Person:George Stewart (22)

He was killed on October 10, 1864 by a Confederate raider named Andrew Gunnoe, Gunnoe was in turn killed by Pemberton Cooke, son of William Cooke and Catherine Stewart. George Pearis Stewart was the brother of Catherine Stewart. Andrew Gunnoe's wife was a niece of George Pearis Stewart and she and her son attended his funeral. Ah, what tangled webs we weave...

from Henry Thomas Cook, LTC (Retired), USMC

The Civil War was definitely a war of brother against brother and cousin against cousin. Not only was Andrew Gunnoe' s wife related to George Pearis Stewart...but so was Andrew. He was the son of George's sister Sarah (Sallie) Stewart Gunnoe. According to articles published in the Centenial Edition of Beckley Newspapers in August 1950 Pemberton Cook, Sr.'s nephew, Leonidas H. Cook, a Union soldier was shot from ambush, blinding him. It was thought that Andrew Jackson Gunnoe fired the shot. Although Andrew denied the shot...he was ambushed and killed by Pemberton Cook, Sr., Perry Cook and Lt. Jacob Webb in retaliation. After the war...Mary (Polly) Stewart Gunnoe, Andrew's wife threatened to have Pemberton Cook indicted and tried for the murder of her husband. This threat probably led to the indictment, trial and conviction of James Anderson Gunnoe, son of Andrew Jackson Gunnoe, for the murder of Edley Whitt, making James the only man ever lodged in the penitentiary for Civil War killings. He served two years and was pardoned by the governor. The petition asking for the pardon was signed by some of Pemberton Cook's brothers. Yes...what a tangled web we weave!

Linda Gunnoe Great-Granddaughter of James Anderson Gunnoe Great-Great-Granddaughter of Andrew Jackson and Mary (Polly) Canterbury Gunnoe

Joel Hager's Southern West Virginia Research Mar 2007