Frederick Bird Smith Cocke (1813-1903)

Here’s a photograph of “Grandma Stimson’s” mother, Margret Ellen Cocke. Her large family included a fascinating collection of state and national politicians, military officers, and folk heroes too voluminous to mention here. Her father was Frederick Cocke …

Frederick Bird Smith Cocke (1813 - 1903) was Aubrey Stimson’s great grandfather
Here’s the lineage:

Margaret Ellen Cocke (1848 - 1890) - Daughter of Frederick Bird Smith
Cornelia Vaughn (1870 - ) - Daughter of Margaret Ellen
Aubrey Vaughn Stimson (1900 - 1983) - Son of Cornelia

Frederick Bird Smith Cooke was a Confederate officer, Texas Congressman, member of the Secession Convention, and delegate to the 1875 Texas Constitutional Convention. He is listed as a significant Texan by the Texas State Historical Association. Yet today he rests in a forgotten grave near Buda, TX.

John Alexander Cocke

Frederick came from an illustrious political family. His father, John Alexander Cocke, was a colonel during the War of 1812 who later spent 45 years in the Tennessee Senate and House (where he was twice elected Speaker).  He also served three terms in the U.S. Congress. Frederick’s grandfather, William Cocke, was a Revolutionary War colonel and U.S. Senator from four different states.

Frederick was born on February 13, 1813 in Rutledge, TN.  He studied briefly at the University of Tennessee, where he developed a lifelong love of poetry, especially Sir Walter Scott.  

One contemporary said of him:

"While F.B.S seemed almost a moron in business, a University psychologist pronounced him 'the greatest example of a photographic brain of which I ever heard.' He memorized many whole books, all of Shakespeare's plays, and endless articles verbatim and repeated all of them well past his eightieth birthday. There are story after story from his grandchildren in their letters telling of this remarkable feat. It just absolutely has to be true. When asked how he did it, he said that from his earliest childhood, if assigned something to memorize, if he didn't like it, he could study for weeks and not retain it. However, if he liked it, all he had to do was read it once more and it was his forever."

        - from Hill Cocke's study of Naomi Greens Cones notes:

On October 2, 1832 Frederick married nineteen-year-old Eliza Malvina Rogers in Rogersville, Tennessee.  She came from a prominent Irish family; in fact, her father founded of the town of Rogersville.  The two settled into a large farm in Grainger County, Tennessee, where they started their family, which would eventually include fifteen children! 

But by 1854 they were both 41-years-old and ready for a change.  They sold their large farm for $15,000 and set out to explore the southwest. Frederick traveled on horseback, with the $15,000 in his money belt. They passed through New Orleans, before traveling on to Texas, the first of their family to do so.
His grandson William later recalled:
“On the trip, according to family legend, he met up with a like-minded fellow Mason who was also land-hungry. The story goes, that he opened his money belt and loaned his wandering friend a thousand dollars. Whether or not the money was ever repaid is not clear … The moving clan required the use of two mule-drawn wagons and a large handsome hack in which our grandmother rode in style with the young members of her numerous brood.”

Helena, Texas (late 1800s) 

The Cockes, with their six sons and five daughters in tow, wintered in Lockhart, TX. In the spring of 1855 they settled into a ranch near Helena in Karnes County, where their sixth daughter, Pauline was born. They were still living there when Texas seceded from the Union in 1861.

FBS Cocke -
Legislature Index

When the Civil War broke out, Frederick Bird Smith Cocke joined the “Helena Guards” of Karnes County as a captain under the command of Brig. Gen. James B. Slaughter. Since the Texas Legislature only held sessions every other year, Frederick was able to simultaneously serve as a member of the Texas House of Representatives during the 1862-63 session. Frederick’s five adult sons also served in the Confederate Army, and achieved high military rank, one becoming a state legislator himself.  Frederick Jr. participated in the last battle of the war at Palmito Ranch, near Brownsville, TX. Although the Texans won the skirmish, many of his fellow Confederates, including Gen. Slaughter, fled into Mexico.

But Frederick was needed at home.  Just as he and other defeated Texans were laying down their arms, his wife of 33 years died. Eliza Stantton Cocke was 52. There are few books written about strong frontier women like Eliza, but there should be. She successfully raised fifteen children on a frontier constantly harassed by drought, range wars and Comanches.  In fact, “one Saturday afternoon as (her son Gabe) was riding across the Government Flat homeward bound, Indians suddenly appeared on each side in full pursuit. As he was riding a spirited horse, (he) outran them; saving his ammunition against close attack if they had overtaken him", her grandson William later recalled.

Frederick settled with his five remaining children (Thomas, Gabe, William, Maggie and Ella) at Center Point, TX.  In 1870 Texas rejoined the Union and Ex-Confederates were granted amnesty if they promised to support the Union in the future. Fred took the oath and was elected to be a delegate to the 1875 Texas Constitutional Convention at Austin. He once again served as a member of the Texas House in the 1879-80 session. At the end of the session the 68-year-old widower retired to his ranch to delight in the political exploits of his son Frederick Jr., who would also serve in the Texas House.

Frederick Bird Smith Cocke died on April 28, 1903 in Center Point, TX and was interned at the Cocke Family Cemetery in the Elm Grove community just off FM Road 967, outside of Buda, next to a subdivision known as Marlboro Country. It’s surrounded by a beautiful old wrought-iron fence.

Long after his death Frederick’s grandson recalled how his grandfather loved reciting poetry to him from memory, especially long passages from Sir Walter Scott and from Pollock’s “In the Course of Time.”

         Yet haply not rewardless we shall trace
         The dark disastrous years of finished Time:
         Sorrows remembered sweeten present joy.
         Nor yet shall all be sad; for God gave peace,
         Much peace, on earth, to all who feared his name

                     -Excerpt from Pollock’s “In the Course of Time”

Interesting Links:

Texas State Historical Association - F.B.S. Cocke

West Kerr Current - William A. Cocke Recollections