southern blue
Sergeant
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2014
- Location
- Virginia
He is constantly being quoted in Civil War discussions for several reasons, one being his father was John Rogers Cooke, brother of Union General Philip St. George Cooke who was in turn the father of Flora Cooke who married CSA General J.E.B Stuart. Cooke did a stint as a member of Stuart's Staff during the war. (apparently Stuart didn't think much of him). He was a lawyer who became an author best known for his biographies of Lee and Jackson and his 'lost cause' writings after the war. Its been said that he is more poet than historian.
A more complete bio can be found here...http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Cooke_John_Esten_1830-1886
This marker is in Clarke County VA.
The Briars.
Cooke came by the house via his wife who inherited it from her father. Whatever. They were apparently very happy and were the parents of three children. One of his sons became a medical Doctor who assisted Doctor Walter Reed in the search for the cause of yellow fever.
Their graves are located in the Old Chapel Cemetery in Clarke County VA alongside graves of other Confederate veterans (notably many of the Stonewall Brigade)