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, 3:34 pm

Banks County Journal, Friday, 6 January 1939, page 1, column 5
A. A. Turk, Crisp's Last Confederate Soldier, Answers Roll Call
     Crisp county's last living connection with the glorious army of the 
Confederacy was severed this morning when A. A. Turk answered the last roll 
call.  Quietly at the home of his son, C. B. Turk at Pitts, he passed to a 
rendevous with those other soldiers who wore the grey, and followed the stars 
and bars--the last member of the Crisp county camp number 1614 of the United 
Confederate Veterans.
     The closing chapter in the glorious history of a bygone day was written.  
The last minutes were entered, and the records 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.
     Mr. Turk was one of the seven brothers whose total age reached the almost 
unbelievably total age of 558 years; and whose history is traced unbroken to 
the founder of the family in America, James Turk, who came to this county 
[sic; should be country] in 1757 from Ireland.  His was a family of soldiers, 
his ancesters [sic] having taken part inthe 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 volunteerr for exceedingly dangerous service in an exposed 
position in an effort to quiet the enemy snipers.  Young Turk was the 50th man 
who volunteered for service, and it was partly through his efforts that the 
nest of snipers was silenced.  His services in the Confederate armies were 
continued until the close of the war.
     Mr. Turk was 91 years old, having been born August 19th, 1847.  He was 
born and reared in Homer, Ga.
     After his discharge from the army, he spent most of his life in Banks and 
Jackson counties.  He moved to Cordele about 1916.  After the death of his 
wife in 1920, he made his home with a son, C. B. Turk, of Pitts.
     Funeral services were conducted Dec. 28, 1938 from the Pitts Baptist 
church and his remains were interred in Sunnyside cemetery, in Cordele.
     The deceased is survived by two sons:  C. B. Turk of Pitts, adn T. N. 
Turk, of Cordele; five brother [sic], L.N., C. A. and J. J. Turk of Homer; J. 
I. Turk of Commerce, and J. C. Turk of Maysville; one daughter Mrs. S. B. 
Archer of Jefferson.
--Cordele Dispatch

Additional Comments:
Alexander Ash Turk was 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.

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