Virgil Young Cook

1848 - 1922

VIRGIL YOUNG COOK - (From Batesville (Ark.) Record, March 16, 1922) Col. Virgil Y. Cook was born in Boydsville, Graves Co., KY on Nov. 14, 1848. Early in 1863, he ran off from his home inside the Federal lines and tried to join a company in a Kentucky regiment, in the Confederate service, the Captain of which was a friend of young Cook's father, who prevented his being sworn in and communicated with Virgil's father, who came and took the son back home.

In a short while, his father yielded to the son's persistency and consented to his joining the Confederate Army, and gave him a letter to his friend, the captain, and then young Cook was regularly enlisted in Company E, 12th Kentucky Calvary, but was later transferred to Company H, 7th Kentucky Mounted Infantry, both of which were in the Corps commanded by Liet. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, and served with the last named regiment until the close of the war, being paroled at Gainesville, Ala., in May, 1865 when he was right at sixteen and a half years old.

Later in 1866, young Cook came to Arkansas. In 1908, Col. Cook (as he was known then), moved to Batesville, and erected a handsome residence on Main St., where he has since resided.

Col. Cook was twice married, first on June 29, 1871, to Miss OPHELIA LAMB of Jacksonport, Ark and who died in Batesville July 7, 1916. The fruit of this marriage was six children, two sons and four daughters, of whom Neva married Paul Butler and died some years ago; Virgil Whitfield, who died while a student at Searcy, and the other son who died in infancy. The remaining three daughter survive him, towit: Mrs. Mae Cook Morrow, Mrs. Jennie Cook Rutherford, both of Independence County and Miss Varina Cook of Oklahoma City, Okla.

Col. Cook's second marriage was with Mrs. SARAH WYSE of Forrest City, Ark, which was solemnized in New Orleans, La, April 28, 1920, who survives him. V. Y. Cook died March 12, 1922 in Batesville, Ark.

Col. Cook was not only a survivor of the Confederate Army, but was also a survivor of the Spanish-American War, in which he was Colonel of the Second Arkansas Infantry.

source: Wilson Powell of Batesville, Independence Co., AR (where Virgil died). Wilson is also part of the staff of the "BATESVILLE DAILY GUARD" & has sent Carla the obituary of Virgil Cook for our information. Carla provided the information relevant for who may be related. If any of you recognize a relationship, Carla will send to you by snail-mail a copy of the obituary.

Virgil's parents were WILLIAM DITTERLINE COOK & PERNECIA DODDS of Caldwell & Graves Co., KY and his grandparents JOHN COOK & MARGARET DITTERLINE. (Thanks to those descendants that have helped clarify his parentage.)

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