POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned hereby constitutes
and  appoints  each of  Greogry  Jones and Frank  Hughes,  signing  singly,  the
undersigned's true true and lawful  attorney-in-fact to: 1. prepare,  execute in
the undersigned's name and on the undersigned's behalf, and submit to the United
States  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the "SEC") a Form ID,  including
amendments  thereto,  and any other documents necessary or appropriate to obtain
codes and passwords enabling the undersigned to make electronic filings with the
SEC of reports required by Section 16(a) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934
(the "Act") or any rule or  regulation  of the SEC; 2. execute for and on behalf
of the undersigned,  in the undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director
of Cornerstone  Bancshares,  Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Company"),  any
Forms 3, 4 and 5 in  accordance  with  Section  16(a)  of the Act and the  rules
thereunder,  and any other forms or reports the  undersigned  may be required to
file in connection with the undersigned's ownership,  acquisition or disposition
of  securities  of the  Company;  3. do and  perform any and all acts for and on
behalf of the  undersigned  which may be  necessary or desirable to complete and
execute  any such Form 3, 4 or 5, or other form or report,  and timely file such
form or report with the SEC and any stock exchange or similar authority;  and 4.
take any other action of any type  whatsoever in  connection  with the foregoing
which,  in the  opinion of such  attorney-in-fact,  may be of benefit to, in the
best interest of or legally  required by the  undersigned,  it being  understood
that  the  documents  executed  by  such   attorney-in-fact  on  behalf  of  the
undersigned  pursuant to this Power of Attorney  shall be in such form and shall
contain such terms and conditions as such  attorney-in-fact  may approve in such
attorney-in-fact's discretion.

         The undersigned hereby grants to each such  attorney-in-fact full power
and  authority  to do and  perform  any  and  every  act  and  thing  whatsoever
requisite,  necessary  or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights
and  powers  herein  granted,  as  fully  to all  intents  and  purposes  as the
undersigned  might  or  could  do if  personally  present,  with  full  power of
substitution  or  revocation,  hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  all that such
attorney-in-fact,  or such attorney-in-fact's  substitute or substitutes,  shall
lawfully  do or cause to be done by virtue  of this  Power of  Attorney  and the
rights and powers herein granted.

         The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing  attorneys-in-fact,  in
serving in such  capacity at the request of the  undersigned,  are not assuming,
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Act.

         This Power of Attorney  shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned  is no longer  required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's  holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the  undersigned in a signed writing  delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

         IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney
to be executed as of this 20 day of March, 2006.


                                       /s/ Kenneth B. Driver


                                       Kenneth B. Driver