William Jefferson Roberts was born in White Co. Tennessee, the son of Thomas E. Roberts and Mary A. "Polly" Webb Roberts. He married (1st) Elizabeth "Betsy Ann" Swindell on November 19, 1865 in White County, Tennessee. He married (2nd) Josephine "Josie" Brook, the daughter of Dudley M. Brook and Martha A. Strickland Brook. He enlisted in the Confederate Army at Sparta, TN in the spring of 1861 in Co. B of the 16th Tennessee Infantry under the command of Capt. P. C. Shields. He also served in the 13th Infantry and Co. D of the 16th. He reinlisted in the spring of 1862 at Tupelo, Mississippi and served till the close of the war. He mentions in some of his writing that, as a nineteen year old soldier in the 13th, he carried the colors into the Battle of Murphreesboro.

Mr. Roberts was a long-time correspondent for the New Decatur Advertiser newspaper and wrote the local news for the Neel Community leaving a legacy of information about births, deaths, weddings and day-to- day events in the lives of Neel residents.

William was buried in a "tent" style grave which has solid rocks covering the grave in a triangular shape. The ends of the graves are triangular stones which fit into the covering. These graves were typical of burials in his native White County, TN. Many of these graves were present at Johnson Chapel in the early days of burials. Unfortunately, most of these historic tent style graves had the stones removed in the 1970's or 1980's. All that remains of William's stone are the ones that were on the ends of the grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WILLIAM JEFFERSON ROBERTS

New Decatur Advertiser - February 8, 1912 (by C. J. Hildreth, editor)

W. J. Roberts, of Neel, one of the oldest and best friends of the New Decatur Advertiser, died at his home Thursday morning at 4 o'clock at the age of 67 years. His family were all around him to speed him to the better land where they hope to join him in the sweet bye-and-bye.

He was a member of Johnson's Chapel and had been for many years. He leaves a wife and several children, the eldest of whom is Pearl, who won the piano at the New Decatur Advertiser piano contest.

He will be buried Friday at Johnson's Chapel Cemetery at 11 a.m. The editor of this paper deeply regrets the loss of a dear friend and a valued contributor who has been our Neel correspondent almost for a generation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Decatur Advertiser - February 15, 1912

South Neel News - W. J. Roberts was laid to rest in Johnson's Chapel cemetery on the 9th inst. He had hosts of friends here and we shall all miss him very much and we shall also miss his nice letters to the New Decatur Advertiser with the allusions to the joke on the "collards" he was so fond of repeating.

Our loss would be inconsolable if we did not know that we shall meet him in the great hereafter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Decatur Advertiser May 9, 1912 (This was included in a letter to the editor which is headed "Letter From Tuscaloosa")

The death of our dear brother, W. J. Roberts has elicited many a sigh of sorrow and regret. I remember him as a Quill at our annual reunions, when our President, Col. C. J. Hildreth and his son Harold treat us so royally. I remember him at Johnson's Chapel where on account of rain in the early part of that holy Sabbath day those who were to be his co-laborers with me at the re-mounding of graves could not reach the place in time to address the waiting multitude and this Quill had to deliver an address in the morning, preach on the resurrection at 11 o'clock and deliver the afternoon address---all in one day.

And I remember him at his home and his wife, who by request, did some eloquent reading which so impressed me that I enquired of her who had been her teacher. When I learned that it was Prof. A. A. McGregor, whom I knew in Lagrange and elsewhere, the matter was explained.

And I remember the darling daughter, a sweet child then. She will soon be in long dresses now for some years have elapsed. I think there were other children but the little girl was of reading age. May the Good Shepherd deal gently with the tender lambs and may Heaven smile upon the bereaved mother.

Our brother is gone. May his good deeds, like his beautiful young orchard, bear fruit for the happiness of the existing generation.

Goodbye, my brother. As you re-mounded and decorated the graves of those who had passed over the river, so your survivors at Johnson's Chapel will keep your grave and your memory green. And, at the great re-blooming "when the dead shall hear His voice and come forth and 'we' the living shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye," then the good---and most of our Quills are Christians-- shall be called up to meet our Lord to be a happy band forever.

Pardon me! I did not mean to say so much on this strain but out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.