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| Norvell Robertson |
Private—Virginia Militia
Birth: 22 May 1765 , Buckingham, Virginia
Death: 16 September 1855 , Covington County, Mississippi
The following is an excerpt from the Autobiography of Norvell Robertson on file at the Department of Archives and History, Jackson, MS.
I was born on the 22nd day of May 1765 in Buckingham, Virginia near the line from Cumberland and shortly after was removed to the latter county, in which I was brought up, and resided till the last of November 1786, when I left my native country for the State of Georgia. My father, whose name was Jeffrey Robertson, was in quite moderate circumstances, and did not possess the means of giving his children much education.
Besides, about the time of my birth the disputes commenced between the English Ministry and the American Colonies, which subsequently occasioned a revolution, which resulted in securing the Colonies a rank among the inde-pendent nations of the earth. It may be said, therefore, that I was raised in the time of the American Revolu-tion, when all was bustle, confusion and distress. My father's father whose name was Jeffrey Robertson, when he began in the world, settled in Chesterfield county, in Virginia, on the south side of the James River, some twenty-five miles from the city of Richmond. His settlement contained one hundred and five acres of land, on which he lived and died at the age of seventy-five. My mother's father, George Norvell, was a citizen of Hano-ver county, on the north side of the James River, twelve miles from Richmond. About the time of the Declara-tion of Independence, when I was eleven years old, there was much stir about mustering and enlisting soldiers for the army, and a martial spirit pervaded the whole mass of people around me. This spirit of patriotism com-municated itself generally to boys about my age, and I partook a liberal share of it. There was nothing I de-sired more than to go into the army, and this desire continued until I got cured of it by actual experience. In Virginia, boys of sixteen years of age were enrolled for military duty. I was a well grown boy, being as heavy at seventeen years old as at any period of my life. About four months before I became sixteen my father was drafted to serve a three months tour of militia duty, and I insisted on taking his place to which he consented. Preparation was made, the day to set out came, and I, in company with my father, repaired to the place of rendezvous. It was late in the afternoon before we got in motion, but at length the line of march was formed and we took to the road, but had not proceeded two or three hundred yards, when my father came along and took me out of the ranks and put a substitute in my place. The disappointment was so great that it affected me to tears. However, in course of that same year, my curiosity was gratified, for in May following, I was enrolled. In August following Cornwallis, who commanded the British troops in Virginia, fortified himself in Yorktown, and the Virginia militia was called out en masse, to assist in capturing him. This was just the thing that pleased me. Accordingly in September 1781, two companies from Cumberland county met at Skipwith's Mill, on Appomattox River, and crossing the river at that place marched down the same on the south side, and passing through Petersburg, continued on down James River to a place called Swan's Point. Here we halted for about two weeks. This place is nearly opposite to Old Jamestown on the north side of the river where it is three miles wide. We then crossed the river and marched through Williamsburg and so on down to Yorktown eight or ten miles below the latter place. Yorktown is an inconsiderable place, but on an eminence contiguous to York River, at the termination of which immediately on the river, was the British fortifications. From hence and for a considerable distance down the river spread out a very extensive old field, very level, with not a tree, scarcely a bush or shrub. In this place the Americans carried on their operations except the storming of two redoubts, and a skirmish with a foraging party on the other side of the River where Tarelton commanded. All hostile operations were carried on with cannonballs and bomb shells. The service of the militia was hard, being employed in providing material for the breastworks and digging in the entrenchment. But the men of the upper counties who had been accustomed to water of the very best quality, and a country as healthy perhaps, as any part of the globe, became exceedingly sickly, so much so that at the time of surrender, out of two companies that went from Cumberland no more seventeen or eighteen privates were found fit for duty. The disease was chiefly chills and fever and dysentery. None of the men, however, from Cumberland died at the place. One died on his way home, and three or four more died soon after their return. Next morning after the surrender of the British garrison, a general review was made by the physicians and all who were unfit for duty were discharged. I was among that number. Those who were judged to be able were detained to guard the prisoners to Winchester near the mountains of Virginia. After I was discharged, I proposed to a young man who lived with my father that year, and who also was discharged, to stay and see the British Army march out and surrender in form, but he objected saying if we were found loitering about there we should probably be put on the list again and compelled to go to Winchester. This reconciled me to set out for home, which I did, and, as bad as my health was, being under the influence of both dysentery and chills and fever, I reached home in the latter part of October 1781.
Patriot of Judson Herrington