[July 22, 2011] 'Gentleman' Jim has unique spot in history Tweet Jul 21, 2011 (News & Messenger - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- GAINESVILLE, Va. -- He's not a household name in the annals of Civil War history and he wasn't known for amazing inventions or accomplishments. But make no mistake. Prince William County resident "Gentleman" Jim Robinson was unique in his era. A freed slave in Virginia -- a rare sight in the South --Robinson not only became educated but was the only man in Virginia during the Civil War to sue the federal government for damages. And he won. The 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run is an opportunity to learn more about a man who may have been forgotten if it weren't for the determination of a family that's proud of its place in history. Unique For His Time The son of white slaveholder Landon Carter and one of his slaves, Robinson was given nine acres of land on Va. 29 near Sudley Road at birth in 1799. While he was younger, Robinson was educated in secret by a tutor brought in by Carter to teach his daughter. "It was illegal for blacks to read and write," said his great-great-greatgrandson, Mark Robinson, 49. "Carter brought in an English tutor for his daughter. So when Jim won his freedom, he said he'd take his last name because Robinson the tutor had tutored him in secret." James Robinson eventually acquired more land in the area, settled down with a slave, Susan Gaskins, and had six children. He saved up enough money to purchase his wife and two of his children's freedom. Two others came back to him upon the death of their master, John Lee, and the last two he was unable to purchase. Before the Civil War, he also ran a roadside tavern for those passing back and forth on the road to Alexandria. But possibly the most historically significant aspect of Robinson's life was a result of his tenacity. He was the firstVirginian to successfully sue the federal government for damages done to his property during the battles of Manassas in 1861 and 1862. Shortly before July 21, 1861, Robinson took his family and fled the destruction of the battle that took more than 800 lives. The house withstood the fight and in 1862, served as a hospital for the Union army during the Second Battle of Manassas/Bull Run. When he returned, Robinson sued the government for $2,080 and eventually was awarded $1,249 for damage done to his home and crops, according to freerepublic.com. Recognition Persistence runs in the family. In the early 1990s, Mark Robinson decided he was going to try to honor his ancestor's memory by getting the state to officially recognize James' life and role in the Civil War. His grandfather, Bladen Oswald Robinson, thought he was crazy and that the once-home of the Confederacy would never honor a black man. That just made Mark Robinson that much more determined to see it done. On July 26, 1993 -- almost 132 years to the day after mayhem broke out in James' backyard -- a sign was erected on Va. 29 commemorating his place in Civil War history. Unfortunately, just a month after the sign was erected, the structure that replaced the original in 1926 was burned to the ground. Police suspected arson and the younger Robinson has his own ideas about the motivation for setting the fire. But the memory of his grandfather telling stories about his famous ancestor still burns brightly in his mind. Mark Robinson grew up in Washington, D.C., but spent many a summer in the Manassas area with his grandfather, who owned a home near where James Robinson built his house. The federal government had purchased the land and the home of James Robinson in the 1930s but that didn't stop Mark from milling around the property and gleaning all he could from his grandfather. And thanks to a recent archeological dig and the generosity of the Robinson family, history buffs visiting the Manassas Museum or theManassas Battlefield Park Visitors Center can check out a host of items from the 1840s house, like a Confederate belt buckle and a Union army cartridge plate. Passion Rekindled Sometime in 2007, Mark Robinson snapped a photo of his father, Richard Robinson, standing next to the sign. It serves as a reminder of the legacy of a family that prided itself on education. A real straight arrow who rarely got into trouble, Bladen Oswald Robinson moved to D.C. to make sure his family received a quality education, said Mark Robinson. They did just that. His father attended Georgetown University and retired an Army colonel. Mark Robinson is executive vice president for Machinery Deals National Association in Alexandria and lives in a largely undeveloped area of Gainesville he calls "God's country." Mark Robinson then learned of a project that would have made his grandfather beam. Last winter, students at Stonewall Middle School began work on an educational re-enactment video on "Gentleman" Jim Robinson. The video was done with the assistance of Virginia nonprofit Journey Through Hallowed Ground and featured recreations of Robinson's court appearance, purchasing of his children and before-andafter scenes of the Civil War battles that ravaged his home. When he saw the sixminute video recently at the office ofManassas National Battlefield Park Superintendent Ed Clark, he choked back tears. "It moved me, it really did," he said. And it had an impact on the students who made the video as well. Several of those who worked on the video knew next to nothing about the Civil War before the project started, said former Stonewall teacher Sara Taylor. But as their understanding increased, so did their emotions and desires to do the Robinson family proud. When he learned that the house was burned to the ground a few years before his birth, student Norman Jones III said he would like to help re-build it. And while this would be a difficult task-- the National Park Service "isn't in the business of building history" said Mark Robinson -- the fact that the community is recognizing one of its own is touching. "Knowing that the younger generation is interested in this history and to learn this history is very cool," said Mark Robinson, whose daughter will be flying from Chicago for the sesquicentennial. To see more of the News & Messenger or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www2.insidenova.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, News & Messenger, Manassas, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]