My Genealogy Hound

COCKE, A. R., druggist; the subject of this sketch is the son of James R. and Margaret E. Cocke, born in Knox county, Tenn., January 27, 1840; his father died when he was only six months old, leaving him the only son of a widowed mother, who has since died; his ancestry on his father’s side came from France, his grandfather, General John Cocke, during the war of 1812, was commander of the army of East Tennessee, while Jackson was in command of that of the West; his great grandfather, Wm. Cocke, was one of the first two senators, with Wm. Blunt, from that State, who afterward enlisted in the army as a private; on his mother’s side they came from Ireland; his grandfather, Gen. Andrew Lewis, of Revolutionary fame, as history shows, was a personal friend of Washington, at one time being offered command-in-chief of the army; Mr. Cocke received his early training in his native State, and when about twenty years of age came to this county on a visit, but engaged in the dry-goods business for about ten months, and also read medicine for about six months with Dr. C. W. Davis, and in 1861 returned to his native State; after the battle of Fort Donelson he enlisted in Co. D, 2d Tennessee Cavalry, Confederate States Army, and served under honest convictions till the close of the war; after which he returned to his native State for a short time; he then went to Atlanta, Georgia, where he remained for ten months, and came to Indianola; after two months he went to Texas where he made his home for two years, and returned in December, 1868; in January, 1869, he married Miss Sarah J. Grantham, of this place; they have one son and four daughters: James R., M. Francis, Catharine A., Mary A. and L. Caroline; he has been connected with the drug business for twenty-one years, several years under the eye of a competent analytical chemist; from 1870 to 1874 he clerked for A. J. Little, then entered a co-partnership with W. M. Park, which continued for one year; he then purchased his interest and since that time has carried on the business himself.