Private Amon Rook

Private Amon (Ammon) Rook of Osage County Missouri was twenty-eight when he enlisted in the Fifth Iowa Cavalry on September 23, 1862. A genealogical website reveals that he descended from some of America's early families. His father, Aaron Rook (1774-1855), was born in Worcester County, Maryland. His grandfather, Hezekiah Rook had also been born in Worcester County about 1750. His great-great-grandfather, James Ruark, was born about 1700 and died in Maryland before 1783.

While it is not known whether or not Private Rook's forebears served their young nation in uniform, his own career sadly ended on a less than heroic note. Although he transferred with Company M into the Fifth Iowa Cavalry Consolidated on August 8, 1864, he did not remain with his comrades for long. The Official Roster simply records that at Nashville, Tennessee, on November 16, 1864, thirty-year-old Private Amon Rook, deserted.