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| Samuel C. Cook |
The Wilcox Dragoons was the first cavalry company organized
in Wilcox County in 1861 at the beginning of the War Between the States. They
became known as Co. C of the 3rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment when that
regiment was formed at Tupelo, Miss. in June 1862. Other companies in the
regiment came from Autauga, Calhoun, Choctaw, Dallas, Mobile, Monroe and Perry
counties.
According to documents at the Department of Archives and
History in Montgomery, the regiment traveled with the Confederate army into
Kentucky, and was “engaged in daily conflicts with the enemy, particularly at
Bramlet's Station and Perryville. It fell back with the army, and was on
constant and arduous duty during the remainder of the war, protecting its
communications, guarding its rear and flanks, and often raiding upon the
enemy's trains and outposts.”
The regiment fought at Murfreesboro, Shelbyville,
Chickamauga, Kingston, Knoxville, Mossy Creek and Strawberry Plains, “losing
continuously in casualties, and suffering severely during (General James)
Longstreet's winter campaign. In the Dalton-Atlanta campaign, it performed
arduous service, fighting with severe losses at Decatur, and helping to capture
(General George) Stoneman's column. In front of (General William Tecumseh)
Sherman, the regiment shrouded (General John Bell) Hood's movements, then
harassed the former on his march, participating in the fights near Macon, at
Winchester, Aiken, Fayetteville, Bentonville, Raleigh and Chapel Hill.”
When the Army of Tennessee surrendered in April 1865 at
Durham Station, North Carolina, the regiment had been “reduced by its losses to
a skeleton.”
Samuel C. Cook was also a very interesting Wilcox County
figure. A lawyer before the war, he joined the Dragoons at the beginning of
hostilities, served at Pensacola and was eventually promoted to captain before
going on to serve on General “Fighting Joe” Wheeler’s staff. After the
Confederate surrender, he returned home to Wilcox County and practiced law and
served as a state legislator up until the time of his death.
In the end, let me hear from you if you know any additional details about the Wilcox Dragoons and Samuel C. Cook. No doubt more than a few Wilcox County residents today are descended from the men who fought in this unit, and it would be interesting to see what they might know about this cavalry company.
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ReplyDeleteMy name is Samuel Calvin Cook IV, the greatX2 grandson of this man. I am the last in the line to carry his name. I have been to the Alabama State Archives and held his cavalry saber. - Sam Cook, Greensboro, NC
ReplyDeleteMore information on the Samuel Cook line: Samuel Cook’s maternal grandfather was John Norwood, who served in the SC militia during the American Revolution, serving at times with Francis Marion and later under Nathanael Greene at the Battle of Eutaw Springs.
ReplyDeleteSamuel Cook attended and graduated from Howard College in Marion just before the American Civil War (Howard later moved to Birmingham and changed its name to Samford University). Samuel’s namesake son (born in 1882) had no junior or suffix in his name initially, later taking “senior” after his father passed, which was old custom.
Samuel’s grandson was named Samuel Calvin Cook, Jr., (after his father and grandfather), and sometimes went by “Cooper” (his mother’s maiden name). Cooper also attended Howard and graduated in 1936. This Samuel served in WWII and was credited by Eddie Rickenbacker for nursing him back to life after being lost at sea in 1942 in the Pacific theater.
“Cooper” Cook had only one son, my father, Samuel C. Cook III.