Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Dr. Osborne David Castleman Esq. (1826-1903)

Dr. Osborne David Castleman, Esq. (1826-1903)


Osborne David Castleman
 (1826-1902) was the father of Frederick Berlin Castleman (1882-1954)

O.D. Castleman's Findagrave.com Memorial

When Osborne David Castleman was born on October 12, 1826, in Frederick, Virginia, his father, Alfred, was 30 and his mother, Margaret, was 17. He married Trithena Groves on March 12, 1858 in Dent County, Missouri. They had 17 children in 29 years. He died on November 30, 1902, in Rolla, Missouri, having lived a long life of 76 years, and was buried in Phelps, Missouri.Osborne David Castleman Esq. lived in Virginia in 1831, around the time Nat Turner and his fellow slaves launched a revolt against white settlers.

He was the oldest child of nine children. His brother Nathaniel "Nat" was born when he was 3 years old. His next brother, William Alfred was born when he was 5 years old. By the time his youngest brother Charles was born, "David" was 22 years old.

O.D. Castleman lived in Virginia into his twenties. 
He moved to Missouri having received a land grant from President Van Buren and married his wife Trithena in 1858. In 1859, their first child Susan Frances was born.
 

According to family sources "David" disagreed with his father Alfred about the issue of slavery. It appears that other members of his family may have been divided on the issue, as well.
 

After the Civil War, his father, in his request for a pardon to President Andrew Johnson, in 1865, stated, "I had two sons in the United States Army one of whom was killed, and two in the Confederate Army." I am not sure how accurate of a statement that was. 


(Although his father, Alfred, stated this there are some facts, in his request for a pardon that appear to be either incorrect or embellished, since they contradict other statements of his own. I believe four of his sons fought for the Confederacy and only one for the US Army, and the Union during the Civil War. Two of his sons, William and Ned died during the War and the rest survived. Alfred also denied ever serving in the military but later fought to receive a pension for serving in the war of 1812. ) 

His brother, William, died at Sharpsburg in 1862 in the bloodiest battle in American history, known as The Battle of Antietam. In 1863, his brother Edward "Ned", while serving in the Confederate Army, died after he was thrown from a horse.

"Squire O.D. Castleman" was a farmer, and in 1883 he visited the Rolla Herald newspaper and gave them samples of his corn. He informed the newspaper that "he raised a thousand bushels of the best corn in the county".

On July 1, 1886, the newspaper announced, "Osburn D. Castleman, of Cold Spring township, as a candidate for the office of Representative, subject to the decision of the Democratic Nominating Convention."

The Rolla Herald published his speech delivered on May 26, 1888, titled "Our Noble President". The subject of the speech was president Grover Cleveland. Interestingly, O.D. Castleman's cousin John B. Castleman was a delegate of the 1892 Democratic Convention and successfully lobbied for the nomination of Grover Cleveland.

David served on the executive committee of The Phelps County Horticultural Society. Phelps was called "the fruit basket" of Missouri.  The committee was organized in 1888, which for a long time was very prosperous and held annual fairs.

In 1891, "O.D. Castleman was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the eastern part of Cold Spring township on account of the long distance to the duly elected justices."

In 1900, "Hon. O.D. Castleman was made temporary chairman" of the Republican Convention. In a speech, he "told of his conversion to Republicanism, and glorified McKinley and the Republican administration."


Osborne "David" Castleman and Trithena had 17 children:

  1. Susan Frances Castleman Whitten
  2. Margaret Lucinda Castleman Treat
  3. John Alfred Castleman
  4. Joseph R Castleman
  5. Missouri Elizabeth Castleman Register
  6. Martha Jane Castleman Green
  7. Virginia Roumania Castleman Treat
  8. James David Castleman
  9. Charles Fremont Castleman
  10. Laura Louisa Castleman Heflin
  11. George Washington Castleman
  12. Mary Florence Castleman
  13. William Franklin Castleman
  14. Robert Lee Castleman
  15. Frederick Berlin Castleman
  16. Justina Josephine Castleman Hankins
  17. Eva Katherine Castleman Pope


Please see the findagrave.com memorial link page where many of O.D. Castleman's descendant's memorials are linked.

Related Links

Our Noble President, a speech by O.D. Castleman


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