Joab Roach letters

Descriptive Summary
Repository:	Georgia Historical Society
Creator:	Roach, Joab, 1838-1906.
Title:	Joab Roach letters
Dates:	1863-1864
Extent:	0.05 cubic feet (1 folder)
Identification:	MS 1019

---

Biographical/Historical Note

Joab Roach was born on 2 January 1838 and served in the Confederate Army. He enlisted in the Army on 10 September 1861, in Bibb County, Georgia, and served as a private in Georgia's 27th Infantry Regiment, Company B (also known as the Rutland Greys). After returning home, Roach married Fannie E. Rouse (d. 1885). He died on 14 February 1906 and is buried, along with his wife, at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church Cemetery in Sumter County, Georgia.

---

Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of five letters from Joab Roach to Fannie Rouse. The letters, written during the Civil War while Roach was serving in the Confederate Army, were written to Rouse while she lived in Americus, Sumter County, Georgia. One of the letters is incorrectly dated as March 5, 1863, when in fact it was written in 1864, as it mentions two specific battles: the battle of Olustee on February 20, 1864, and a battle at Cedar (spelled "Seader" in the letter) Creek on March 2, 1864.

---

Index Terms

---

Administrative Information

Custodial History

Material was acquired from the creator's great-grandson.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Joab Roach letters, MS 1019, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of George P. Doster, 1975.

---

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

---

Sponsorship

Encoding funded by a 2012 Documenting Democracy grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

---

Digital Version(s)

View Online: Joab Roach letters 1863-1864

---

Container List

 

Item 1: Joab Roach to Fannie Rouse. James Island, S.C., 1863 December 13 ( 1.0 p. )

Mentions constructing breastworks. Asks Miss Fannie to write him.

 

Item 2: Joab Roach to Fannie Rouse. Near Charleston, S.C., 1864 January 26 ( 2.0 p. )

Mentions the Union bombardment of Charleston. Also, the successful Union operation in capturing James Island. A "brigade of negroes" is rumored by the writer to make up a large portion of the Union army in the area.

 

Item 3: Joab Roach to Fannie Rouse. Near Lake City, Fla., 1864 March 5 ( 1.0 p. )

Mentions the "Battle of Olustee" and a battle fought at "Seader" Creek.

 

Item 4: Joab Roach to Fannie Rouse. Near Lake City, Fla., 1864 April 27 ( 2.0 p. )

Mentions the withdrawal of some of the Confederate troops to a "Cador Knees." Expects some time before next battle.

 

Item 5: Joab Roach to Fannie Rouse. Laurel Hill, S.C., 1864 November 19 ( 4.0 p. )

Mentions bad conditions of Confederate post office management. Pleads for Fannie to leave Clay Hill and return to Pimple Hill where she will not be "troubled" by chills and fever.