Hayes Lowe
Analysis of J.L. Cottle information.
Fri Sep 15 12:44:35 2000


Jim, this requires some further analysis.

My information did not come from the muster roll. I'll have to check my files to see if I can find where my information came from originally. I have found that the muster rolls are only about 50-60% complete. J.L. Cottle very well could have been a brother of Isaac L., or on the other hand, it could just as easily be an error in the transcription of I.L. as you suggest.

However, like Todd says, his information comes from the obituary in the local newspaper. In the sparsely populated county of Pickens, where everybody knew everybody, it is unlikely that a transcription error would have occurred from a handwritten note to the obit. The typesetter would have known the fellow.

It appears, too, that the error would have had to occur twice. Once when he was listed as a soldier (whether that was from a muster roll, or wherever I found that information) and again in his obit. Seems very unlikely.

Furthermore, the obit named the company (Pickens Co. Guard), which was the name of an 11th Ala. Inf., Co. H. The 5th Ala. Inf., New Co. H, never had a nickname. Its predessesor (sp?), Company C, was called "Pickensville Blues". [The "Old" Co. H was the Warrior Guard of Tuscaloosa Co., definitely not the Pickens Co. Guard.] At any rate, the Cottle in the 5th is named with a middle initial "P".

I still can only conclude that J.L. Cottle really was in the 11th Ala. Inf., Co. H "Pickens Co. Guard", along with Isaac L. Cottle.