Dent Roberts Military

Joseph "Dent" Roberts enlisted in the 5th Tennessee Cavalry, USA at Nashville on November 24, 1862.

When Dent Roberts joined the Union Army he was 24 years old. His enlistment form shows his occupation as a farmer and indeed, he had grown up on his father's farm in Mine Lick Creek, Tennessee. Farming was the only trade he knew. He was 6' 1" tall with a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. Second Lieutenant Carl D. Brien witnessed his enlistment form.

One month and 9 days after his enlistment, the 5th Tennessee Cavalry was engaged in the battle of Stone's River. From December 29, 1862 through January 3, 1863 nearly every military unit from Tennessee - both USA and CSA and many from outside of Tennessee were involved in that battle near Murfreesboro. There were almost 25,000 casualties. Both sides claimed victory in the battle but with so many casualties nobody had much reason to celebrate.

December 31, 1862 was a fateful day for Dent Roberts and his descendants. On that day he was not killed in the carnage at Stone's River. He was instead, taken by Confederate troops as a prisoner of war.

On April 30, 1863 the Company I "Company Muster Roll" stated that Private Roberts had "Deserted from the battlefield near Stone's River Dec. 31, 1862 with pistol." So his Company thought he had deserted at Stone's River. They had no way of knowing at the time that he had been taken prisoner.

He was promoted to Corporal on February 22, 1863, probably an automatic promotion after being in the army for 3 months since the company records were reporting him as a deserter at the time. The promotion must have been revoked after the report of desertion was entered in his file because when he was discharged from the Army, his rank was still listed as Private.

It would be fun to think that Great-Grandpa Dent looked around on New Years Eve of 1862 and decided it would be more relaxing to go home. His home on Mine Lick Creek was only about 50 miles from Stone's River and it's easy to understand how this young man might have wanted to climb on his horse and ride home from what must have seemed to him to be the center of Hell.

Things hadn't been going well for him since he joined up a month ago. He had already lost one nephew and lots of friends (His brother Henry died less than a month and a half later on February 12, 1863 at the Regimental Hospital in Murfreesboro).

It would be fun to think that Great-Grandpa Dent had gone home, but, the military records show that Private Dent Roberts did not celebrate the new year with family and friends back at Mine Lick Creek.

For the next 13 1/2 months, Company I's records listed Private Roberts as "Absent Without Leave". The "Company Muster Roll" reported that he had "Deserted Feb. 21, 1863" from (a) forage train." That was impossible because he had already been in a Confederate prison for almost two months and would remain there for another year.

The March - April, 1864 "Company Muster Roll" reports that he was "sick at Carthage, Tennessee since April 25, 1864." The July through October, 1864 "Company Muster Rolls" also say "sick at Carthage, Tennessee since April 25, 1864." So he went from prison to the hospital.

Then the November - December, 1864 "Company Muster Roll" reports him as "Absent without leave since April 25, 1864." That notation was incorrect and it probably didn't help in his subsequent efforts to have the desertion charge removed from his record.

A deserter was ineligible for veteran's pension and his widow was also ineligible. After the war, Dent Roberts apparently spent quite a bit of time trying to get his official records corrected to show that he had not deserted. There is a "Memorandum From Prisoner of War Records" in his file with notations indicating his case was reexamined on October 25, 1883, November 22, 1884, then again in 1886, on February 13, 1887 and on November 9, 1888. He must have been angry with the bureaucracy. He was certainly persistent.

Getting the bureaucracy to make the corrections was not made easier by the reputation of the 5th Tennessee Cavalry. The men were known to make their own decisions about where their presence was most important from time to time during the war. On January 16, 1865 General Robert Milroy reported that:

"When I took command of the defenses of this road, in June, 1864, the 5th Tennessee Cavalry was stationed at this Post. I found it camped outside the picket line of the post, men and officers boarding at private houses, inside and outside the lines. I found that officers and men were absent at home and elsewhere without authority. In fact, I found the regiment utterly void of order and discipline. I at once made it a specialty to try and reduce the regiment to some sort of discipline, and worked faithfully, but without any perceptible benefit. I have tried every means known to me to bring about order and efficiency in the regiment, but have not been rewarded with any success, even unto this day. In fact, the regiment is as far from being an efficient organization as it was in June. The field officers seem to have no conception of their obligations and duties; have no control over their subordinates or men. Officers and men absent themselves without authority whenever they take a notion to visit their homes. The regiment is about 800 strong, and the largest number that can be paraded in camp at any time will not exceed 200. Most of the 600 absentees are unaccounted for."

The "Post" General Milroy referred to was at Tullahoma, Tennessee, about 50 miles from Dent Roberts' home on Mine Lick Creek. Dent was back on duty with Company I in 1865 and, according to family stories, he did go home without permission when his help was needed on the farm.