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Conditions Governing Access

No special access restriction applies.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Roy Bird Cook (1886-1961), Collector, Papers Regarding General Joseph A.J. Lightburn and Other Material, A&M 1379, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift from Cook, Roy Bird, 1959/02/19.

Biographical / Historical

Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn was born 21 September 1824 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. In 1838 his family moved to Lewis County, (West) Virginia. As a youth, Lightburn established a fast friendship with his neighbor and Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson. Lightburn enlisted in the United States Army on 5 December 1846 and served in the Mexican-American War. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant on 5 December 1851. Lightburn was licensed as a minister in the Baptist Church in 1859.

In May 1861 he was selected as a representative to the Restored Government of Virginia Constitutional Convention as a supporter of the Union. Following the outbreak of the Civil War, he returned to military service and was mustered into the 4th Regiment Virginia Infantry (later the 4th Regiment West Virginia Infantry) as a colonel on 14 August 1861 at Wheeling, (West) Virginia. Lightburn served in the West Virginia Campaign and was later charged with the defense of the Kanawha Valley. He was appointed Brigadier General United States Volunteers on 14 March 1863 and was ordered to report to the Army of the Tennessee. Lightburn fought in the South for the rest of his Civil War career, finally being removed from active service by a head injury received after the Atlanta Campaign.

Lightburn resigned from the army on 12 June 1865, at Jane Lew, Lewis County. In 1867, Lightburn was ordained a Baptist minister and served at churches in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Scope and Contents

Materials collected by Roy Bird Cook regarding General Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn. Includes letters sent to Dr. Bird regarding General Lightburn and the Lightburn family, newspaper clippings regarding Lightburn and the Civil War in West Virginia, two maps, a pamphlet, and other material.

Correspondence includes letters collected by Cook regarding General Lightburn and families related to the Lightburn family, including the Maginnis, Musser and Whittlesey families. Also includes information regarding the location of Lightburn's Masonic records.

Newspaper clippings include articles on the life of Lightburn and other members of the Lightburn family. They also include a typescript copy of an article regarding the Independence Day celebration (4 July 1865) at Weston, West Virginia where Brigadier General Lightburn was presented with a sword in the name of the citizens of Lewis County. This dress sword can be found in A&M 3948.)

There are also two maps, one showing the battles of Peachtree Creek (20 July 1864), Atlanta (22 July 1864), and Ezra Church (28 July 1864); and the other of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Lightburn's birthplace, and the surrounding counties.

The collection also includes a pamphlet entitled "The Atlanta Campaign and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia" (undated); a photograph of General Lightburn (2 copies, undated); and a post card of the building containing a cyclorama painting of the Battle of Atlanta (undated). There is also a facsimile of an account statement from George Washington to Colonel Stephen for his share of the cost of a survey run by Washington (1774).

Related Material

81, 858, 895, 1309, 1379, 1528, 1561

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Atlanta (Ga.)
• Baptists
• Charleston (W. Va.)
• Civil War - West Virginia 4th Infantry.
• Civil War -- Kanawha Valley, W. Va.
• Civil War battles - Atlanta.
• Civil War battles - Kennesaw Mountain.
• Civil War battles.
• Cook, Roy Bird, 1886-1961
• Cox, Jacob D (Jacob Dolson), 1828-1900
• Freemasons
• Genealogy
• Gilmer County (W. Va.)
• Kanawha Valley.
• Kennesaw Mountain (Ga.)
• Lewis County.
• Lightbourne, Benjamin, approximately 1753-1802
• Lightburn family
• Lightburn, James.
• Lightburn, Joseph Andrew Jackson.
• Lightburn, Luther G.
• McInnis family
• Mexican War, 1846-1848
• Musser family
• Pierpont, Francis Harrison, 1814-1899
• Washington family
• Washington, George, 1732-1799
• Weston (W. Va.)
• Whittlesey family
• Whittlesey family