Robert M. Sloan served in the capacity of lieutenant in the Greensborough Guards, which was established in Greensboro on February 22, 1839, with John Sloan as captain. The Guards held annual parades on that date to celebrate Washington's birthday in which they marched in full dress of blue uniforms trimmed in yellow with hats of leather the size of fire buckets.

During his term as Mayor the town of Greensboro became the City of Greensboro in May of 1870. He was affectionately known as Uncle Bob. He was a tall man and in old age his hair and beard were white.

His kindness though led to problems in Greensboro. It worried him to raise taxes on an already impoverished township. Greensboro suffered greatly after the Civil War and the town was broke. The streets became laden with mud. When he was reelected in 1872 hogs could be found running amok in town living off the garbage left about. Pressure began rising to clean the city and Mayor Sloan heeded the call; He had the hogs rounded it. That alone about wore out Constable Ben Phillips in charge of rounding up the hogs.
(NOTE: In giving cemetery tours this story is often told to children. The kids really enjoy the thought of pigs running the streets.)


...A few years before his death in August of 1903 Robert suffered a stroke of some sort that impaired his ability. He died at 2:30 in the morning of Thursday, July 27, 1905 at ninety-three years of age at his home on West Market Street. His body was carried from his home on Friday morning at eleven to the First Presbyterian Church where his funeral was preached. His flower-covered casket was afterward buried behind the church in the cemetery.
Greensboro Patriot Weekly, Wednesday, August 2, 1905 obitary.