The following information came from the Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion.

“Private Cooper, of an Alabama Regiment, aged 20 years, was wounded at the siege of Vicksburg, on May 22, 1863 by a fragment of shell, which inflicted a terrible laceration of the upper exterior part of the right thigh comminuted the upper third of the femur and fractured the tuberosity of the ischium. There was profuse hemorrhage. Surgeon W. M. Compton, 2nd Texas, decided to operate because the wounded man earnestly begged that an attempt should be made by amputation to save his life. A few hours after the reception of the injury he was placed under chloroform and amputation at the right hip joint was rapidly performed by making a large anterior flap and dividing the soft parts posteriorly by a circular sweep of the knife. The stump was dressed and the patient actively stimulated but he never rallied from the shock of the operation and died in less than an hour after its accomplishment.”

From looking at the Confederate Order of Battle there appears to be about a dozen various Alabama units during the actual siege. One candidate may have been George Cooper of Company F of the 30th Alabama Infantry but are not specific enough to place his death at Vicksburg, as his records only indicate he was killed during the war. All of the other soldiers from Alabama at the siege of Vicksburg with a surname of Cooper appear to have been accounted for.

Starting about May 18, 1863 the doors to Vicksburg had been closed and the only way out or in was to sneak through the lines.

In addition no tombstones or graves could be located for a Cooper from an Alabama Regiment who died near this date including the Cemetery at Soldiers Rest. Company F of the 30th Alabama Infantry appears to have had some soldiers from Talladega County, Alabama but looking at the census reports I could not locate a man named Cooper who was born about 1843 from the immediate area.

Since the 2nd Texas was in the same brigade (Moore's) during the siege as were several Alabama units I would reason Cooper may have been with one of these Alabama units but all surnames of Cooper appear to have been accounted for.

Who ever Cooper was he now appears to have an unknown grave at Vicksburg.

Perhaps someone on this board might have more time and expertize in finding out who this soldier was.