James Madison McCool was a Sergeant in Company A, 4th Georgia Cavalry.  

Dedication of CSA Burial Stone: We are here in remembrance and honor of James Madison McCool.  We don’t know much about his time of service in the Confederate States Army, but we do know that he was a sergeant in Company A of the 4^th Georgia Calvary.

                James Madison McCool was born in September 1827 in Georgia and died in January 1904.  He was married in 1867 to Louisa Mariah Burnettt.  James was found in the 1860 Wayne County Census, at age 32, living in the household of James and Elizabeth Willis Highsmith.

                He was the son of William McCool, a Methodist minister, who was born in South Carolina; and Lucretia Highsmith, born in Pitts County, North Carolina, and died sometime after 1860.  James’ mother, Lucretia, was the daughter of Jacob Highsmith, a Revolutionary Soldier, and Sarah Highsmith. Lucretia’s grandfather, John Highsmith, was also in the Revolutionary War.

                James Madison McCool’s wife, Louisa Mariah Burnett was born 14 Feb 1850 in Georgia and died 1912.  She was the third of thirteen children.  Louisa’s father, Sam M. Burnett, of Brunswick, served in the state legislature while the state capitol was in Milledgeville.  The Burnett family was a wealthy family who lost their fortune after the War Between the States.

                According to records we have found, James and Louisa had the following children:

                Martha L., Andrew Milton, James Madison Jr., Vincen, Everete,  Mary Ellen, Mattie Lamb, Robert Emmitt, Willie Burnett.

                Their son, Andrew Milton McCool became a well-known Southern Baptist minister and was often called “Prophet of the Pinelands.”

                Nor do we want to forget James Madison McCool’s sister, Latitia McCool, who married James Bryant Lewis, son of Jesse Lewis. They had 12 children.  Letitia’s husband, James Bryant Lewis, donated the land for Rob Lewis Cemetery and the cemetery was named for their son, Joseph Robert Lewis.

                So even though we don’t know much about James Madison McCool’s days in the Confederacy, we honor him for his service to our country.  We will also honor and remember his ancestors who fought for our country before him.  Signed: Dorothy J. Thomas, January 28, 2004

Military service was researched and a stone was ordered by Gaynell H. Sasser in January 2004, and was placed by Jerry Van Herrin and Linton Herrin. The Lawton-Gordon-Evans Brigade UDC Chapter #2637 dedicated this marker on March 6, 2004.

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