CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY: JOHN C. ROBERTSON - Smith County, TX

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

JOHN C. ROBERSTON

John C. Robertson, of Tyler, was born March 10, 1824, in Hancock Co., 
Georgia.  In 1837 his parents removed to Chambers Co., Ala. and he was 
there educated in Oakbowry College.  He was graduated in 1845 from 
Harvard Univer­sity in Massachusetts, where he studied law under Judge 
Joseph Story and Simon Greenleaf.  In Sept. 1845 he was married to 
Miss Sara Goodman and six years later moved by land to Texas, locating 
in Tyler.  He was a member of the Texas Secession Convention, and 
chairman of the committee of public safety invested with full power 
to raise and equip troops.  He was made Lieut-Colonel of the Texas 
Infantry Regiment of Confederate States Army and served through-out 
the war being in many battles.  When the war ended the United States 
Government brought suit against the above mentioned committee of public 
safety for nearly three million dollars, estimated value of certain 
arms and military stores which troops Judge Robertson had organized 
had taken possession of.  In 1866 Judge Robertson and Col. W. S. 
Herndon formed a co-partnership for the practice of law, and this 
firm became one of the most noted in the state. In 1878 Judge 
Robertson was elected district judge and relected in 1880, 
voluntarily resigning the place in 1884.

Judge Robertson died in 1895 leaving a handsome estate. His wife died 
two years later. Their son, Sawnie Robertson was a justice of the 
Supreme Court of Texas; and another son H. G. Robertson is a leading 
lawyer in Beaumont, Texas.