Story goes that the 5 children, maybe more, but the 5 kept in touch, were on a wagon train heading west and it was attacked by Indians and the parents killed (the parents may have been a marriage of white and Indian). The children were taken in by different families and seperated. They were supposedly too young to remember who their parents were in later years or where they were born. Geo. W. died in The Battle of Champion's Hill 1863. The 5 children's names were supposted to have been Mary, Mahala, Leonard, Alexander, and Rhoda Cole, one was a deaf mute.
Marriage
Name: George M. Cole Spouse Name: Mary E. Rager Marriage Date: 21 Oct 1849 Marriage County: Wabash Performed By: J. P. John Aughinbough Source Title 1: Wabash County, Indiana.
Source Title 2: Marriage Records 1835 - 1854 Pt. I : 1835-1840 Pt. Source Title 3: Compiled by Wabash County Historical Musuem Book: A OS Page: 133.
Military Service Name: George W Cole , Residence: North Manchester, Indiana Enlistment Date: 15 November 1861 Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE Side Served: Union State Served: Indiana Unit Numbers: 598 598 Service Record: Enlisted as a Sergeant on 15 November 1861, Enlisted in Company B, 47th Infantry Regiment Indiana on 15 November 1861. Promoted to Full Lieutenant 2nd Class on 22 October 1862 effective 22 October 1862. Killed Company B, 47th Infantry Regiment Indiana on 16 May 1863 at Champion's Hill, MS.
1840 Census: If George was in Indiana in 1840 here are some possibles for him:
Name: George Cole Township: Franklin County: Floyd State: Indiana NO this person was 20-30 years and george would have been 13.
Name: George Cole Township: Not Stated County: Knox State: Indian NO this person is 40-50 years.
1850 Census:
Name: George W Cole Age: 23 Estimated birth year: abt 1827 Birth Place: Ohio Gender: Male
Home in 1850 Chester, Wabash, Indiana Wife Mary 18 yrs. A few houses prior to George and Mary are Adam 53, and Catherine Rager 52, both parents born PA. Children born Ohio, William 14, Rebecca 12, and Christian Rager 9.
1860 Census:
Name: Geo W Cole Age in 1860: 33 Birth Year: abt 1827 Birthplace: New York Home in 1860: Chester, Wabash, Indiana Gender: Male Post Office: Lagro Geo W Cole 33 Mary E Cole 28 Alphonso R Cole 8 Rebecca Cole 3 Biaw (Bion) Cole 3 Cole 2.12
George W lists being born in NY and Mary and the children born in Indiana.
by Michele Komora