c. 1861-1871

Colonel Robertson Civil War Diary

Colonel Robert S. Robertson settled in Fort Wayne after the Civil War, during which he had won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service. He became a war hero after being shot off his horse and nearly dying from wounds suffered in May 1864 at the Battle of Spotsylvania. After the war, he was active in civic affairs, rising to become lieutenant governor, and later, Fort Wayne's city attorney and state senator. In addition, he was a historian and social advocate. Robertson was so well respected as a prominent citizen that he was among those chosen to speak at the laying of the cornerstone of the Allen County Courthouse in 1897.

Robertson, well-educated and observant, made this diary to document his experiences during the Civil War. Transcribed from an original journal kept during the war with later knowledge inserted, this journal is a surprisingly accurate chronicle of Civil War events. With the same consciousness of and passion for history that compelled Robertson to write a history of Fort Wayne after the war, his diary carefully documents his time from enlistment to his medical discharge. The diary's ornate wooden inlay and brass cover was likely made by Robertson himself, having learned the craft of woodworking from his father.