My great-grandfather, James "Jimmie" Robinson ("Pap" to us), was born
August 19, 1840 in Schuyler Co. IL. We don't have a record of what he did
until he enlisted in Co. "C", 5th Regiment, Missouri Militia Cavalry at
St.
Joseph on March 16, 1862. His Civil War records say he was a "mail
carrier"
and had lived in Nebraska. Pap enlisted with a "private" horse valued at
$110 by the Cavalry, for which he was paid a monthly allowance.
Pap always said later that he had been a Pony Express rider, which would explain how he got to St. Joseph and Nebraska at a young age (the rest of the male family enlisted back home in Schuyler Co. IL). However, we have nothing to document that other than the circumstantial information about his enlistment.
Photograph was taken in 1917 - Rider James Robinson, Shelby Co., MO age 77, with granddaughter Constance Robinson, 8, visiting from Idaho wearing Kootenai buckskins.
Information provided by Ken Keller, December 1999.
