Capt S. S. Cole

After a long, useful, eventful life, one filled with great experiences, hardships, joys and sorrows, the life of Captain Stephen Samuel Cole, passed to the great beyond, Monday morning, at his home on West Harrodsburg street.

Captain Cole was born in Jefferson county, Ky., about three miles from Louisville on the Bardstown pike April 15, 1826.  He was a neighbor of General Zachary Taylor and was a son of Stephen Cole, a native of Jamestown, Va., and Henrietta Wheeler Cole, when a young man his father moved to a farm near New Albany, Ind., and entered college at Greencastle, Ind.  While at the college at the age of 18 years, he in company with a school mate, William Glenn, decided college life was to quite and the desire for adventure pressed them to leave college and join the army, which was the beginning of his life in the service of his country.  They went to indianapolis, Ind., where they joined the U.S. army and he was put in the Fourth Cavalry Lagoons and sent to the Rio Grande on the Texas and Mexican border, where he did patrol duty and fought the Indians.

When the Mexican war brought out he was put in the U.S. forces under General Zachary Taylor and was in the battle of Buena Vista.  He was later ordered to Lower California, and with General John C. Freemont's cavalry done scout duty and protected settlers in North Dakota, Washington territory and Utah, and in 1859 was ordered to St. Louis, Mo., for post duty.

At St. Louis he was granted a six month leave of absence, and while on this furlough the Civil war was declared.  He immediately reported for duty and under President Abraham Lincoln was commissioned First Lieutenant in the 38th. Indiana Cavalry; later he was given command of the First U.S. Marines and sent with General Grant's army.  After valiant service at Walnut Barrow, Vicksburg, Richmond, La., he was offered Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fourth Arkansas division but refused, desiring to stay with his old comrades.  He was then given charge of 144 Indiana, by Governor O. P. Martin of Indiana, and joined the Federal army in Shanandoah Valley, Va.  At the close of the Civil war he was with his regiment at Winchester, Va.

During his life as a soldier he only received two wounds.  The first being received, while he was with a scouting party in North Dakota.  News came to headquarters that a settler by the name of James O'Brannion, had been killed by the Indians, and his wife and two children had been captured.  When they proceeded upon the Red men he was struck by an arrow which pierced his right leg, causing much suffering.  The father never recovered, but the mother and children were saved.

Captain Cole received his second wound, which was the most serious, at Walnut Barrow, La., while he was a member of the cavalry, doing heavy duty.  The ball made a severe wound in his side, and he was in a hospital several months.

He was a personal friend of many great men while in his "sixties," being a frequent visitor at the Lincoln home in La Rue county and also visited the President at the White House and was a Secret Service man for Uncle Sam for a number of years.

He had been in Government service continuously since 1846 and had a collection of relics, among them being a $20 bill made during the Civil war.  A copy of the Daily Journal, printed at Evansville, Ind., June 7, 1864, which told of his service as spy with the Federal forces at Columbia, Ark.  The paper also contained editorials of the political ticket with Abraham Lincoln for president and Andrew Johnson for vice president.

The deceased was a great believer in lodges.  In 1861 he joined Army Lodge No. 1 F. & A. M., at Lebanon, Ky., and has been an active member of the Masonic order ever since.  He was also a member of Ion Lodge, No. 301, F. & A. M. of Jessamine county.  He was a charter member of the Knights of Pythias and participated in the work on the first K. of P. Lodge in Louisville, at the Odd Fellows Hall in Louisville, Ky., in 1869.

He remarked some time before his illness that his long life was due to observance of the rule "Do right and just to all mankind.  If you can't say a good word for a man, never say a bad one, for you may do a great injustice."

Later in his life he was given charge of National cemeteries at Yorktown, Va., City Point, Va., Staunton, Va., Vicksburg, Miss., and he was superintendent at the Camp Nelson cemetery for two periods.

As the evening of his life drew nearer, the U.S. Government realizing his valued service, gave him full compensation for the remainder of his life, and he with his family moved to Nicholasville, where he has lived in quietude for the past three years.

At the outbreak of the World War, the faithful old soldier, in a communication to President Woodrow Wilson asked if there was anything he could do to "help the boys" continue to fight for the Stars and Stripes, but his age kept him from duty.

When Jessamine county's first contingent of drafters left for Camp Zachary Taylor, Louisville, Captain Cole and General George B. Taylor, a Confederate veteran, led the parade through the streets to the depot.

He is survived by his widow, a son, J. Sherman Cole, who was a member of the navy during the World War and five daughters, Mrs. Isabell Seeks of Silver Springs, Md., Mrs. Rose Wilkerson, of Washington D.C., Mrs. Mayme Thompkins, of Mineral Springs, Tex., and Mrs. Hattie White of Washington, D.C.

The funeral was held from the late residence on Harrodsburg street Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock, conducted by Rev. J. J. Martin, pastor of the Presbyterian church.  At the grave in Maple Grove cemetery Hart Lodge, No. 61, F. & A. M., said the last rites.

The Jessamine Journal, Jessamine County, Kentucky, Friday 28 March 1924.