Crisp-Wilcox-Banks County GaArchives Obituaries.....Turk, Alexander Ash December 27, 1938
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Elaine Turk Nell emturk1976@hotmail.com October 21, 2005, 3:21 pm

The Cordele Dispatch, Wednesday, 28 December 1938, page 4, column 1
Mr. A. A. Turk
     The closing chapter in the glorious history of a bygone day was written 
yesterday.  The last minutes were entered, and the records of Camp 1614 of the 
United Confederate Veterans completed.  The grizzled veterans who fought for 
the "lost" cause have held their last bivouac, and the fading light of their 
campfire has died forever.
     When Mr. A. A. Turk of Pitts died yesterday morning there was no more 
Crisp county camp of the U.C.V.  He was the last soldier; the man who had the 
honor of carrying the flag for the last time.  Quiety, he "passed over the 
river, to rest in the shade of the trees" and the last living connection of 
our immediate section with the armies of the Confederacy was severed.
     Mr. Turk was one of seven brothers whose total age reached the almost 
unbelievable total of 558 years; and whose history is traced unbroken to the 
founder of the family in America, James Turk, who came to this country in 1757 
from Ireland.  He was a family of soldiers, his ancestors having taken part in 
the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Seminole War before Mr. Turk 
joined the armies of the Confederacy at the age of 16.
     During the War between the States this young soldier distinguished 
himself many times.  In particular was he mentioned for bravery during the 
battle of Savannah when his regiment, the 5th Georgia Reserves was facing 
Sherman's army across the Savannah river.  The Confederates were particularly 
troubled by a nest of yankee sharpshooters.  One by one Confederate soldiers 
were asked to volunteer for exceedingly dangerous service in an exposed 
position in an effort to quiety the enemy snipers.  Young Turk was the 50th 
man who volunteered for service, and it was partly through his effort that the 
nest of snipers was silenced.  His service in the Confederate armies continued 
until the close of the war.
     The death of Mr. Turk is not only the passing of a man dearly beloved and 
respected, but marks the final passing of the flag he carried so well to 
younger hands.  He carried the battle flag of the south in actual conflict; we 
of today carry it in our daily struggle to further the interests of the south.

Additional Comments:
Alexander Ash Turk was born 18 August 1847 in Homer, Franklin Co. (now Banks), 
GA, the son of William Harvey Turk and Isabella Semira (Ash) Turk.  He married 
Mrs. Amanda Selina (Ballew) Kilgore on 2 April 1871 in Banks Co.  He is buried 
at Sunnyside Cemetery in Cordele, Crisp Co., GA.

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