Person:Catherine Stewart (13)

She also went by the name of Katie. She was a charter member of the Guyandotte Baptist Church in 1812.

In a story told by Ohley Cook, her youngest grandson: "Katie and her older half-brothers were in a field pulling flax before the family left Kentucky, taking the usual precaution of carrying with them a loaded rifle, which leaned against a tree conveniently near their work. Although a child of tender years, she could shoot a gun almost as well as her older half-brothers. As the children proceeded with their work, unknown to them two Indians crept up close to them, concealed by the bushes and timber which surrounded the clearing. They first made their presence known by firing a shot at the boy which struck him in the hip, and he fell. A second Indian sped toward him for the kill. The boy, acutely aware of his danger, was strong and active. Instantly he grappled with the Indian and warded off the fatal blow for the moment. Katie, watching, also aware of the danger, instantly seized the rifle and, as the second Indian ran from the woods to aid his companion, she shot him and he faltered. As he fell, she raised the gun by the barrel and advanced to where the two were grappling on the ground. With the gun butt, she clubbed the Indian over the head and killed him before he succeeded in knifing her brother, thus saving her brother from instant death and her self from a horrible fate, all of which happened in much less time than it takes to tell the story."

During the Civil War, when Andy Gunnoe and his raiders visited Wyoming County, they were scavenging for food and anything else they could get their hands on. When they visited where Catherine was staying, she would be on her rocker on the front porch. Unknown to the raiders, underneath the rocker was the family coffee supply, which they never found, covered by her long skirts.

From: W. Darrell Miller [1] Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2002 2:50 PM To: WVWYOMIN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [WVWyomin] Wyoming County, WV - Civil War

Dear New River headwaters Headman , , , , , , Subsumed are unsubstantiated speculative surface of the head's top generalizations regarding Wyo Co's filthy yankees AND dirty ole seceeshes . . .

The county was settled from west to east. In 1860 Only Clear Fork Valley (Big Bottom Fk) in the middle of which lies Oceana had significant numbers of people. I guess you could class at least 3 of those as "southern planters" ? That western part of the county is quite well reported by Paul R Blankenship's "Cabins to Coal Camps" 2000 . . . When the war started about all of the county officials joined up with what became CO G 22nd VA. Two exceptions were Commonwealth Attorney Wm Walker, Jr and Sheriff Hiram Lambert. The latter was one of the very few mid county residents of the section that became 20 yrs later Pineville of Center District. Until your neighbors arrived after the war there were not enough people for a P O . . . In 1860 Pineville area there were a few families from KY (Clays & Mullins) from Franklin Co VA were the Goodes & Perdues: from upper New River were Sizemores, Roses, Osbornes & Brinegars. . to name some . . .

Most significant to the War were Center District's Cook brothers from Oceana. They were sons of the County's Heroine Catherine Stewart Cook. Her Dad was a Rev. War Hero and remarkably all of her sons were avid Unionists. .. Another contrasting characteristic for their time of that family was that they were consistently literate.

William Newton Cook left a journal of his mercantile activities. In 1861 he was well into middle age nevertheless he and five of his sons joined the CO I, 7th WV Cav. All of Catherine others boys or their sons saw USA service. Others from Pineville area were Sen. Mitchell Cook, Capt Richard Madison Cook. Thomas Munsey lost a son at Andersonville, His boy WHH's statue stands in front of the court house. Statue Harry was with the CSA very briefly . . . before being steered back on the right path by his paternal uncles & probably by his maternal Sizemore relatives also.

Center District's Sizemore relatives that didn't join regular USA units can by 1863 be found in WV State Troops home guard units. In my part of the Dist. the only family that was avowedly (but passively so) CSA was the Goodes. Rev G P 's brother Roscoe once told me that a Home Guard unit in passing their home stole an axe. That seems to have been the worse depredation that occurred here. Unless it was the raid on my grandma's onion patch she use to mention. She didn't know or care which side they purported to support but did know that spring brought her no green onions. Poor ED B Sizemore's 1858 move to Webster Co was an unfortunate one. There his son Geo B & g/s Wilburn were early on killed by CSA partisans. Later son-in-law Daniel Perdue was killed.

There was a mention worthy action at Oceana. We discussed it here a few months ago. Can't recall the units. The USA was from Ohio (probably Lt. Neuman's?) and was driven over to Bolt area in Raleigh by the CSA 's Maj Stratton (former Logan Co Clerk). I believe . . .

General Crooks march from Chas to Cloyd Mt. would have passed through here. But they must have behaved as no stories about them were left behind . . . You would have more information about activity in the eastern part of the county. It was you that first brought attention to the report of Capt Stephen Halsey expedition from Camp More (is that in Tazewell Co ?) Believe it was Geodrey's USA home guards that were attacked up on Micajah's ridge by Capt Halsey. Was his a state line unit ? The CSA Flattop Copperheads probably had some Wyoming Countains . . . Wyo's 190th Militia that is included in your web site of CSA units in 1861. Is included with WV Union Militia units in 1862. It must have went with the restored government of VA? I think the County Court ceased to function in 1861. One of the last orders was to rescind the issuance of bonds that were to defray a CSA Company. Some speculation is that reflected a change of sides. I've lately wondered if instead it was a result of military units being taken over from the states by the CSA government? There by eliminating counties directly financing troops? I know some people that tell county civil war horror stories (don't recall specifics). I don't know how well those people save the truth from wear & tear . . .

. W D M

http://www.coalexchange.com/smith/mcdowella/pafn02.htm#56

1. 1850 Census, Wyoming Co, VA, Family 8. 2. "Wyoming County Heritage" WGS, Page 74. 3. Ibid, Page 4. 4. Ibid, Page 101. 5. Ibid, Page 174. Daughter of Ralph and Mary Clay Stewart of Montgomery Co, VA. Ralph died 18 Nov 1835 in Logan Co, WV. 6. "Reference Book of Wyoming County", Bowman, page 356. Catherine Stewart (1789-1888) married William Cook (1874-1853) They settled on Cooke family lands which was the site of Oceana. 7. "Reference Book of Wyoming County History", Mary K. Bowman, page 358. Married second, Rev Lain Shannon in 1856. Lists death as 26 May 1888. 8. 1860 Census, Wyoming Co, WV, transcribed by Pauline Haga. Listed as head of household with grandson? Hansford Cooke, age 13 also in household. 9. "Marriage Records of Wyoming...", Vol 1, Haga, page 72. Lane Shannon, widower, married Catherine (Stewart) Cooke, widow, on 28 May 1861. Her age 70 y, 11 m, 13 days. Calculates to: born 15 Jun 1790. 10. "Reference Book of Wyoming County History", Mary K. Bowman, page 347. 11. Ibid, page 372. 12. 1870 Census, Wyoming Co, WV, Oceana Township, Family 109. Catherine Shannon listed as head of household at age 80. Eliza Smith, age 38, is also listed with children Robert, age 14, William B., age 5 and Hugh D., age 11/12. 13. "Heritage of Wyoming Co", David Dillow Walker Article, page 174. Mitchell Cooke (1817-1902) married Mary (1812 - ) Cooke. Mitchell was son of William Cook, Sr, born in Montgomery Co, VA on 7 Jun 1728? (can not be 1728) died 10 Sep 1853, and Katherine Stewart, born 1790 in VA and died 1 May 1881 in Wyoming Co, WV. 14. 1880 Census, Wyoming Co, WV, Complied by William A. March, Vol 4, page 729. Oceana Township, page 009. Listed as Catherine Cooke, age 91, in household of son-in-law, Joseph Mangus. Her father was listed as born in England and mother in VA. 15. "Deaths of Wyoming Co, WV...", Haga, 1881. Died May 1881 of old age at 97.

Joel Hager's Southern West Virginia Research Mar 2007.