Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/96

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ROBERTS 70 ROBERTSON force sent to avenge them. He defeated the Afghans at Charasia on Oct. 6, took possession of Kabul on the 12th, and as- sumed the government of the country, Yakub Khan having abdicated. Events followed quickly : the fortified cantonment of Sherpur was occupied by the British army, the fortress of Bala Hissar in Ka- bul was dismantled, Yakub Khan was sent a prisoner to India, the Afghans began to concentrate on Kabul, General Roberts sought to check them, and there was much sharp fighting round the city, Abdurrahman was proclaimed Ameer, and General Burrows was crushingly defeated at Maiwand, and the British garrison of Kandahar besieged by the followers of Ayub Khan. On Aug. 9 Sir F. Roberts set out with 10,148 troops, 8,143 native followers, and 11,224 baggage animals on his memorable march through the heart of Afghanistan to the relief of Kandahar, which he reached three weeks later. He immediately gave battle to Ayub Khan and routed him completely, capturing all his artillery and his camp. When he visited England toward the close of the year he was honored with a bar- onetcy, and on his return to India was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Madras army (1881), and held the rank of Commander-in-Chief in India 1885- 1893. He was appointed Commander-in- Chief of the forces in Ireland in 1895; and in 1899 took command of the English forces in South Africa ; capturing Cronje, relieving Kimberley, and annexing the two republics. He returned to England and was created Earl, and made Commander- in-Chief, which position he held until it was abolished in 1904. During the suc- ceeding 10 years Lord Roberts urged upon his countrymen the need of more adequate military preparation, but he was little heeded. He died Nov. 14, 1914, while visiting the British lines in France. ROBERTS, KENNETH LEWIS, an American author, born at Kennebunk, Me., in 1885. He was educated at Cor- nell University. Having served as edi- tor-in-chief of the "Cornell Widow" dur- ing his under-graduate days; he became a contributor of fiction, special articles, light verse, etc., to "Life," "Puck," and many other periodicals. In 1916-17 he was on the editorial staff of "Puck." Dur- ing the World War he served first as a captain of the Military Intelligence Di- vision and later with the American Ex- peditionary Force in Siberia. ROBERTS, MORLEY, an English novelist and journalist, born in London in 1857. He was educated in the public schools and at Owens College, Manches- ter. In 1874 he removed to Australia and was engaged in various employments. He traveled also in the United States and in the South Seas, Samoa, South Africa, and other parts of the world. He was a prolific writer and his stories of adventure attained wide popularity. They include "Red Earth" (1894) ; "The Co- lossus" (1899) ; "The Way of a Man" (1902) ; "The Private Life of Henry Maitland" (1912) ; "Gloomy Fanny" (1913) ; and "Sweet Herbs and Bitter" (1914). ROBERTS, WILLIAM HENRY, an American Presbyterian clergyman, born at Holyhead, Wales, in 1844. He was educated at the College of the City of New York and at Princeton Theological Seminary, receiving honorary degrees from several American universities. From 1863 to 1865 he was statistician of the Treasury Department, and from 1866 to 1871, assistant librarian of Congress. In 1873 he was ordained a Presbyterian minister, and after some years as pas- tor of a church at Cranford, N. J., he was librarian of the Princeton Theologi- cal Seminary, from 1878 to 1886, and pro- fessor of practical theology at the Lane Theological Seminary, from 1886 to 1893. In 1884, he became stated clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States; in 1888, American secretary of the Alliance of the Reformed Churches Throughout the World; and in 1907, secretary of the Council of Reformed Churches in the United States. He also served as treas- urer of the Centenary Fund for Minis- terial Relief (1888 to 1890), for the Anniversary Reunion Fund (1895 to 1897), and of the Twentieth Century Fund (1900 to 1902). In 1896, he was president of the Glasgow, Scotland, Pan- Presbyterian Council; from 1903 to 1909, secretary of the Interchurch Conference on Marriage and Divorce; in 1905, presi- dent of the Interchurch Conference on Federation, N. Y.; in 1907, moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly; and in 1918-19, chairman of the Confer- ence on Organic Union. He published "History of the Presbyterian Church" (1888) ; "The Presbyterian System" (1895); etc., and edited "Minutes of the General Assembly" (34 volumes) (1884 to 1919), etc. He died in 1920. ROBERTSON, ARCHIBALD THOS., an American Baptist theologian, born near Chatham, Va., in 1863. He was edu- cated at Wake Forest (N. C.) College, and at the Southern Baptist Theological Sem- inary, Louisville, Ky. In 1888 he was assistant instructor of New Testament interpretation; in 1892 professor of Bib- lical Introduction; and since 1895 pro- fessor of New Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Senv