I, F. B. Cox, the writer of this Book of Records deems it necessary to give a short and scattering sketch of his travels in his past life.

I was born December 8, 1838 in Yokum Station, Lee County, Virginia a half mile West of Old Green Hill Methodist Church on my father's farm which is now owned by the heirs of the late Creed F. Flanary of Wise County, Virginia.

When I was a small boy I was sent to school at Green Hill. I went to several short term old time subscription schools which were more tyrannical than educational, taught by old Billy Wynn, Ben Kelly, Abe Crabtree, John W. Sword, Bill Handy, and Nathan Sword, who was best of all for me. We had no free school until 3 or 4 years after the close of the Civil War. My father had to pay 5 cents per day for what little schooling I got.

My occupation up to the Civil War was principally farming. For a few years before the war my father sent me (in the fall season) to Bristol with wagon and team to buy salt, sugar, coffee, rice and so forth and sometimes I would go to Bristol with a drove of hogs, or to Abingdon. In the spring of 1861, I put out a crop of my own 10 acres of corn, 7 acres of oats and also had a few hogs. I was working over my corn the second time in June when I got in the notion to quit my hoe and grab a musket, so I left the field about 3 o'clock p.m. and volunteered in Capt. John Richmond's Company.

We went to Camp Jackson in Wythe County, Virginia near the town of Wytheville, where we were drilled by Capt. John W. Amis of St. Louis, Missouri till about the 1st of July when we were ordered out in the mountains of West Virginia.

Capt. Richmond having died of brain fever at his home in Lexington, Virginia leaving the Company in command of 1st Lieutenant John C. Olinger, who detailed me as a team-master to drive the Company wagon hauling their tents, cooking utensils, etc, which I did till after the battle of Crosslane on Gauley River about the last of August when I was among a train of wagons sent to Jackson River Depot (under Capt. Bean) for provisions. I got sick on the way but drove my team as long as I could sit up but lacked one day of getting back to a hospital. Bean hired a driver and rushed his train to get me to a hospital. We got to Lewisburg, the county seat of Greenbriar County, West Virginia after dark. I could not stand alone. It took 2 men to get me in the hospital. I was in bad shape. Dr. James Horton of Scott County, Virginia who was in charge, stuck to me like a brother and got me on my feet again.

I stayed in Lewisburg from September 9, 1861 till about the middle of November when I was sent to White Sulphur Springs, in Greenbriar, 16 miles from Lewisburg and stayed there till December, 1861. Then sent with several others back in the mountains about Carnifax to my Company, having been absent from them 3 months. John W. Amis was then our Capt. He expressed surprise to see me well and hearty. He had visited me in Lewisburg and pronounced me a gone man. As Dr. Shelburn once said about W. P. Cox, "I might of died if I had been anything but a Cox."

Shortly after going to my Company we were sent to Thorn-Springs on the railroad in Virginia, and then I was furloughed home for 15 days. While at home my command was ordered Bowling Green, Kentucky where my time was out. I followed them to that place. Then in a short time John B. Floyd's Brigade (to which I belonged) moved Southward to Cumberland River. Got on steamboats and went down to Fort Donnelson (Dover) there on the 15th day of February 1862. Floyd in command of 12,000 men fought Grant in the woods, who had 42,000. Floyd, said Grant got 30,000 more the night of the 15th when he turned command over to Gen. Pillow and moved his own Brigade from a hill down to the river in the night. Just at daylight two steamboats came down from Nashville. He put 8 Regiments of us across the river and gave us directions how to go. He took the other 3 Regiments on 2 boats up to Nashville, then by rail to Murphreesboro, where we found him 8 days later. I had marched 100 miles. I rested 1/2 day and all night and then marched 90 miles to Chattanooga. Gen. Pillow had turned command over to Gen. Buckner and came out with Floyd.

One history says Buckner surrendered 16,000 men on February 15, 1862. This I know is not true. About noon on the 16th I heard cannons at Donnelson's, but on that day Gen. Buckner surrendered about 7,000 men. We camped awhile in Chattanooga. Then went on train to Knoxville where most of Floyd's men reenlisted to serve through the war and were furloughed home for 40 days with orders to report to our first camp near Wytheville, Virginia and there to reorganize our company. We got there in May, 1862 and in the reorganization I was elected 2nd Lieutenant and served as such until I was wounded and afterwards honorably discharged, having passed through 8 battles and commenced on the 9th which was the battle of the Wilderness in Virginia, where I got an ounce ball through the joint of my right shoulder. Just here I will say, agreeable to my feelings, I never had full command of the company in battle except one time, this being at Gettysburg, in a charge on the enemy breast-works on a steep bluff facing the left of Lee's line, but not Pickett's charge. Our Capt. was in a hospital, the 1st Lieut. was slightly wounded as we started on the charge. Then it fell to my lot to take the responsibility and do the best I could. We went down a long slope and up the Bluff to within ten feet of the breastworks where I saw the blazes of the guns pass each other. Just then we were ordered to fall back to the foot of the bluff. Then it was getting darkunder the thick timbers; the company lost 3 men killed, 2 captured, and several wounded. We lay at the foot of this bluff all night, all next day, in 10 yards of the enemy, the heavy timber on this bluff nearly completely hid us from the enemies view, also hid them mostly from our view and in the next night we silently withdrew from the battle line and came out. We came by Hagerstown, Maryland, waded the Potomac and got into Virginia. Some crossed on pontoons.

After I was wounded on May 5, 1864, I was placed in a hospital at Lynchburg, Virginia for awhile, then sent to White Sulphur Springs in Montgomery Co., and there on June the 9, 1864 I was examined by a board of army Surgeons and sent home on a conditional furlough, which I now have. I came by rail to Bristol, then I had about 60 miles to walk. I carried my sword (in its sheath) in my left hand using it as a walking cane. I made my way to Speers Ferry on Clinch River where I found the generous hearted Col. Campbell Slemp in camp with his regiment (64 Virginia). He sent Elkanah Flanary to take me home on a horse and we left camp that afternoon. About midnight the 12th of June, 1864, he set me off at home and went on to his father's, James Flanary. I have never forgot this act of Col. Slemp and stuck to him as long as he lived and to his son, C. Bascom Slemp, who is now filling his father's place in Congress. It is said by both parties that he is the right man in the right place. He is a chip off the old block.

On the 4th Thursday in May about 20 days after I was wounded the people of Lee County elected me to the office of Commissioner of the Revenue for the Eastern half of the county and some few months after I came home the authorities at Richmond sent me a discharge from military duty. I entered upon the duties of my office February 1, 1865 and had assessed about half of my district when Lee surrendered. My father was my assistant assessor, he having served as Commissioner for the last 8 years. He had hired hands and finished my crop, and fattened my hogs and let a quartermaster have all for which he gave a Confederate voucher, so I lost all my work, corn, oats, meal and all amounting to about thirteen hundred dollars. I then took to farming again and have done a great deal of hard work. In 1866-67 I taught 3 short term subscription schools. One at Silome, one at Blue Spring and one at Robins school house. On October 11, 1867, I was married (as this record book shows) and went to housekeeping, still farming and about the year l884, the voters of Yokum Station district saddled upon me the office of Justice of Peace. This they did 4 times, serving 2 years each time.

I bought a house on Dry Branch farm and moved out of Yokum Station District. I then served as postmaster of "Tide" 6 or 7 years. In the year 1902, I laid the stone foundation of Dry Branch school house free of charge to the district. I also finished up a house for W. P. M. Stewart on Cane Creek. Then in October 29, 1902, I went to Lee and Estill Counties, Kentucky and stayed with my son Crit F. and my brother E. R. W., a little over 10 years, doing a lot of work on their farms and building a house and barn for each of them. I also built and helped to build 11 other buildings, among them a store house, kitchen and dining room for William Sample and Loof Hall, a dwelling for Newton Estes and one for H. G. Crabtree and and one for John M. Combs, and various other jobs such as cribs, pailings, running flights of stairs, making tables, coffins, etc. Then on May 2, 1913, I came here to Harlan County, Kentucky where I am now.

I am aware of the fact that this is not a full and complete sketch of all transactions in life for it would take a dozen pages instead of four. I have left out many items that probably would not interest any except my near kin and it is not properly connected as it should be. I may make some addition in the near future, this August 25, 1918.

NOTE: Franklin B. Cox died January 31, 1919 and is buried in the Riverview Cemetery, Pennington Gap, Lee County, Virginia.

He and six of his brothers fought in the War for Southern Independence.
They were....
Cpl. Job C. S. Cox,Company G. 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry (CSA).
1st Sgt. Elisha R. W. Cox, Company A Original 7th Kentucky (USA).
2nd Lt. Abraham J. P. Cox, Company G 48th Virginia Infantry (CSA).
1st Lt. William R. Cox, Company A 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry (CSA).
2nd Sgt. Nathan S. Cox,Company I 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry (CSA).
Pvt. Mitchell Cecil Cox,Company C/A 64th Virginia Mounted Infantry (CSA).

Thanks to the many contributers that made this page possible which includes, (Charles Cox Dryden Va.), (Walt Rivers Big Stone Gap Va.), (Jerry W, Cox Huntsville Al.), (Dee Ann Carey, Lubbock Texas), (Jinx Derifield Ashland Ky., (Forest Cox Altus Ok., & Ronald Cox Deceased, three g,grandchildren of Frank.).

If anyone has any information to add to this family please contact me below. I will be happy to make additions or changes.....

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