Enlisted 27 Apr 1862 age 15 with father and namesake uncle at Crumps Station VA in C Co, 8th VA Calvary Unit B, Regiment, Confederate. Sep1863 wounded and taken prisoner sent to Point Lookout MD. Oct1863 POW released. Apr1864 reenlisted 4th VA Infantry Reserve Co B. 1866 he moved with his family in covered wagon over Boone Trail thru Cumberland Gap in Harlan KY north to Laurel Co. He married Louisa Hatcher 19Jan1869 in Laurel Co KY. They had 7 children. Abt 1889 he moved his fam to LA with or following his in-laws. Jul1916 he was approved Pension for wounded confederate soldier.
In August, 1863, Stephen Wales Cornett, age 16, was wounded in a calvary action in southwest Virginia and was taken prisoner. After his recovery, he was sent to the Union Prisoner of War Camp at Point Lookout, Maryland. In a twist of fate, in July 1864, father George Bourne Cornett's Company C 8th Virginia Cavalry was attached to General Jubal Early's army that attacked Washington, D.C. Had it not been for the Battle of Monocacy, this raid might have succeeded. Part of Early's mission was to detach a large portion of his cavalry force to attack the prisoner of war camp at Point Lookout, Maryland and free the estimated 20,000 prisoners being held there. George Bourne Cornett was part of this force and, in essence, was on a mission to free his own son. This was going to be a joint operation with Confederate Naval commandos under the command of Colonel Wood. However, the plan was flawed, the Union found out about the possible raid and increased the guard force, and it never was brought to fruition. The cavalry force delayed in the Baltimore area and after moving southward received orders to rejoin Early's main force near Rockville, Maryland. This must have greatly disappointed George. Afterwards, in retaliation for burnings conducted by General Sherman during his march to the sea in Georgia, the Confederates decided to carry out reprisals in the North. George's unit was part of the force that attacked Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in Oct 1864. After demanding a huge ransom of the city fathers, that they could not raise, the Confederate force burned down courthouse at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in one of the greatest atrocities of the Civil War. It is likely that this sickened George and, shortly thereafter, he deserted (interpreted as went home to harvest crops and never made it back as mentioned in the family tradition story). Stephen Wales was released in Oct and also returned home. In 1866, George left everything behind and took his entire family and moved to a new life in Kentucky.