Alexander Cook (1815 - 1853)

Born 1815 in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, USA

Husband of Mary Ann (Bishop) Cook — married 17 Oct 1833 in Spartanburg SC

Descendants

Died 1853 at about age 38 in Spartanburg District, South Carolina, USA

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Biography

Alexander Cook was born in 1815 in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. He married Mary Ann Bishop on October 17, 1833 in Spartanburg. They had the following children:

1. Corp. Alfred Cook, CSA WIA, Second Bull Run
2. Pvt. Calvin Cook, CSA WIA, Second Bull Run
3. Pvt. William James Cook, CSA WIA Deep Bottom, VA
4. Pvt. Jasper Newton Cook, CSA WIA Second Bull Run
5. John R. Cook ^[1] and
6. Mary E Cook ^[2]

Alexander died in 1853 in Spartanburg District, South Carolina.

In April, 1861, Rial Benjamin Seay recruited a group of men from Spartanburg and called them the Lawson Fork Volunteers and gathered in Columbia on April 14th joining up with the 5th SC Volunteers under Colonel Micah Jenkins. All four of Alexander's sons went with him. The 5th consisted of 12 Companies which included the Lawson Fork Volunteers as Company C under Capt. Rial B. Seay. On June 3rd the 5th mustered into the Provisional Army of the CSA and left for Richmond, arriving there on June 10th (830 strong) and were assigned to General P. G. T. Beauregard.

On June 21st, during the Battle of First Manassas, they attacked a Federal Artillery positioned at Grigsby’s Log Barn where they received fire not only from the Federals but also from the 17th Mississippi at their rear. The four Union Regiments retreated into the woods but the 5th was still ordered to withdraw. It is reported that even Jeff Davis commented upon the brilliancy and daring of the action.

On Sept 4th they set up position on the south bank of Great Falls at 7am and at 8 am opened fire on the Federals on the other side of the Potomac. Capt. Seay killed two Federals with his “long ranger rifle” (Yorkville Enquirer, Sept 26, 1861). They were the first to march to the banks of the Potomac and fight the enemy across it.

Mid October the 5th camped along Bull Run near McLean’s Ford. During October and November, the army under Gen. Beauregard was organized into four divisions. The 5th SC Regiment was assigned under Maj. Gen. Longstreet. Longstreet was happy to the 5th in his division. Longstreet’s Aid de Camp described the 5th as “one of the finest, if not the finest, regiments in the Army”. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT6-KPB : 12 April 2016), Jno R Cook in entry for Mary A Cook, 1860.
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT6-KP1 : 12 April 2016), Mary E Cook in entry for Mary A Cook, 1860.
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #109641277

See also:

• "United States Census, 1840", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHTZ-YZR : Tue Oct 03 14:23:44 UTC 2023), Entry for Alexr Cook, 1840.
• "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHG6-C5C : accessed 23 July 2015), Alexander Cook, Laurens, South Carolina, United States; citing p. , NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm