Soldier Information
Name: Levi M Robinson
Alias: Roberson
Place of Birth: Warren KY Year of Birth: 1840
Occupation: Farmer
Eyes: Black Hair: Black Complexion: Black
Height in Feet: 5 Inches: 3
Enlistment Information
Enlistment Date: July 25, 1864
Enlistment Place: Bowling Green
Enlistment State: KY
Compiled Military Service Record
Document: View
Congressional District: 3
Company: A Regiment(s): 115th Regt USCI
Mustered Where: Bowling Green, KY (Warren County)
Mustered Out Date:
Rank at Muster Out:
Notes:
Levi M. Robinson enlisted on July 25, 1864, at age 24. He was mustered into Co. A 115th USCI on the same day at Bowling Green, Kentucky (Warren County). His enslaver was “John J. Roberson” of Warren County. Private Robinson drew $16.43 on his clothing account. In February 20, 1865, he was “absent” from his Company while on duty at the Quartermaster’s Headquarters at Jones Landing, Virginia. Private Robinson may have been present when President Abraham Lincoln visited City Point in the spring of 1865. On June 21, 1865, Private Robinson was taken from his military transport ship at New Orleans, Louisiana, after falling ill on a transport ship that started its journey at City Point (Hopewell), Virginia, bound for Texas. He was admitted to the Corps d’Afrique US General Hospital in New Orleans. Private Levi M. Robinson died of scurvy at the Corps d’Afrique US General Hospital on August 22, 1865. At the time of his death, he had not yet received his bounty money. Articles in his possession at the time of his death included one knapsack, one “R. Blanket,” and “1/2 S. Tent.”
Soldier Death Information
Died in war? Yes
Military Death Date: August 22, 1865
Military Death Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Military Cause of Death: Scurvy
Death Date: August 22, 1865
Cause of Death: Scurvy
Death Certificate
Soldier Pension Information
No pension card found
Widow Pension Information
Widow Pension Card: Pension Card
Widow Application Date: March 24, 1866
Application No.: 12391 Certificate No.: 92937
Other Family Pension Information
Pension Card Link: View
Application Date: August 31, 1869
Application No.: 179184 Certificate No.: 137476
Pension File Information
Pension File: Pension File
Pensioners: Sarah A. Robinson
George G. Robinson
Mariah Robinson
Pensioner County: Warren Pensioner State: KY
Number of Pages:32
Pension Notes:
According to the affidavits in Levi M. Robinson’s widow’s pension file, Sarah A. Burton married Levi M. Robertson on February 2, 1861 in Warren County, Kentucky, in a ceremony conducted by a “colored minister” named Robert Robinson. They were married at the residence of Sterling W. Burton (1818-1902), Sarah A. Burton’s enslaver. When Sarah applied for her pension, her address was Bowling Green, Kentucky (Warren County). She lived three miles south of Bowling Green on Scottsville Road. One of the witnesses for the pension claim was Sterling W. Burton, who was born in Allen County, Kentucky and died in Warren County, Kentucky. He was the enslaver of Sarah Burton Robinson, and possibly the enslaver of her two children with Levi M. Robinson. On page 18 of the pension file, Sterling W. Burton and his son James T. Burton, stated that they “owned the wife of Levi M. Roberson [sic] up to the time he enlisted…” Since Levi M. Robinson’s widow remarried, a guardian was named for his minor children. The guardian of Levi M. Robinson’s children was Judge James H. Rose (1817-1894). Rose was born in Allen County, Kentucky and died in Bowling Green, Kentucky. There was little mention of Levi M. Robinson’s enslaver (John J. Roberson) in the pension file.
Freedman’s Bank/Freedmen’s Bureau Information
No Freedman’s Bank information found
No Freedmen’s Bureau Documents found
Family Information
Mother First Name: Mother Maiden Name:
Father First Name: Father Last Name:
Siblings:
Wife #1 First Name: Sarah Ann Maiden Name: Burton
Wife #2 First Name: Maiden Name:
Wife #3 First Name: Maiden Name:
Children: George Griffin Robinson 1861
Mariah Robinson 1863
Family Notes:
According to the widow’s pension file, Levi and Sarah Ann Robinson had two children: George Griffin Robinson (1861-not before 1910) and Mariah Robinson (1863-not before 1910). The widowed Sarah Ann Robinson married James Green in 1867 in Warren County, Kentucky, and had two children with her second husband: Mary Elizabeth Green (1868-1942); and William Henry Green (1871-not before 1910). NOTE: The death year estimates for George G. Robinson, Mariah Robinson, and William Henry Green were based on information that Sarah Ann Robinson Green provided for the 1900 Census and 1910 Census in which she states that all four of her children were still living.
Family Tree:
View Family Tree on Ancestry.com Please note: this requires a paid Ancestry.com account to view
1870 Census
1870 Census Link: View
1870 Profession: Keeping house
1870 Live with/near former enslaver? Unknown
1870 Real Estate Value: 0 1870 Personal Estate Value: 0
1870 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1870 Census Notes:
In 1870, Sara A. [Robinson] Green, age 23, lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky (Warren County), with her second husband, James Green (1825-not before 1910) 45, farmer; and three children (her two children with Levi M. Robinson were enumerated with the surname “Green”): [George] Griffin [Robinson] Green, age 10, at home; Mariah [Robinson] Green, age 8; and Mary E. Green, age 2. All were described as “Black” and born in Kentucky. No property was owned by Sarah or James Green.
1880 Census
1880 Census Link: View
1880 Profession: Keeping house
1880 Live with/near former enslaver? No
1880 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1880 Census Notes:
In 1880, Sara Ann Green, age 34, kept house, and lived in Bloomfield, Illinois (Johnson County) with her second husband James Green, age 49, a farmer. Johnson County is located in southern Illinois. Also in the household were her four children: George Green [Robinson], age 18, at home; Lizzie [Mariah] Green [Robinson], age 16, at home; Mary Green, age 12, at home; and William Henry Green, age 10, at home. NOTE: Levi M. Robinson’s two children, George and Mariah (“Lizzie”) were enumerated with the surname “Green,” the last name of their stepfather. None of the family members could write, but George Robinson was able to read. Also, James Green’s birthplace was sometimes given as Mississippi. Other records, however, including an 1867 marriage document for James Green and Sarah Ann Robinson, indicated that he was born in Alabama.
1890 Census
1890 Census information not found
1900 Census
1900 Census Link: View
1900 Profession: None
1900 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1900 Own/Rent: Rent 1900 Home Free/Mortgage: Unknown 1900 Farm/House: House
1900 Census Notes:
In 1900, Sarah Green, age 53 (widow of Private Levi Robinson), had no occupation, and lived in Vienna, Illinois (Johnson County) with her second husband, James Green, age 68, a day laborer. According to the 1900 Census, Sarah Green had four children, all of whom were living. Sarah and James Green had been married for 33 years. They lived in a rented house on an unnamed street in Vienna.
1910 Census
1910 Census Link: View
1910 Profession: None
1910 Ability to Read? Cannot read Ability to Write? Cannot write
1910 Own/Rent: Rent 1910 Home Free/Mortgage: Unknown 1910 Farm/House: House
1910 Census Notes:
In 1910, Sarah Green, age 67 (four children born, four living), and second husband James Green, age 86 (married 40 years according to 1910 Census), lived in a rented house on Church Avenue in Vienna, Illinois. Neither was employed and neither could read or write. Next door was their daughter, Mary E. Green Oliver, age 38 (her first marriage), and her husband Sylvester Oliver, age 49 (his third marriage). They had been married for 17 years and Mary had one child (still living). Sylvester Oliver was a house plasterer. NOTE: There were discrepancies regarding the ages of Sarah A. Green and James Green, and the length of their marriage as compared to previous Census information. NOTE: Although Sarah stated that all four of her children were living as of 1910, only two were found in the Census–the two children that she had with James Green. Levi M. Robinson’s children vanished from the record prior to 1900. More research is needed.
1920 Census
1920 Census Link: View
1920 Profession: None
1920 Ability to Read? Can read Ability to Write? Can write
1920 Own/Rent: Own 1920 Home Free/Mortgage: Free 1920 Farm/House: House
1920 Census Notes:
In 1920, no Census information was located for Sara Ann Robinson Green or for either of her two children with Levi M. Robinson (George G. Robinson or Mariah Robinson) or for her son with James Green (William Henry Green). George G. Robinson vanished after his marriage to Malinda Speed in 1899. Mariah Robinson disappeared from the record after her marriage to Horace Brown in 1885. William Henry Green vanished after the 1900 Census. The only known family member who was enumerated in 1920 was Sara Ann Robinson Green’s daughter, Mary Green Oliver (half-sibling to George and Mariah Robinson). In 1920, Mary Green Oliver was 48 years old, and living with her husband, Sylvester T. Oliver, age 58, who worked as a house plasterer. Both could read and write. They lived in a house they owned in Vienna, Illinois (Johnson County). Also in the household was a cousin, Paul W. Latham, age 9, born in Illinois (most likely the cousin of Sylvester T. Oliver).
Enslaver Information
Name: John James Roberson Location: Warren County, Kentucky
Previous Enslaver: Jane Roberson
Enslaver Notes:
Thomas Roberson was likely the first enslaver of Levi M. Robertson. In 1850, Thomas Roberson, father of John J. Roberson (Levi M. Robinson’s enslaver of record at his time of enlistment), enslaved 20 persons in Warren County, several of whom are a good match for Levi M. Robinson. Thomas Roberson died in 1859. In his last will and testament, Thomas Roberson, father of John J. Roberson stated that “I leave to my wife Jane the following slaves to wit: Henry, a man aged some forty years, Sarah a woman some 32 years of age and her children except Tabitha, she will be given to Elizabeth Claypool [his daughter], a woman named Priscilla, some 45 years of age and a boy named Levi some 15 years of age….” In a later codicil, Thomas Roberson added, “…I also give to my son John James Roberson the following slaves to wit at the death of my wife Jane Roberson all the slaves devised to her are to pass to my son John James Roberson, except Levi and Priscilla.” No explanation was given as to Thomas Roberson’s directives regarding Levi and Priscilla. In 1860, John Roberson, age 29, lived with his widowed mother, Jane Roberson (1796-1868) age 64, farmer, $1,800 in real estate and $7,845 in property. In 1870, John J. Roberson, age 40, lived alone in the Green Hill (Goshen District) area of Warren County, Kentucky. He was a farmer and owned $4,320 in real estate and $5,407 in property. In 1860, John J. Roberson was not listed as an enslaver in Warren County, Kentucky, however, his mother, Jane Roberson (with whom he resided) was the enslaver of 14 persons, two of whom were good matches for Levi M. Robertson. Also listed on the same Slave Schedule page was John J. Roberson’s brother, Bazel Roberson (misspelled as “Bazzel,” and his only surviving sibling), enslaver of three persons, two of whom were possible matches for Levi M. Robertson. Sterling W. Burton, enslaver of Levi M. Robertson’s wife Sarah Ann Burton, was also enumerated on the same 1860 Slave Schedule page. There was one possible match for her in the Burton household, but no matches for Sarah Ann in either of the Roberson households. In 1870, John J. Roberson, age 40, lived alone in the Green Hill (Goshen District) area of Warren County, Kentucky. He was a farmer and owned $4,320 in real estate and $5,407 in property. In 1880, John J. Roberson, age 48, single, farmer, lived in Neosho, Kansas (Labette County). He had two boarders, both farm laborers. John J. Roberson died in Labette County, Kansas in 1881, by what was judged to be suicide. By all accounts, he was a wealthy man at the time of his death. He never married. His burial location is unknown.
1850 Enslaver Census
1850 Census Link: View
1850 Slave Schedule Link: View
1850 Number of Enslaved: 20
1860 Enslaver Census
1860 Census Link: View
1860 Real Estate Value: $1,800 1860 Personal Estate Value: $7,845
1860 Slave Schedule Link: View
1860 Number of Enslaved: 14
1870 Enslaver Census
1870 Census Link: View
1870 Real Estate Value: $4,320 1870 Personal Estate Value: $5,407
1880 Enslaver Census
Compensation Information
Compensation Application not found