West Virginia and Regional History Center
1549 University Ave.P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown, WV 26506-6069
Business Number: 304-293-3536
wvrhcref@westvirginia.libanswers.com
URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu
Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center
Administrative Information
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Conditions Governing Access
No special access restriction applies.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], John Castelli Rathbone, Colonel, Civil War Letter and Parole Pledge, A&M 3781, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Biographical / Historical
John Castelli Rathbone, or "Cass Rathbone" as he was better known, joined the 11th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry 29 October 1861. He was promoted to the rank of colonel 15 February 1862. His troops, lacking sufficient arms and other supplies, were attacked by Confederate General Albert G. Jenkins and his troops at Spencer, (West) Virginia on 2 September 1862. Rathbone was compelled to surrender to Jenkins and he and his troops were taken prisoner. Rathbone was paroled later that year.
Rathbone was dismissed from the service 7 January 1863 for cowardly conduct. Rathbone's dismissal is remarkable, as it was done without a court martial or even an explication of the charges against him. His dismissal was eventually revoked by President Andrew Johnson on 18 May 1866. However, Rathbone's reputation never recovered.
Before joining the Union army Rathbone had been the founder and operator of the oil fields at Burning Springs, (West) Virginia. He argued persistently for the importance of the oil fields, but was largely ignored by his superiors. Burning Springs was destroyed on 9 May 1863 by Confederate Brigadier General William E. Jones.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Civil War - Union soldiers - West Virginia.
- Civil War - WV 11th. Inf.
- Civil War - West Virginia 11th Infantry.
- Civil War - West Virginia.
- Civil War - raids and raiders.
- Civil War -- Jenkins, Albert G. Brigade
- Jenkins, Albert Gallatin, 1830-1864
- Rathbone, John Castelli
- Roane County (W. Va.)
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Jenkins, Albert Gallatin, 1830-1864
- Rathbone, John Castelli
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Roane County (W. Va.)
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Prisoners and prisons