Joseph Roberts

Joseph Roberts (1814–1898) is chiefly remembered as the author of The Hand-book of Artillery, a military manual first published in 1861. The book was written for service in the United States and became the work most closely associated with his name in library and archival records.

Another book linked to him, Heaven, Physically and Morally Considered (1846), shows a very different side of his writing. Taken together, these works suggest an author whose interests ranged from technical military instruction to religious and philosophical inquiry.

A Library of Congress record for a Civil War photograph identifies a Col. Joseph Roberts among officers of the 3d Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, and memorial records place a Joseph Roberts of these dates from December 30, 1814, to October 18, 1898. Because biographical details are sparse and not all records are equally certain, the clearest picture comes from the books themselves: a 19th-century author remembered for clear, purposeful writing on war and faith.