led 



ROBBINS-ROBINSON. 



The college was in operation throughout the war, 

 but ii|'t<i 1S65 had graduated only 4 1 mm. I is main re- 

 sults have been accomplished alun-i entirely within u 

 l:itT period. uniliT many disadvantages, and with 

 very inadequate means. The wln-K' nuiiilierof gradu- 

 ates a now nearly 300, the majority of whom are en- 

 gaged as professors, teacher.-, clergvincn. lawyers, and 

 jdiy>icians. Graduates of the college way be ti-nii'l 

 in _'- States and Territories, and in two foreign conn- 

 tric. Many students at tlie South pursue only a par- 

 tial course at college ; of this class Roanoke has re- 

 ceived fully 1500. The college draws its students from 

 nearly every Southern State, and t'roui some parts of 

 tin- North and West. The first Mexican to complete 

 the course of study received his diploma in the class 

 of 1888. For 18 years Koanoke has been educating 

 Indians. The Ohoctaws support a small number of 

 students at the college at the expense of their govern- 

 ment Three Choctaw superintendents of schools 

 have visited the college in the discharge of their offi- 

 cial duties. In 1883 Win. H. McKinney graduated 

 at Roanoke with the degree of A. B. , being the first 

 Indian to take a diploma at a Virginia college, and 

 also the first one to win that honor at Yale University, 

 where he was made a bachelor of divinity in 1886. The 

 number of students in attendance in 1888-89 is nearly 

 150, coming from 14 States, Indian Territory and Ja- 

 pan. The students maintain two excellent literary so- 

 cieties. There is also an alumni association composed 

 of the graduates. A General Reunion Association em- 

 bracing former students, as well as graduates, holds 

 triennial reunions at the college during commence- 

 ment week. The college has always been noted for 

 its high moral tone and its positive but not sectarian 

 religious character. An active Young Men's Chris- 

 tian Association exerts a strong influence on the moral 

 life of the college. Candidates for the ministry and 

 sons of clergymen pay only half the regular tuition fee. 

 The entire expenses of a student for a session of nine 

 months range from $150 to $205. The faculty en- 

 deavor to aid young men of small means in availing 

 themselves of the advantages afforded by the college. 

 The Koanoke Colleaian, the organ of the graduates 

 and students, is published monthly during the session. 

 Prof. F. V. N. Painter, A. M., of the faculty, haa 

 published a Hutory of Education (1885). (j. H. D.) 



BOBBINS, THOMAS (1777-1856), antiquary, was 

 born at Norfolk, Conn., Aug. 11, 1777. He was 

 of a family which contained manv Puritan preachers 

 of local note. He graduated at Yale College in 1 ,:' 

 and was pastor successively at East Windsor, Stam- 

 ford, and Rochester, Mass. In 1842 he took up his 

 residence at Hartford and founded the Connecticut 

 Historical Society, to which he bequeathed his vain 

 able library. An early series of articles from his pen 

 was collected under the title Fir*t J'lmiten of NfU> 

 England (1815). He also published \'inr nf nil AV- 

 ligumt (1824) and some other works. He died at 

 Colcbrook, Conn., Sept. 13, 1856. A bulky biography 

 of him was published (1887). 



ROBERTS, BENJAMIN STONE (181 1-1 875), general, 

 was born at Manchester, Vt, graduated at West 

 Point in 1835, and was first lieutenant of dragoons 

 when he resigned in 1839 to become railroad engineer 

 in Northern flew York. He was afterwards assistant 

 geologist of that State and in 1842 went to Russia to 

 assist in railroad construction. In l*t:i he settled in 

 Iowa and engaged in tlic practice of law, but the out- 

 break of the Mexican war called him to arms again. 

 He was made first lieutenant of mounted rifles, and 

 distinguished himself at Chapultepec and Matamoras. 

 He was a major of cavalry serving in New Mexico 

 when the civil war broke out and soon was engaged 

 in defending Fort Craig against Texans under Sil-lcy. 

 In June, 1862, he went to Washington and was made 

 brigadier-general and chief of cavalry in <icn. Pope's 

 army. With that commander he was afterwards sent 

 to Minnesota, but in June, 1864, he had command of 



a division in I/iuisiana, and afterwards in West Ten- 

 nessee. He retired from the army in July, 1806, and 



died at W . Jan. -'.>. l>7"-. 



ROHKKTSON. JAMKS (1748-1814), pioneer was 

 born in Brunswick co., V a., June _s, 174:?, and was 

 brought up on his father's farm. In 17.V.I lie accom- 

 panied Daniel Boone on his third expedition across 

 the Alleghenies and discovered the \\ataujraValley. 

 Next spring lie led a hand of settlers there and ar- 

 ranged with the Cherokees a treaty on terms of which 

 the whites and natives lived at peace till 177ti. 

 Troubles then broke out, hut Robertson succeeded in 

 subjugating the red men, and, at the instance of the 

 governor of North Carolina, took up his residence at 

 their capital in order to keep them in check. In 

 177'J he removed with a number of the Watauga 

 settlers to the region of the Cumberland, where on 

 Chri.-tma.s of that year they founded Nashville, and 

 organized themselves into u civil and military body 

 with Robertson. at their head. Their conflicts with 

 the savages who swarmed around them were almost 

 incessant In 1781 the fort of Nashville was besieged 

 by 1000 Indians and Robertson's life was saved by 

 his wife. Notwithstanding severe losses hy the toma- 

 hawk and desertion, Robertson maintained the settle- 

 ment. During the Revolutionary war he supported 

 the patriot cause, and on being later urged by the 

 Spaniards, with the promise of many advantages, to 

 establish an independent government west of the Al- 

 leghenies. he refused their offer. In 1790 he was 

 made by Washington a brigadier-general and, as such, 

 commanded the Tennessee militia. Puring his later 

 years he was U. S. agent to the Chiekasaw Indians, 

 and died at the Chiekasaw Agency, Tenn. , Sept 1, 

 1814. See A. W. Putnam's Lift- uml Tinas of Rob- 

 ertson (18.V.I), and J. R. (Jiluiure s Ailrmin (Imtrtl nf 

 \\'.-.i>, n, C&i&wtMm (1888). 



ROBIN, CHAUI.RS I'IIIMPPE (1820-1885), French 

 physician and naturalist, was born at Jasseron, June 

 4, 1820. He studied medicine at Paris and in 1845 

 was employed in an exploration of the coasts of Nor- 

 mandy and Jersey for enriching the museum of natural 

 history and comparative anatomy in the Paris Eeole 

 Pratique de M ('-define. He obtained the doctor's 

 degree in is 17, and was made professor of histology 

 in 1862. His works relate to comparative anatomy, 



Jihysiologieal chemistry, and parasitism. With M. 

 ,ittre he thoroughly revised Nysten's liii-tiniii/nir:' </> 

 .Mt'ilicinr. With M. Yenleil he published Ilistnir,- 

 Xntiirrlti' ./. \','ft<'lii.r I'arnsitrx (:i vols., 1853). 

 Among his other works are L<* Sulutuncet Organise* 

 (1866); Lex Ilnmenni </ii Cor/is (!>!' J/omme (1867): 

 Aiint'imie Microxaipique (1868). In 1871 he assisted 

 in founding a sociological society. 



KOHINSON. E/K.KiM. (iir.MAN, President of 

 Brown University, was born at Attleborough, Mass., 

 March 23, 1815. He graduated at Brown University 

 and at, Newton Theological Institution in 1S4:.'. 

 He was ordained pastor of the Baptist church in 

 Norfolk, Va., in 1842, and in 1846 was called to the 

 theological seminary at Covington, Ky., as professor of 

 Ili-brew. He afterwards had charge of a church in 

 ( 'incinnati, but in IS'.!' was made professor of Biblical 

 theology in the Baptist Seminary at Ki-clicster, N. Y., 

 of which lie became president in I Still. While holding 

 this position he was also editor of the Christ inn /.' 

 (/(// for six years. Since 1872 he has filled with 

 ability the presidency of Brown University. 



i;i)i;lNSO.\. HKNRV CRABB (1775-1869), best 

 known by his entertaining Dinni uiul Correxpoii </IHI-I\ 

 published posthumously, was born at Bury St. Ed- 

 mond's, England, May 13, 177r>. He studied law and 

 at the age nf twenty five went to (lermany, where be- 

 sides attending some of the principal universities he 

 associated with the most eminent literary men, in- 

 cluding (ioethe and Schiller. When the. Peninsular 

 war began in 1808 Robinson wrote letters from Spain 

 ' to the London 'limes, and afterwards in England was 



