of increasing the 
number of men in each company, the dropping out of old members and the 
addition of new, caused a reorganization of the old volunteer 
companies, and in the new company, now increased to ninety-four men, 
John Roberts volunteered and was enrolled as private, and was, with the 
company, mustered into the service of the United States at York, Pa., 
August 29, 1814.  A few days after, John M. Forster, orderly sergeant 
of the company, was appointed brigade major by his uncle, Gen. John 
Forster, and John Roberts was appointed and took his place as orderly, 
and served in that capacity until the volunteers returned home, after 
their honorable discharge at Baltimore, December 3, 1814.
  John Roberts was first sergeant of First company, Captain Walker, of 
First battalion, Maj. G. B. Porter, of First regiment, Col. M. Kennedy, 
of First brigade, Gen. John Forster, and of First division, Major 
General Watson, of Pennsylvania volunteers and militia.  His regiment 
was composed of uniformed volunteers, except two companies of militia, 
one commanded by Captain Rose and the other by Capt. John Elder, 
brother-in-law to General Forster.  At one time, the adjutant being 
absent, John Roberts was appointed and acted temporarily as adjutant..
  "After the war was over," and he returned to the State, his services 
in a military capacity were as follows:  On August 3, 1821, he was 
commissioned by Gov. Joseph Hiester as major of First battalion, 
Ninety-eighth regiment, Pennsylvania militia, until August 3, 1828.  
But, on November 26, 1825, there was probably a vacancy, and being duly 
elected and returned, Major Roberts was commissioned, by Gov. John A. 
Shulze, to be colonel of the Ninety-eighth regiment, Pennsylvania 
militia, to continue until August 3, 1828.  That was probably the end 
of his military career.
  Among the men who went from Harrisburg as volunteers in the company 
were two brothers, by the names of Ferdinand and Charles Durang, who 
belonged to a theatrical company then here.  They were gentlemen, and 
were very popular.  One of them had a fine voice, and was a good 
musician.  While the regiment lay at Baltimore, the Star Spangled 
Banner was written by Key, but it was without music.  Durang's friends 
urged him to set it to music and sing it.  After looking over all the 
music he had or knew, to find something suitable, he adopted the tune 
now always used as most appropriate.  Having tried it, to the delight 
of his friends in the regiment, he introduced it one evening 
unexpectedly on the boards of the theatre, and the audience fairly 
raised the roof with their applause.  Its popularity has never since 
been lost.  In a selection of the old tunes published in "Blake's 
Evening Companion," by Blake, of Philadelphia, many years ago, it is 
called "Anacreon in Heaven, or the Battle of the Wabash."
  Col. John Roberts at the time of his death was the oldest member of 
the Dauphin county bar.  He was a quiet, unassuming man, and very 
popular with all classes.  He was a generous and earnest supporter of 
all schemes for the elevation of his fellow-men.  His wife was Mary H. 
Chambers, a native of Trenton, N. J.  They had eight children, of whom 
four are living:  Alexander, Eliza, widow of Dr. James Given, Annie, 
wife of James Parvin, of Holton, Kan., and Catherine, wife of James H. 
Lowell, also of Holton, Kan.
  Alexander Roberts received his education in the schools of 
Harrisburg, and began the study of law in his father's office.  During 
the prosecution of his studies, he acted for a part of the time as 
chief clerk in the register's and recorder's office.  He learned civil 
engineering and occupied himself in this business.  He assisted in the 
survey of the Pennsylvania railroad, and was connected with the 
construction of the Middle division and the Pittsburgh end of the 
Pittsburgh division.  A large portion of his life was spent in the 
active work of this business, but of late years he has comparatively 
retired from it.  He was married in Harrisburg to Charlotte Geiger, a 
daughter of Bernard Geiger, who was also among the pioneers of Dauphin 
county.  To them were born four sons:  John, Alexander, Jr., James and 
George.  Mrs. Roberts died in 1862.  Mr. Roberts was an active promoter 
of the Harrisburg street railway and still holds the position of 
secretary of the company.  He is also a director of the Harrisburg 
Burial Case Company and Harrisburg Furniture Company.  He is identified 
closely with other industries and enterprises. He is a man of broad 
intelligence, sound judgment, marked ability and genial temperament.  
He is a connecting link between the active present and the historic 
past.  With pleasant memories of primitive struggles he mingles the 
still more pleasing realizations of resulting success, as displayed in 
the growth of the community and the building of a great city.