CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY:  O. M. ROBERTS - Smith County, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
27 August 2001
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson

0. M. ROBERTS.

Oran M. Roberts, of Tyler, was born in L£~irens district, South 
Carolina, July 9, 1815. He was graduated in 1886 from the University 
of aabama, studied laW under Chief Justice William P. Chilton and was 
admitted to the bar in September 1837. He located in Ashville, AL, and 
was chosen colonel of the county regiment, and a representative in the 
State leg­islature. In 1841 he removed to the Republic of Texas, 
loca­ting in San Augustine. He rapidly attained suceess at the bar. 
Feb., 1844 President Sam Houston appointed him district attorney and 
when Texas became a state in the Union the first governor, J. Pinckney 
Henderson, reappointed Mr. Roberts. In 1857 he was appointed as 
associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court. He was by acclamation 
chosen president of the Secession Convention in 1861. On the out­break 
of the war he raised the 11th Texas Infantry of which he was elected 
colonel. He made a gallant and daring soldier. In August 1864 while 
with his conanand at the front he was elected Chief Justice of the 
Texas Supreme Court and moved to Tyler. In 1865 under reconstruction 
measures he was dispaced by the Federal authorities. The same year he 
was elected from Smith county to the Constitutional Con­vention and 
was made chairman of its judiciiry cwnitteee A few months later he 
was elected United States Senator, but was not permitted to take his 
seat In 1878 he again became chief justice. In 1878 was elected 
Governor of Tex­as and relected two years later. In 1883 yielding to 
stato­wide demand he accepted the law professorship in the Un­iversity 
of Texas which he held ten years. Gov. Roberts was the author of many 
books, was a great scholar, lawyer, soldier and statesman. He died 
May 19, 1897, and lies bur­ied in Austin..