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Roark, Barton H. (Civil War correspondence)
2021.178.w.r
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Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Barton H. Roark Civil War correspondence
source:
Bennett, Martha
Creator:
Roark, Barton H., PVT, 1844-1892
Identifier/Call Number: 2021.178.w.r
Physical Description:
0.01 Linear Feet
(1 folder)
Date: 1864 November 29
Abstract: This collections contains one letter from Barton H. Roark during the Civil War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: Civil War 7
Container: 25
Container: 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Martha Bennett.
Barton H. Roark (6/3/1844 - 4/1/1892) was born in Canada to Mary and Bartholomew Roark and lived in Cazenovia, New York with
his wife Sarah M. Roark where he worked as a farmer when the census was taken in June 1865, shortly after the end of the Civil
War. According to Ancestry.com, Barton and Sarah married on September 18, two weeks after he enlisted to fight in the Civil
War.
Roark served with Company F and Company L, 2nd New York Cavalry, 3rd Division CC, Army of the Shenandoah, having enlisted
in Pompey, NY as a private at age 20 on September 3, 1864 for a one year term. He mustered out of service on June 5, 1865
at Alexandria, Virginia. Information on his service can be found in a muster roll on the New York State Division of Military
and Naval Affairs website, http://dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/rosters/cavalry/2ndCavCW_Roster.pdf.
Roark and Sarah had four children, Alice "Allie" Ingersoll Oliver Roark (1869 - 1941), Albert B. (1873 - 1928), Herman H.
(1877 - 1912), and Earl Roark (1880 - 1902). Sarah passed away in 1889 and Barton passed in 1892 in Cortland, NY. Barton,
Sarah and Herman are buried together at Glenwood Cemetery in Homer, NY.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Barton H. Roark Civil War correspondence (2021.178.w.r), Center for American
War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
This collections contains one letter from Barton H. Roark of Co. L, 2nd New York Cavalry, 3rd Division CC, Army of the Shenandoah
during the Civil War. The letter was written in Shenandoah Valley and addressed to "Friend Root," which is Samuel Root, great-great-grandfather
of the donor, who lived in Cazenovia, New York from where Roark hailed.
In the letter, Roark describes joining his regiment on November 11th, 1864 and fighting at Cedar Run the next day, near the
location of the Battle of Cedar Creek a month prior. There was later action on the 22nd and capturing of rebel soldiers and
artillery, and a later battle in which his much-outnumbered force was forced to retreat, though he claims small losses for
how disadvantaged his unit was. He describes engagements and casualties, for both sides, as well as the shortness of supplies
and food and the hardship of having no money having not been paid and the railroad (supplies) relatively far away.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Bennett, Martha