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John Castlebury
Private, Company G
29th Texas Cavalry
1835 - 1882
John Castlebury was born in Green Co., Illinois in 1835 to John Castlebury Sr. and Mary Reed. He was the seventh child of nine children born to John Sr. His mother Mary was the second wife of John Sr.
In 1841 when John was the at age of six his father moved the family to a north Texas land grant in Lamar County, but what is now Delta County, Texas. On March 8th, 1855 at the age of 20 he married Julia L. Thrasher aged 15 in Lamar County, Texas. One year later on March 6th 1856 Julia gave birth to a baby girl and named Amanda Francis Castlebury. It would be over four years before a second surviving child was born to this couple. They named this second child John A. Castlebury. He was born November 01, 1860. During this time John Jr. would give his occupation as teamster on the 1860 US Federal Census for Lamar County.
In January of 1861 Texas would join other southern states and secede from the United States. In order to defend the state of Texas John enlisted with the 9th Brigade of the Texas State Troops and was elected on 10 Aug 1861 to the position of 3rd Sergeant. His older half brother Anderson would join at the same time and was given the rank of private. Joshua Castlebury, another of John's older brothers would also enlist in the militia. He would serve as an ensign on Beat No. 7. John Jr. and Anderson would serve on Lamar Co. Beat No. 6.
The following summer in June 1862, John enlisted in the Confederate States Army. He was assigned to Company G of the 29th Texas Cavalry, De Morse's Regiment. Early in February of 1863 John fathered a second son named George W. Castlebury.
In May & June of 1863 he appears on the company muster roll of the 29th Texas Calvary. Two weeks after the battle at Fort Gibson on May 20th 1863 he is appointed to surgeon at Camp Butler, Creek Nation. Military records from the end of the war indicate John's rank as a private in the regiment of the assistant quartermaster.
In February of 1864 the State of Texas listed John's family indigent and dependant on Lamar County for support. This condition is recorded again the following year in 1865. In Sept of 1864 the 29th Texas Calvary fought along side General Stand Watie at the Battle of Cabin Creek. This battle was a significant victory for the Confederate Army. Large amounts of supplies were captured and the Union forces were routed. The memory of this victory was extinguished when General Robert E. Lee surrendered the following spring in Virginia. John's unit was disbanded at Camp Grace, near Hempstead, Texas in May 1865.
Upon returning home from the war John was to father six more children. The first arrived September 13th 1866. Her name was Emily Carlin Castlebury. The next five children were born in the following order:
Mary Nancy Lousendy Castlebury, born June 23, 1868
Minne Jane Castlebury, born March 30, 1871
Nora Olive Castlebury, born August 14, 1873
Carrol Willie Castlebury, born July 06, 1876
Edna Malindia Castlebury, born May 11, 1878
On August 12, 1878 John's wife Julia died at the age of 38. Her youngest child was only three months old. John died three and half years later during March 1882. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery (BlockM-11S-05) in Paris Texas along side his wife.
Contributed by Rex Jackson, 15711 Fisher Hollow Tr., Leander, TX 78641.
©Ron Brothers and Rex Jackson, All Rights Reserved, 2005.
February 20, 2005
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