The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1903-03-26
The Grave OF a Pioneer.
Aberdeen Examiner.
The following interesting letter
explains itself

The following interesting letter
explains itself
COLUMBUS, MISS.
March 8, 1908.
DEAR MAJOR JONAS Recall
ing the promise made yon last
Thursday, | went TO the l. O. O.
f. graveyard in this city last
evening and copied the inscrip-
ton on the tomb of Hon. William
Cooke, given below. I haye al
ways understood that the de.
ceased was brother of the late
Chancellor Stephen Cooke, of
your city. and he was Indian
agent under Andrew Jackson
whilst living here. and at the
tine of his death. / learn from
said inscription that I erred in
stating that deceased had been
at different times a senator from
three states. Tt appears that he
was a senator from only one
| TENNESSEE, but that in time he
had represented counties in the
legislature of four different
states, viz: Virginia. North Car
DINA, Tennessee and Mississippi.
The inscription reads
Here lies the mortal remains
of William Cooke. who died IN
Columbus, Miss, the 22nd day
of August, 1928. The deceased
passed an active an eventful life
was captain and was distinguish
ed for his bravery during the
revolutionary struggle of 1776
was one of the pioneers who first
crossed the Allegheny noun
tains into the wilderness of Ken
lucky with Daniel Boone. Took
an active part in the foundation
of the Cumberland government
afterward the state of Tennessee
was the delegate from that free
land to the Congress of the
United States was a member o.
the convention which formed the
first constitution of Tennessee
and one of the first senators
from that state to the Congress
of the United States for the
period of twelve years. and after
wards one of her circuit judges
| He served in the legislatures O
Virginia, North Carolina, Tenn
essee, and Mississippi. At the
advanced age of 65 years was {
volunteer in the war 1928, anC
distinguished himself for hi:
personal courage. He. departed
this life is his 81st year, univers
ally lamented.
'Entombed with Kim is his sec
ond wife, Kissiah. Size was {
kind mother, also a devoted wife
and an affectionate friend. She
departed this life at Columbus
he-day of 1920, in her 52nC
year universally esteemed. F."
By reference to the table o
senator's, page 423, of "Constitu
ton, Rules and Manual, y. S. S..
| 1885," I find that William Cooke
was senator from Tennessee only
from August 2, 1896, to Septem
| Der 26, 1897, when he was sue
coded by Andrew Jackson.
By reference to the same au
thority [ find that Gen. James S
Shields was senator from three
different states, viz Illinois
from March 4, 1849, to March 3
1855, elected to succeed S
Breese; Minnesota from 1857 tx
1859. and Missouri from January
| "a, 1879, to March 3, 1879, elected
by legislature to fill the unex
pired term of L. v. Bogy. de
ceased. He was governor o.
Oregon Territory prior to being
Senator. His statute as stated
in SpOfford s Encyclopedia is be
side that of President Lincoln il
statuary hall of the capitol Of
Washington
On further investigation [ Learn
that Governor FL. S. FoOte was
never a senator in congress but
from Mississippi. During the
war he was in the Confederate
congress from Tennessee unit
just before the surrender, when
he went through the lines oil
Washington, where was his son
in-law, Senator Stewart, of Ne
vada.
So it is that the record shows
that Gen. Shields enjoyed the
distinguished honor of being the
only statesman who ever repre-
scented three different states IN
the American Union.
Yours trnlv.