COTTEN, RICHARD CLIFFORD. (1832 ~ 1917). Confederate veteran R.C. Cotten was a Lieutenant in Company D of the 61st North Carolina Infantry. Not much is known about his early life except he was born in Chatham, North Carolina in 1832 and his profession was a farmer.
Cotten's regiment was assigned to Clingman's Brigade, when he enlisted, on February 15, 1862. Clingman's Brigade was composed of the 8th, 31st, 51st, and 61st North Carolina Regiments. In their marches, many died of yellow fever outbreaks, or the extreme cold. Cotten survived many battles, but was captured at Morris Island in August of 1863. According to military records he was there until his release on June 12, 1865.
Cotten moved to Texas in 1869 where he lived in Allen, Collin County and worked as a cattleman. Cotten was a widow when he entered the Confederate Men's Home in Austin on June 12, 1916. However, he listed a son, G.P. Cotton in Allen, Texas, and daughter, Nellie Tremble in Los Angles, California, as correspondents. R.C. Cotton died at the age of 85 on July 23, 1917, and was buried at the Texas State Cemetery the next day.
Information from: Compiled Military Records, Death Certificate, the Confederate Home Roster, and ancestry.com. |
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