Solomon Robinson Cole

Born: 24 Aug 1825 in what is now DeKalb County, Tennessee

Died: 1 Jul 1905 in Putnam County, Tennessee

Company A, 22nd Battalion Tennessee Infantry, CSA

29 Nov 1862-15 Feb 1863 (AWOL & never returned)

Later was ordered "dropped from the rolls"

Company B, 1st Tennessee Mounted Infantry, USA

3 Dec 1863-14 Apr 1865

Solomon is the son of Isham Cole and Emily Christina Bussell.  He married Sarah Allison Gambrell in 1847. They had seven kids from 1848 to 1862. Sarah's parents were William Gambrell and a Permelia, last name unknown.

Solomon first enlisted (probably taken against his will) into a Confederate unit, Company A, 22nd Battalion of the Tennessee Infantry in McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee. He was only in that unit a little over two months when he went AWOL and never returned. His service record indicates that he was later ordered "dropped from the rolls".

Solomon enlisted into Company B, 1st Tennessee Mounted Infantry, USA on 3 Dec 1863 in Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee. He was listed present for all roll calls until his muster out on 14 Apr 1865. He was promoted to Sergeant on 1 Dec 1864 upon the death of Sergeant Samuel T. Poteet on 28 Nov 1864.

The story of Poteet's death by the hands of guerrillas as posted on Find-a-Grave is thus.

28 November 1864: While attending a revival at the Cherry Creek Church, Sam was killed by someone in Champ Ferguson's gang of merry men. He was shot through the head and probably dead before he hit the ground. Amanda McDowell attended the revival that night and recorded the events in her diary. Below is her account of what happened that evening.

"I found out that there was a man killed and got to him as quick as I could and there were two soldiers sitting on the benches, and one of them had the dead man's feet up on the benches, and one of them had the dead man's feet up in his lap. I asked him if the man was dead. He said, "I don't know. I thought I would tie his feet together." I examined him and saw he was a stranger to me. The man's indifference about who it was that was dead made me know that it was not a personal enemy quarrel, and the thought flashed over me that they were Rebels."

"It was Sam Poteet that was killed, and the man was taking off his spurs in order to get his boots off, so I have heard since. They did take his boots off and held them up and called to know who they would fit, took his coat and hat too, but dropped the hat. P. Camron asked leave to take him away, but they said, "Let him lie there," and he lay there all night, but they carried the wounded to Mrs. McGhee's."

Solomon applied for and received an invalid pension in 1890. Sarah died before Solomon so she never applied for a widow's pension

Solomon and Sarah are buried in the Cole Cemetery near Baker's Crossroads in White County, Tennessee.