Robbins, Franklin C., 1833-1926

Franklin C. Robbins was born in 1833 in Randolph County, N.C. His father, Ahi Robbins, helped found a local school known as the Union Institute, which later became Trinity College and then Duke University. Franklin Robbins attended the University of North Carolina before joining the Confederate Army in April 1861. He was wounded several times and taken prisoner before being released from duty at Appomattox in April 1865. After the war, he moved to Lexington, N.C., where he was a prominent lawyer for over 50 years before his death in 1926. He was also a delegate to the North Carolina Constitutional Convention in 1875 and helped to bring the Winston-Salem Southbound Railroad through Davidson County.

From the description of Franklin C. Robbins papers, 1701-2002. WorldCat record id: 174042200

Franklin C. Robbins was born in 1833 near Trinity, N.C. His father, Ahi Robbins, helped found a local school known as the Union Institute, which later became Trinity College and then Duke University.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina, Frank Robbins joined the Confederate Army in April 1861 as a member of the 18th Virginia Infantry Regiment, the Danville Blues. When the Confederate Army reorganized, he went to the 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, Company C, and eventually reached the rank of captain.

Robbins fought in first Manassas and was later wounded at Cold Harbor, Va., on 27 June 1862. He recovered in time to participate in the battle of Fredericksburg, Va., on 13 December 1862, before again being wounded at Chickamauga, Ga., on 19 September 1863. After being wounded in a skirmish in Knoxville, Tenn., he was taken prisoner and held at Camp Chase, Fort Delaware, and Point Lookout before being released in October 1864. He was present at Appomattox when Lee surrendered on 9 April 1865.

After the war, Robbins made his home in Lexington, N.C., where he was a prominent lawyer for 50 years before his death in October 1926. He was active in the local Democratic Party and was a delegate to the North Carolina Constitutional Convention in 1875. He was also instrumental in bringing the Winston-Salem Southbound Railroad through Davidson County.

From the guide to the Franklin C. Robbins Papers,  , 1701-2002, (bulk 1820s-1890s), (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)