Cook, John Pope, 1825-1910

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Cook was born in Belleville, Illinois, to a well-connected political family. His maternal grandfather, Ninian Edwards, was a United States Senator and the Governor of Illinois. His father was Daniel Pope Cook, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives at the time. Following Daniel's death at the age of 33, his widow, Julia Catherine Edwards Cook, moved with their only child, John, back to Belleville, where she died three years later, leaving Cook as an orphan.

Cook received a good education and entered the practice of law. He was elected mayor of Springfield, Illinois, in 1855. Cook was the captain and commander of a military company called the Springfield Grays. He also served as quartermaster general of the Illinois militia.

During the early days of the Civil War, Cook's militia company enlisted in Federal service in April 1861. They formed the nucleus of Company I of the 7th Illinois Volunteer Regiment, of which Cook was appointed colonel. At the Battle of Fort Donelson, he commanded the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Cairo, Department of the Missouri. During the Confederate breakout attempt on February 15, General Ulysses S. Grant concluded the Confederates must have weakened the opposite flank to reinforce their assault. This weakened sector lay across from the Federal brigades of Cook and Jacob G. Lauman. Lauman's brigade was intended as the main thrust while Cook's brigade would make a feint to draw away fire. Cook's troops nevertheless managed to capture a key Confederate artillery battery, which paved the way for the subsequent collapse of the defensive line in his sector. After the battle he was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on March 22, 1862, with Senate confirmation on March 24, 1862, to rank from March 21, 1862. Cook remained in command of his brigade for a short time after Fort Donelson. Though still a colonel he was assigned to command the 6th Division in the Army of the Tennessee. This commanded was promptly turned over to Brig. Gen. Benjamin M. Prentiss who would lead the division with some notoriety at Shiloh. Cook meanwhile was transferred to brigade command in the Washington defenses.

Cook later oversaw the military Department of Iowa and Dakota Territory. In the winter of 1862–63, he organized a campaign against the Sioux Nation, with Sioux City, Iowa, as his base of operations. In the spring of 1863, he was relieved by Brig. Gen. Alfred Sully. In November 1864, he was assigned command of the military District of Illinois, replacing Eleazar Paine, who had resigned the position. Cook was mustered out of the volunteers on August 24, 1865. On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Cook for appointment to the brevet grade of major general, to rank from August 24, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination on March 12, 1866.

Following the war, Cook returned home and was elected as Sangamon County's representative in the Illinois General Assembly, in 1869, as a Republican.

Cook died in his home near Ransom, Michigan, in 1910, and is interred at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885. Letters: to [John] Cook, 1861-1862. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
referencedIn Consolidated Military Officer's File of General John Cook, 7th Illinois Infantry Regiment National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Philip Case Lockwood memorial collection of Civil War portraits and autographs, 1862-ca. 1886. Houghton Library
creatorOf Cook, John, 1825-1910. Papers, 1846-1866. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
referencedIn Cook, Daniel Pope, 1795-1827. Papers, 1820-1914. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
referencedIn Cook, John -- Brigadier General National Archives at Washington, D.C
Role Title Holding Repository
contributorOf 1865 - Cook, John - File No. C1236 National Archives at Washington, D.C
contributorOf 1864 - Cook, John - File No. C1567 National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Cook, John - Unit: 7th Infantry (3 Months, 1861), Company: F&S - Enlistment Rank: Col, Discharge Rank: Col National Archives at Washington, D.C
contributorOf 1862 - Cook, John - File No. C763 National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Cook, John - State: Illinois - Year: 1866 National Archives at Washington, D.C
contributorOf 1865 - Cook, John - File No. C1173 National Archives at Washington, D.C
contributorOf 1862 - Cook, John - File No. C793 National Archives at Washington, D.C
contributorOf Cook, John - District of Columbia - 1863 National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Cook, John - Unit: 7th Infantry, Company: F&S - Enlistment Rank: Colonel, Discharge Rank: Colonel National Archives at Washington, D.C
contributorOf Cook, John - Iowa - 1863 National Archives at Washington, D.C
Place Name Admin Code Country
Belleville IL US
Hillsdale County MI US
Springfield IL US
Sioux City IA US
Washington City DC US
Stewart County TN US
Subject
Civil War, 1861-1865
Fort Donelson, Battle of, Tenn., 1862
Fort Henry, Battle of, Tenn., 1862
Lawyers
Republican Party
Sioux Indians
Zouaves
Occupation
Lawyers
Legislators
Politicians
Soldiers
Activity

Person

Birth 1825-06-12

Death 1910-10-13

Male

Americans

English

Information

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