1st Colonel for the 11th West Virginia Infantry
He was born John Castelli Rathbone, son of William P. Rathbone. John arrived
in Burning Springs, Wirt County in 1840 with his father and brother John Valleau
Rathbone to invest in the salt industry. After failing in this venture, they
turned to opportunities as land speculators, transportation magnates, and
interests in oil production.
The Rathbones diversified their holdings, as in one example, by creating transportation necessary for his supplies in his other holdings. Burning Springs is situated approximately 30 miles southeast of Parkersburg on the Little Kanawha River and by 1860, it was an oil producing town. Barrels of oil were being shipped to Parkersburg for exportation. The Little Kanawha River was shallow and not conducive to anything other than small shallow draft steamboats. The Rathbones operated these boats to carry their supplies and goods. During the extreme shallow period (June-September), even these boats were unable to use the river. Thus they moved by the roads between Parkersburg and Burning Springs.
The Rathbone family leased a portion of these oil fields to Colonel Samuel D. Karns, a renown geologist and oil company executive, who had interests in the boat building field. Karns obtained his military title as a General in the Colorado Militia. The Burning Springs oil boom brought these men large profits.
With the state now divided by sympathies, Rathbone's trains were harassed and robbed by southern bushwhackers. The whole state was held hostage to attacks from these gangs. To travel the roads often required 'hired' guards. Mail routes, supply lines, and commerce as a whole was besieged by these southern sympathizers. There was no organized law enforcement since there was the division of sympathies. Private property was attacked; stores were pillaged; and murders increased substantially, causing a sense of widespread unrest. For Rathbone, the insurgents who attacked his supply route were called the "Bughunters". Elsewhere in the state, groups were formed by individuals who went by names as, the Moccasin Rangers, Night Hawk Rangers, Partisan Rangers, the Guerrillas, etc.,
Rathbone and other prominent businessmen, who happened to be pro Union, met to form vigilantes to protect their interests. They invested money to equip a Home Guard unit, who eventually became private employees of Rathbone.
Isaiah S. Hill, an employee of Rathbone, organized two cavalry units. They escorted the wagon trains when the boat traffic was not usable. Not being military, these units were undisciplined and often made their own laws. Much like their southern counterparts, these men had no military code to live by.
Several people influenced Pierpont to get Rathbone commissioned to form a regiment. Known friends of Rathbone were pro union such as, General John J. Jackson of Virginia, General Samuel D. Karns, General William S. Rosecrans, and General George B. McClellan. But perhaps the most telling example of his influential friends, was his stature as a civilian leading military men on scouting missions and his ability to obtain military equipment from the east shipped directly to him. This is an extremely unusual conduct for a civilian.
With the call for regiments within the area of western Virginia, Pierpont relied on others to enlist the volunteers to fill the regiments. Many were private citizens with no military background. Some were ex-militia men with a minimal military understanding. If a military trained leader was available, he too was considered to raise a regiment. In Virginia, the noted military men were from the influential east where the wealthy sons of the large plantations were commissioned at West Point. There were only few in the west. Rathbone was a civilian businessman with no military training, and possessed many influential friends as noted previously.
It was likely that the persuasive actions by his friends that Rathbone was awarded a commission. The 11th Regiment of West Virginia Infantry Volunteers was granted to Rathbone in October 1861 and would be headquartered in Spencer and/or Parkersburg. From here on John Cass Rathbone became known as "Colonel" Rathbone. His recruits would be used exclusively in protecting the Burning Springs oil field and the supply routes. These supply routes would also include the railroad line between Grafton and Parkersburg. It was understood by all northerners that the B & O Railroad was critical to the North, and troops raised in western Virginia had to protect these lines through their area.
At his recruiting stations, he offered cash bonuses to entice potential recruits to enlist. Rathbone was so shrewd that he convinced Van Bukey, of Parkersburg, to resign his position with Colonel Thomas Maley Harris' 10th West Virginia Infantry, and recruit for the 11th. Bukey was paid a bonus plus a commission for each recruit.
The Rathbones diversified their holdings, as in one example, by creating transportation necessary for his supplies in his other holdings. Burning Springs is situated approximately 30 miles southeast of Parkersburg on the Little Kanawha River and by 1860, it was an oil producing town. Barrels of oil were being shipped to Parkersburg for exportation. The Little Kanawha River was shallow and not conducive to anything other than small shallow draft steamboats. The Rathbones operated these boats to carry their supplies and goods. During the extreme shallow period (June-September), even these boats were unable to use the river. Thus they moved by the roads between Parkersburg and Burning Springs.
The Rathbone family leased a portion of these oil fields to Colonel Samuel D. Karns, a renown geologist and oil company executive, who had interests in the boat building field. Karns obtained his military title as a General in the Colorado Militia. The Burning Springs oil boom brought these men large profits.
With the state now divided by sympathies, Rathbone's trains were harassed and robbed by southern bushwhackers. The whole state was held hostage to attacks from these gangs. To travel the roads often required 'hired' guards. Mail routes, supply lines, and commerce as a whole was besieged by these southern sympathizers. There was no organized law enforcement since there was the division of sympathies. Private property was attacked; stores were pillaged; and murders increased substantially, causing a sense of widespread unrest. For Rathbone, the insurgents who attacked his supply route were called the "Bughunters". Elsewhere in the state, groups were formed by individuals who went by names as, the Moccasin Rangers, Night Hawk Rangers, Partisan Rangers, the Guerrillas, etc.,
Rathbone and other prominent businessmen, who happened to be pro Union, met to form vigilantes to protect their interests. They invested money to equip a Home Guard unit, who eventually became private employees of Rathbone.
Isaiah S. Hill, an employee of Rathbone, organized two cavalry units. They escorted the wagon trains when the boat traffic was not usable. Not being military, these units were undisciplined and often made their own laws. Much like their southern counterparts, these men had no military code to live by.
Several people influenced Pierpont to get Rathbone commissioned to form a regiment. Known friends of Rathbone were pro union such as, General John J. Jackson of Virginia, General Samuel D. Karns, General William S. Rosecrans, and General George B. McClellan. But perhaps the most telling example of his influential friends, was his stature as a civilian leading military men on scouting missions and his ability to obtain military equipment from the east shipped directly to him. This is an extremely unusual conduct for a civilian.
With the call for regiments within the area of western Virginia, Pierpont relied on others to enlist the volunteers to fill the regiments. Many were private citizens with no military background. Some were ex-militia men with a minimal military understanding. If a military trained leader was available, he too was considered to raise a regiment. In Virginia, the noted military men were from the influential east where the wealthy sons of the large plantations were commissioned at West Point. There were only few in the west. Rathbone was a civilian businessman with no military training, and possessed many influential friends as noted previously.
It was likely that the persuasive actions by his friends that Rathbone was awarded a commission. The 11th Regiment of West Virginia Infantry Volunteers was granted to Rathbone in October 1861 and would be headquartered in Spencer and/or Parkersburg. From here on John Cass Rathbone became known as "Colonel" Rathbone. His recruits would be used exclusively in protecting the Burning Springs oil field and the supply routes. These supply routes would also include the railroad line between Grafton and Parkersburg. It was understood by all northerners that the B & O Railroad was critical to the North, and troops raised in western Virginia had to protect these lines through their area.
At his recruiting stations, he offered cash bonuses to entice potential recruits to enlist. Rathbone was so shrewd that he convinced Van Bukey, of Parkersburg, to resign his position with Colonel Thomas Maley Harris' 10th West Virginia Infantry, and recruit for the 11th. Bukey was paid a bonus plus a commission for each recruit.