Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-01-01
A WONDERFUL STORY.
Col Frank Cexe Fought In Both Armies
at Once, and " as Twice Killed.

~ UuCe, anu W as TWICE kIIIeQ.
An Asheville (N.,C )letter to the Ne,
York Sun says:
The story told by old letters. diarie
and other documents discovered in eet
tliDg the estate of the late Col Franz
Coke. q. 8. A., who died here recently
has given the citizens of Ashevillt
additional proof of the truth of the ole
isaying that truth is stranger than
fiction From the records 1t appears
that Colonel Coke served in the Union
and Confederate armies at the same
time, fought against himself in many
battles, ran away from himself on
more than one occasion, was twice shot
to death. and lived to ripe old a e..
haunted always by the fear that be bad
killed himself
Colonel Coxe's case is probab bly,
unique In the history of the Civil War.
Additional intereet also attaches to
the personality of the man from the
fact that bis great great great great
great-grandfather owned all the land
which now comprises the States of
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, New
Mexico and Louisiana.
''Colonel Coke was born on Nov. IL,
1889, in Rutherford, N. c., and there
be grew to manhood. He was accustom-
ed to athletic sports of all kinds and
attained some fame as local Sampson.
He was the biggest of family of big
men. and when only 18 years old stood
6 feet 5 inches in bis bare feet and
weighed 250 pounds. The ordinary
feats of strong men were play to him,
and be was often called upon by his
friends TO show bis proficiency in
twisting horseshoes out of shape,
bending half dollars and performing
other feats of skill and strength.
when the Civil war broke out. |
Coke got commission as colonel in |
the Confederate army, it being general |
ly supposed by bis friends and ac-
quaintances that he could lick a whole ;
army of Yanks alone and unaided. He
was a wealthy man, and after the war !
had been In progress for some time be
received information that certain large
interests that he had in
Pennsylvania were in danger of con
fiscation by the Federal authorities.
Colonel Coke told his troubles to Presi
dent Jefferson David, who relieved
him from duty and gave him permis-
sion to go North on indefinite leave of
absence. The colonel was a red hot
'ecesslonist SO rather than weaken
ihe Confederate army by the loss of
nan, hired substitute to serve for
1im while he was absent.
HE had only been in Pennsylvania +,
short time-playing the part of a
Union which he was !,
lrafted for the Union army. Then be
llred another substitute, Union man
bis time. Soon afterward, owing to !
roubles with the Confederate govern. +
nent. be left the United States and
vent to Paris, where he lived for many i,
ears. L.
1.-The soldiers who served as substi- r
utes for Colonel Coke in the Union !
nd Confederate armies were both kill o
d In the same battle-oDe Of the last
the great conf1ict-and Mr.. Coke .
yer afterward considered himself in o
way personally responsible for their q
eaths. /.
I'm his later years he even grew n
Inciful enough to imagine that as the h
Wo substitutes were killed in the same IT
attle, they might have shot one an 81
ther or one might have killed the 9TH nj
in some way. His morbid belief on n,
lis point was strengthened when years n,
Fterward he looked up the details of n
le battle and found that during the h,
,nfiict the regiment in which the 7,
orthern substitute was enrolled had r;
cen opposed through long, hard &C
'ught day by the regiment in which h,
le Southern substitute was serving. IT
'Colonel Coke died with this con- IT
ction firm in his mind, as in shown es
the letters and papers recently dis.
)vered.n