Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. Born at Jefferson Barracks, Saint Louis County, Missouri, he was the son of Major General Philip St. George Cooke, US Army. He studied civil engineering at Harvard University's Lawrence Scientific School, worked on railroad construction in Ohio and Missouri, before his father secured him a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army in July 1856. He served with the US 8th Infantry in New Mexico Territory and Texas, before being promoted 1st Lieutenant in March 1861. After the Civil War began, he resigned his commission and traveled to Virginia, in order to join the Confederate States Army and was assigned as an aid to Brigadier General Theophilus Hunter Holmes's staff. Following the First Battle of Bull Run, he raised a company of light artillery, which he commanded until February 1862, was promoted to Major and became Chief of Artillery in the Department of North Carolina. In April 1862, he was elected Colonel of the 27th Regiment North Carolina Infantry, participated in the Antietam Campaign and was promoted to Brigadier General on November 1, 1862. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, his regiments suffered heavy casualties, with himself being seriously wounded, but resumed command of his brigade early in 1863. In May 1864, he fought at the Battle of the Wilderness, the Battle of Reams' Station in August 1864 and his brigade remained at Petersburg until the Union Army breached the Confederate defenses early in April 1865. On April 9, 1865, he surrendered the 560 men left under his command at Appomattox Court House. After the war, he worked in various enterprises in Virginia, was a member of the Association of the Army of Northern Virginia and sat on the executive committee of the Southern Historical Society. His sister Flora Cooke, was married to Cavalry Confederate Major General Jeb Stuart. He died at age 57 of pyaemia in Richmond, Virginia.
Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. Born at Jefferson Barracks, Saint Louis County, Missouri, he was the son of Major General Philip St. George Cooke, US Army. He studied civil engineering at Harvard University's Lawrence Scientific School, worked on railroad construction in Ohio and Missouri, before his father secured him a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army in July 1856. He served with the US 8th Infantry in New Mexico Territory and Texas, before being promoted 1st Lieutenant in March 1861. After the Civil War began, he resigned his commission and traveled to Virginia, in order to join the Confederate States Army and was assigned as an aid to Brigadier General Theophilus Hunter Holmes's staff. Following the First Battle of Bull Run, he raised a company of light artillery, which he commanded until February 1862, was promoted to Major and became Chief of Artillery in the Department of North Carolina. In April 1862, he was elected Colonel of the 27th Regiment North Carolina Infantry, participated in the Antietam Campaign and was promoted to Brigadier General on November 1, 1862. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, his regiments suffered heavy casualties, with himself being seriously wounded, but resumed command of his brigade early in 1863. In May 1864, he fought at the Battle of the Wilderness, the Battle of Reams' Station in August 1864 and his brigade remained at Petersburg until the Union Army breached the Confederate defenses early in April 1865. On April 9, 1865, he surrendered the 560 men left under his command at Appomattox Court House. After the war, he worked in various enterprises in Virginia, was a member of the Association of the Army of Northern Virginia and sat on the executive committee of the Southern Historical Society. His sister Flora Cooke, was married to Cavalry Confederate Major General Jeb Stuart. He died at age 57 of pyaemia in Richmond, Virginia.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
See more Cooke memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
