Richard Nathaniel Cole, 89, Cave-in-rock's only Civil War Veteran.
CAVE-IN-ROCK, Ill. (Jan. 17, 1935) — The most aged man living in the
vicinity of Cave-in-Rock is Richard Nathaniel Cole who was eighty-nine years
of age on the 13th. of November just past.
He was born on a farm lying in the forks of Green and Barren Rivers, near
Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1845. His parents who were of Scotch-Irish
descent, were the late James and Martha Ann Cole. His father was a native of
Virginia and his mother was born in Kentucky of a family of eight. R. N.
Cole was the seventh child, he having six brothers and one sister. He and
one brother, R. F. Cole of Louisville, Kentucky are the only remaining
members of the large family.
His father was a successful farmer of pioneer days. He at first owned one
hundred acres of land located as above mentioned. This he sold for $800.and
with that sum purchased 800 acres near the first farm. He developed this
land and dealt largely in stock. On this farm the subject of this sketch
spent his boyhood.
In 1861, he enlisted in the service of the United States Army under General
Shackleford at Hartford, Kentucky, but owing to his extreme youth, he was
not mustered in until the following year. In this first year he added many
recruits to the service of the Union by going at his own risk into dangerous
territory, persuading and piloting men back to the ranks of the army for
enlistment. These trips were usually made at night and very frequently
required the swimming of the river.
Three of his brothers were also in the service. It is very remarkable that
all four served until the end of the war in 1865 and none of them were even
scratched in battle. While all except the subject of this narrative have
passed on to the Great Beyond, the youngest lived to be 65 years of age.
"Little Cole" as he was called by his comrades still boasts of having been
the most dependable thief in all of Sherman's army, having many times
ventured out and brought in a hog, a sheep or a calf to relieve the hunger
of his comrades when others failed.
He served under Shackleford, Burnside, Logan, Grant, Custer, Sherman and
others of not such great fame. He was with Sherman on his famous march to
the Sea. He had two horses shot from under him one at Bean Station, Virginia
and the other at Knoxville, Tennessee. He was captured twice but made his
escape both times. He was found unconscious from the effects of freezing on
two occasions.
After the war he returned to the home of his parents but remained there but
a short time. From there he went to Missouri near New Madrid. While there he
met and married Marailla Wilson. To this union three children were born of
whom only one is living, Mrs. Ada Dedrick, whose home is in Texas.
During his young manhood his wife died and he left Missouri and came back to
Kentucky. After several years time, he married the second time, his wife
being Jennie Carroll of Hibbordsville, Kentucky. Three children was born to
this union. A daughter Olivia, who died in 1907 at the age of 17, a son
Denny, who died in 1898 at the age of two and P.C. Cole, who was born at
Cordsville, Kentucky and with whom the father now resides, as he was left
alone the second time on May 8th. 1932. There are several grandchildren in
Texas and three at this place, the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Cole.
They are Mrs. Herbert Kaegi and the Misses Martha and Genevieve Cole.
After the war Mr. Cole's chief occupation was farming. Later he became
greatly interested in bees and about the year 1905 he engaged to the
business of raising them at Alzey Kentucky. In 1912 the family came to
Cave-in-Rock and purchased property in Hessville. There he devoted his
attention to bees and to truck farming until, on account of the infirmities
of age, he became unable to continue at these tasks.
Perhaps some of the readers of this history may be interested in how he won
the title of "Dr. Cole", by which name he is often called, by his friends
here. In his earlier years he compounded a kind of medicine. As he traveled
about selling his medicine, his customers began to call him "Dr. Cole."
Mr. Cole is probably the only man living near here who can claim the
distinction of having voted for Abraham Lincoln for President of the United
States. At the time he did this, he walked five miles through mud and rain
in order to reach the polls.
He united with a church of the Christian denomination soon after being
mustered out from the service. After moving to Cave-in-Rock he transferred
his membership to the Christian church here, where it still remains.
While he is almost blind, and is feeble and bent with age, his son tells us
that his health is better than it has been for twenty years. After the death
of his wife in 1932, he went to make his home with his son, R. C. Cole, who
lives about one and one half miles west of Cave-in-Rock. There he receives
the best of care. On account of his feebleness he is not able to come to
town as he did formerly, and his visits are greatly missed by his many
friends here.
Thanks to Wanda H. Reed for contributing this article to the Hardin County
ILGenWeb site. The Hardin County Independent first published this article on
Jan. 17, 1935.
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