Crawford Co., AR - Biographies - Jesse P. Cole

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SOURCE: History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford,
Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: The Goodspeed 
Publishing Co., 1889.
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Jesse P. Cole, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Monroe County, East Tenn., 
in 1840, and is a son of Andrew and Mary Ann (Robertson) Cole, natives of East 
Tennessee, born in 1802 and 1804, respectively. After their marriage they lived 
in Monroe County until 1845, and then moved to Tishomingo County, Miss., where 
the father died in 1873 and the mother in 1877. The former was a blacksmith by 
trade, and a successful farmer and stock raiser. The mother belonged to the 
Baptist Church, and her father, Joseph Robertson, was a soldier in one of the 
early wars. Jesse P. is the tenth child of a family of seven sons and seven 
daughters. He attended school but about one year, and accompanied his parents 
when they immigrated to Mississippi. In 1861 he joined Company C, Jefferson 
Davis' Legion of Cavalry, and served in Virginia until near the close of the 
war, when he was sent to North and South Carolina. He first served under Gen. J. 
E. B. Stewart and Wade Hampton, and participated in the battles of Seven Pines, 
Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, the Wilderness, and many skirmishes. He 
surrendered at Raleigh, N. C. Although men were killed on all sides of him, he 
was never wounded, and was captured. but once, when he was held a prisoner but 
two hours. Returning home he was married in December, 1865, to Barbara Ann, 
daughter of Thomas J. and Lucinda (Richardson) Moser, who went to Mississippi 
from Tishomingo County, Tenn., where Mrs. Cole was born. Mrs. Cole has borne 
twelve children, of whom six sons and four daughters are living. In 1867 Mr. 
Cole removed to Dyer County, Tenn., where he farmed until 1878, and then went to 
Washington County, Ark. The next year he came to Crawford County, and has since 
lived upon the farm he now owns, which contains 200 acres of land, and is 
situated three miles northeast of Alma. In politics Mr. Cole is a Democrat, and 
his first presidential vote was cast for Greeley in 1872. He has been identified 
with the Baptist Church since his youth, to which church his wife also belongs. 
He is a self-made man, and enjoys the respect of the community.