ROANE COUNTY CIVIL WAR MEMORIAL

IN THE FALL OF 1862 ROANE COUNTY SAW ITS FIRST SIGNIFICANT BATTLE OF THE CIVIL WAR. COLONEL J.C. RATHBONE, WITH FOUR COMPANIES OF THE 11TH WEST VIRGINIA UNION INFANTRY, ARRIVED TO PROTECT THE TOWN OF SPENCER. GENERAL ALBERT G. JENKINS WITH A COMPANY OF 500 CONFEDERATES, ADVANCED FROM WESTON. COLONEL RATHBONE SURRENDERED THE TOWN TO GENERAL JENKINS, WHO TOOK POSSESSION “IN THE NAME OF JEFFERSON DAVIS AND THE SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY.” JENKINS AND HIS ARMY HEADED WEST AFTER THE SURRENDER. RATHBONE AND HIS MEN WERE PAROLED, PROMISING NOT TO BEAR ARMS AGAINS THE SOUTH FOR THIRTY DAYS. AS SOON AS JENKINS LEFT, CAPTAIN SYPSON AND HIS TROOPS OF THE 11TH REGIMENT, WHO HAD ESCAPED TOWARDS REEDY, RETURNED TO RECAPTURE SPENCER FOR THE UNION. THE STATE GUARD FOUGHT THE FIRST AND LAST BATTLE IN ROANE COUNTY