Civil War Union Brigadier General. Born in Leesburg, Virginia, he began his Army career graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York as a infantry 2nd Lieutenant in 1827. He served at a variety of installations in the West, fought in the 1832 Black Hawk War and became a Captain in command of 200 Dragoons. He fought in the Mexican-American War, In 1857, received a promotion to Colonel in command of the 2nd United States Dragoon regiment, served as an observer for the United States Army in the Crimean War, and commanded the Department of Utah from 1860 to 1861. Noted for his authorship of the United States Army Cavalry manual, at the start of the Civil War he was appointed Brigadier General by President Abraham Lincoln in December 1861. Initially commanding a brigade of cavalry for the defenses of Washington D.C., he took part in Major General George B. McClellan's Spring 1862 Peninsula Campaign, leading a cavalry division in the Battles at Williamsburg, Gaines' Mill and White Oak Swamp before leaving active field service. The rest of his war service was administrative, serving on court martial panels until August 1863, when he commanded the District of Baton Rouge, Louisiana until May 1864, then he managed the Union's recruiting service until the Confederate surrender. For his service to the Union during the war, he was brevetted Major General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865. After the war, he commanded the Department of the Platte and retired from active service as a Brigadier General in October 1873. His son John R. Cooke was a Confederate Brigadier General and his daughter Flora Cooke, was married to famed Confederate cavalryman Major General J.E.B. Stuart. He died at age 85 in Detroit, Michigan.
Civil War Union Brigadier General. Born in Leesburg, Virginia, he began his Army career graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York as a infantry 2nd Lieutenant in 1827. He served at a variety of installations in the West, fought in the 1832 Black Hawk War and became a Captain in command of 200 Dragoons. He fought in the Mexican-American War, In 1857, received a promotion to Colonel in command of the 2nd United States Dragoon regiment, served as an observer for the United States Army in the Crimean War, and commanded the Department of Utah from 1860 to 1861. Noted for his authorship of the United States Army Cavalry manual, at the start of the Civil War he was appointed Brigadier General by President Abraham Lincoln in December 1861. Initially commanding a brigade of cavalry for the defenses of Washington D.C., he took part in Major General George B. McClellan's Spring 1862 Peninsula Campaign, leading a cavalry division in the Battles at Williamsburg, Gaines' Mill and White Oak Swamp before leaving active field service. The rest of his war service was administrative, serving on court martial panels until August 1863, when he commanded the District of Baton Rouge, Louisiana until May 1864, then he managed the Union's recruiting service until the Confederate surrender. For his service to the Union during the war, he was brevetted Major General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865. After the war, he commanded the Department of the Platte and retired from active service as a Brigadier General in October 1873. His son John R. Cooke was a Confederate Brigadier General and his daughter Flora Cooke, was married to famed Confederate cavalryman Major General J.E.B. Stuart. He died at age 85 in Detroit, Michigan.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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