he attained his majority he has always supported and upheld educational interests. He was married in North Carolina, in 1867, to Miss Henrietta Watson, and unto them have been born a family of nine children, six of whom are living: Katie (married to M. M. Keller, a lawyer, of Missouri), Tabitha M. (who died at the age of four years), Charles W. (who lives with his parents in Cambridge, and is engaged in the livery business with his father), John L. (who died at the untimely age of seventeen years, May 13, 1890), Anna Sweet, George Maxwell, Harry M. (who died in infancy), Addah V., and Lizzie May (the baby). Mr. Cook was mustered into the Union service in the fall of 1861, becoming a member of Company D, Ninety-fourth New York Infantry Volunteers, and after fourteen months' service he was transferred to Company M, Fifth United States Cavalry, and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. His regiment took an active part in seventeen engagements, the principal ones being the second battle of Bull Run, Beverly Ford, Falling Waters, Ashby's Gap, Manassas Gap, Front Royal, Gettysburg and Winchester (and witnessed Gen. Phil Sheridan, after his famous ride, rallying his men to victory), Culpeper Court House and Lynchburg, Va. Mr. Cook, with about 900 men, was captured and paroled on the field at Manassas, he being under the command of Gen. Pope at that time. He was present at the Grand Review at Washington, D. C., and returned home with the consciousness of having served "Uncle Sam" faithfully and well. After his three years of enlistment had expired he became connected with the construction party, and remained steadily in the Government employ until the final surrender. He received honorable discharge in the fall of 1861, at Middletown, Va. He received a severe injury, while in the service, by his horse falling upon him, but he has never drawn any relief from the Government as yet. At the early age of fourteen years he commenced doing for himself, and was reared to the trade of a harness-maker and saddler, in Jefferson County, N.Y. He emigrated to Story County, Iowa, direct from Raleigh, N. C., in 1870, and although this county at that time offered few inducements to settlers, he located here, and here has since resided, being now the owner of a comfortable home and business. He has always been identified with the Republican party, and his first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln. He belongs to Ersland Post No 234, G. A. R., at Cambridge, Iowa, and also belongs to the Masonic fraternity of Cambridge. He and his wife have always been liberal contributors to worthy enterprises, and are highly respected in this community.
Charles W. Cook, farmer,, Nevada, Iowa. Among the many estimable citizens of Story County stands the name of Charles W. Cook, who is one of the progressive and substantial farmers of his portion of the county. He was born in Lake County, on December 14, 1840, and is the son of Alonzo and Mary (Holton) Cook, the father a native of Vermont, born in 1808, and the mother a native of Massachusetts, born the same year. They were married in 1836, and now have been living together fifty-three years. They make their home with their son, Charles W. In 1832 the father went from Vermont to Chicago, where he was in business for some time. The paternal grandfather, Nathan Cook, was born in Massachusetts and died in Vermont, at seventy years of age. His wife died in the same State when eighty-one years of age. The Cook family are of English descent. Charles W. Cook, the elder of two children, received, in addition to a common-school education, several terms of training in the Batavia Institute, Illinois, and