John Harvey Cox of Tennessee and David Land of North Carolina

Thus was separated the 2 main branches of my family tree. Two distinct families, different no doubt but similar in many ways. Both migrated to their eventual homes from Virginia. Both families coming to a new land from " Mother England." JOHN  HARVEY COX was born about 1824, and died in November 1908.  He married CINTHIA COPASS sometime before 1849.  She was the daughter of NATHAN COPASS and RHODA FITZGERALD, born about 1825 in Tennessee, and died April 04, 1912 in Sullivan County, TN.  Researchers all agree that he was the son of John Cox Jr. He was a grandson of John Cox Sr. and Mary Jobe. The Cox and Jobe families being early pioneers in Sullivan and Washington Counties in ( northeast ) Tennessee. DAVID LAND was born about 1825 in Wilkes County, ( western ) North Carolina. He was the youngest of several children born to James Linville Land Sr. and Edith Livingston. His grandparents, Jonathan Land and Elizabeth Isbell, John Orrell Livingston and Lucy Martin were some of the first families in the " Brushy Mountians " area that would later become Alexander, Caldwell, and Wilkes Counties in North Carolina. David also married abt 1849 to Rebecca Knight.  At the outbreak of the Civil War both John and David were farming land inherited from their fathers and grandfathers. Both had the responsibility of a wife and seveal children. John's youngest, Melvin ( Bud ) Cox was abt 5. David's oldest, James Linville ( named for David's father ) was abt 10. They would become my great-grandfathers. Both lived in areas of states that would eventually join the southern Confederacy but up to the beginning of the war were strongly Union in sentiment and wanted nothing to do with the " abolitionist " in the north and the " fire-eaters " to their south. Both men would have preferred to have been left alone but that was not to be the case. Several reasons could be given why both men would not have been expected to join the first regiments of Rebel volunteers. Both were farmers and someone had to feed the army. Both as stated,owned and farmed their own land which exempt them from military service both had several children. Both were in their mid to late 30's ( in that day, considered middle-age ) This was a " young man's fight " that "probably wouldn't last 6 months" and my guess is both considered it none of their business !!!! That all changed 16,April 1862 when the Confederate Congress passed and Jefferson Davis signed the first of 3 Confederate Conscription laws. " ALL ABLE -BODIED WHITE MALES 18-35 were expected to serve. Their ages probably got them through the 1st draft. Sept 27,1862 the age limit was raised to 45. The rebels probably soon " come-a-lookin " for John. David may have been allowed to continue to farm and care for his family or he may have " took to the mountains " hiding from the home-guard like many did. The war in Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Ketucky was very much like that portrayed in the book and movie " Cold Mountian " if not much worse !!!! A " Civil War within a Civil War " if you please !

Confederate record for John H. Cox, ( My maternal gr gr grandfather ) Co.B 19th Tennessee Infantry is simply his name on the Company muster roll, record of his capture at Cowan,Tn. 3 July, 1863. He was among prisoners " forwarded to Nashville 9 July,1863 and due to be held in Louisville, Ky. " Louisville and Lexington, KY were "processing points" for rebel prisoners on their way north to Union prison camps.  I believe JOHN HARVEY voluntarily took the oath of Allegiance to the U. S. Government, promising to not take up arms again against the government and to stay " north of the Ohio river " till war's end. John may well have been captured by elements of the Union 1st Tn. Cav made up of East Tn, Unionists ( some of which he may have been acquainted with ) operating in the vicinity of Cowan at that time. There is a letter attached to John's brief service record.  It is dated--3/16/1911 and addressed to a "Mr. Whitcomb".  The letter stated, "We fail to locate him".  John Harvey had long since passed from the scene by 1911. Since John Harvey never made it to Louisville, there was no record of him as a prisoner of war. His " estranged " Uncle Sam wondered what happened to him !!! John was back in Sullivan County by the fall of 1864.  He wrote in a affidavit for Jackson Simmons in the 1890's "I saw him ( Jackson ) once during the war while he was in the Union Army.  He was on Lick Creek; that was in the fall of 1864.  I just passed through and stopped and ate dinner with him." Oral family history tell of a " conflict " between John and his staunch Confederate father-in-law, Nathan Copass, whose two sons, Richard and Van died in Union prison camps.  The "falling-out" was reportedly so bad that Nathan "took a shot at John Harvey”. Another story dealt with a " botched half-hearted " attempt to hang John Harvey.  I now believe that it could have been some members of the Rebel "home-guard" who considered him a deserter and traitor because of his refusal to return to the rebel army.  The story goes that a brother " came back and cut him down. " His only brother,Ezekial had died before 1860. His first cousin, John Hulse Cox ( my daughter-in-laws gr,gr,grandfather ) a nephew, Charles Cox, and a brother-in-law, Elijah Hashbarger all " rode with the home-guard. " The lasting affect was that John never " spoke above a whisper "  the rest of his days. My grandfather, Richard Carl Cox ( John Harvey's grandson ) once pointed out to me, his young grandson, interested in of all things, the Civil War, the tree where the deed was supposed to have been done, as was told to him when he was a boy !!!! Another story said " While John hid out in daylight hours Cynthia would take the children and hide out on the hill behind their house to keep from being found by the rebel home guard and at times Yankee patrols. That terrible war ended and life went on. John and Cynthia both lived a long life.  They, along with their son,William Frank Cox and wife, Jane, appear on the Sunday School roll at Rock Springs Methodist Church in 1881. John farmed, carried on the family trade of blacksmith ( another family " yarn " says that while running from local Confederate authority during the war he did blacksmith work and sold whiskey to both armies !!!! ) IMAGE # 10 - Clay replica of John Harvey Cox's " Whiskey Stamp " made by Brian Cox, gr,gr, grandson of John's brother, Ezekial Cox. John was the first awarded such a stamp by Tennessee. Oral history says it was " awarded " after state agents barely escaped John's wrath and his Tennessee " long-rifle."

IMAGE # 1- Confederate marker at the grave of John Harvey and Cynthia Copass Cox at the " homeplace " in " Cox Hollow " Sullivan County, Tennessee. IMAGES 12-14 John Harvey Cox's 3 cards in his Confederate CMSR, IMAGE # 14 is a letter dated March 16,1911 from a Mr. Brown to a Mr. Whitcomb A.G.O. 10th St. ( I assume Nashville, Tn. ) ( Adjutant General & Inspector of Tennessee ? ) I reads :

" Mr. Whitcomb,

Card from Dept of Cumberland, Nashville Tn. Reg 1 page 280 shows  John H. Cox Pvt Co.B 19 Regt, Tenn captured July 3 / 63 Cowan, Tn. forwarded to Nashville July 9 Remarks : Des ( may be " Due " ) to be released at Louisville ( Ky ) We fail to locate him can you find anything additional ? "

IMAGE # 4 David is shown " present and on the roll " thru Nov when he reports sick for one day Nov.15-16 at Camp Winder, Virginia.

IMAGE #5 & 6 David is listed on " receipt roll " for clothing in Nov. when he is promoted to Corporal and again in Dec. at Camp Winder, Richmond, Virginia. David must have been a good soldier.

IMAGE # 7 Union troops broke Confederate lines 2 April,1865. David was captured along the " south side railroad " was " processed " at City Point, Va. 7 April,1865, Among prisoners brought in by a " Capt L.F.Jackson, 68th Pa. " Sent to Hart Island, New York Harbor, assigned to POW company 14.

IMAGE # 8- David is freed 19 June,1865 upon taking the Oath of Allegiance and began his trek back to North Carolina.  Members of the family that were raised in Wilkes County say oral family history says David " walked back to North Carolina barefoot " He is described here being " 5' 10", dark complexion, dark hair, black eyes, from Wilkes County, North Carolina. "

IMAGE # 9 A letter written 10 Oct, 1952 to a Mrs. J.C. Turner of Dallas, Texas from Major General William E. Bergin U.S. Army Adjutant General. It seems the letter is in response to inquiry about David's Confederate service record. She may have been a descendent and needed the info to join the Daughters of the Confederacy  or maybe her husband was related and desired to join Sons of Confederate Veterans. 

Image # 11- Remnant of Confederate Battle Flag carried by the 13th North Carolina

David returned " barefoot " from New York and Yankee prison. He, like John Harvey Cox, lived a long life. He remarried in 1877 to Sarah Kerley after Rebecca's death in the early to mid 1870's. In 1878 a daughter, Hannah was born. His oldest son, my great-grandfather came to Tennessee in 1870-71 and probably never returned to North Carolina.David died aft 1900. He is probably buried in an unmarked grave possibly in Alexander County, North Carolina's Land Cemetery.

THE DAVID & SARAH KERLEY LAND HOUSEHOLD IN 1880 : Beaver Creek, Wilkes County,  North Carolina

David LAND   Self   M   Male   W   55   NC   Farming   NC   NC   Sarah LAND   Wife   M   Female   W   44   NC   Keeping House   NC   NC   Thos. C. LAND   Son   S   Male   W   18   NC   Works On Farm   NC   NC   Sarah J. LAND   Dau   S   Female   W   16   NC      NC   NC   Hanner N. LAND   Dau   S   Female   W   2   NC      NC   NC