Born: Vermillion County, Illinois, 1844.Died: 1918.
Born: Vermillion County, Illinois, 1844.
Died: 1918.
Grew to manhood on the farm, receiving only such education as the common schools of the time could give him. Returning to civil life in the summer of 1865, he began as a teacher in the public school, in which he continued for about thirty years. He became a Christian in 1866, and four years thereafter was ordained to the ministry by the old Union Church and the venerable Rolla M. Martin. Since then he has preached almost continually on Saturdays and Sundays, much of the time without financial compensation. He has fostered weak congregations, brought into the kingdom about three thousand people, organized churches and endured hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Mr. Cosat's is a peaceable disposition, but he has always been ready to defend the truth. Being invited there in 1893, he held two public discussions in Labette County, Kansas., with Priest Peter Ferrell, of the Roman Catholic Church. The propositions were the following: "The Holy Scriptures alone furnish all the necessary knowledge to obtain pardon and everlasting life," and, "To pray acceptably to God, our prayers should be addressed to the Holy Virgin, saints and angels."
In 1895 he debated the question of instrumental music in public worship with Min. William Elmore, at Bismark, and in 1898 the same question with Min. J. W. Perkins, at Georgetown. Mr. Cosat has stood for better things in Christian life, and his ministry has been a very great help to the congregations in Vermilion County.
His military record was one of unusual brilliancy and thrilling to a degree. Being away from home on a visit, at the beginning of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Fifth Wisconsin Infantry. He was under the command of General Sheridan at Harper's Ferry, Martinsburg, Winchester and Cedar Creek; later, under General Meade at Petersburg, Sailor's Creek and on to Appomattox.
On the morning of Apr. 6, 1865, Lieutenant-General Ewell had placed his corps in rifle-pits on the brow of a hill south of Sailor's Creek. This Confederate force was savagely and simultaneously assaulted by the Second and Sixth Federal Corps, and with such skill and determination as to virtually destroy it. In this assault, Mr. Cosat and five of his comrades were separated from their regiment, with the Confederate forces between them. The official report of Thomas S. Allen, colonel in command of the regiment, War Records, History of Appomattox Campaign, page 953, gives the names of the six men; to-wit: Sergeant Angus Cameron, Corporals Charles Roughan and August Brocker, and Private John W. Davis, of Company C, and Corporal John T. Cosat and Private Herod W. True, of Company I, all of the Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry.
Sergeant Cameron suggested that they try to capture General Ewell. The six men ran across an open field and took position in a fence row that had grown up in dense brush. The sergeant crawled to the end of this, and reported that General Ewell, his staff and body-guard, probably a hundred in all, were riding directly toward them. The sergeant ordered that, when the Confederates came within hearing distance, they move in single file with cocked guns out of the brush--the sixth man stopping at the edge--and he himself would demand the surrender. General Ewell, thus completely surprised and supposing there were many Federals concealed in the brush, at once ordered his adjutant-general (Beglar) to unfurl the white flag, which he did. Shortly thereafter this immortal six had the honor of presenting to General Meade this famous old, battle scarred veteran of the Confederacy, his staff and body-guard, as prisoners of war.