★  Cooke, Philip St. George

Philip St. George Cooke

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Born: June 13, 1809
Philip_St._George_Cooke.jpg


Birthplace: Leesburg, Virginia

Father: Stephen Cooke 1753 – 1815

Mother: Catherine Esten 1766 – 1839

Wife: Rachel Wilt Hertzog 1807 – 1896
(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan)​

Children:

C.S.A. Brig. General John Rogers Cooke 1833 – 1891​
(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​
Flora Cooke Stuart 1836 – 1923​
(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​
Son-in-law: Major General James Ewell Brown Stuart 1833 – 1864​
(Buried: Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia)​
Maria Pendleton Cooke Brewer 1840 – 1926​
(Buried: Siloam Cemetery, Vineland, New Jersey)​
Julia Turner “Julie” Cooke Sharpe 1842 – 1902​
(Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan)​
Education:

1827: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (23rd in class)​

Occupation before War:

1827: Brevet 2nd Lt. United States Army, Infantry​
1827 – 1833: 2nd Lt. United States Army, 6th Infantry Regiment​
1827 – 1828: Garrison Duty at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri​
1828: Garrison Duty at Fort Snelling, Minnesota​
1829: Garrison Duty at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri​
1829: Served on Expedition to Upper, Arkansas​
1829: Served against the Comanche Natives​
1830 – 1832: Garrison Duty at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas​
1832: Served in the Battle of Bad Axe​
1832 – 1833: Adjutant of United States Army, 6th Infantry Regiment​
1833: Garrison Duty at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri​
1833 – 1835: 1st Lt. United States Army, 1st Dragoons​
1834: Served in the Expedition to Tow – e – ash Village​
1835 – 1836: Recruiter for United States Army​
1835 – 1847: Captain, United States Army, 1st Dragoons​
1836: Frontier Duty at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory​
1836: Frontier Duty at Nacogdoches, Texas​
1837 – 1838: Frontier Duty at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory​
1839: Garrison Duty at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania​
1839 – 1840: Frontier Duty at Fort Wayne, Indian Territory​
1843: Escort for Fur traders to Arkansas River​
1844: Served in the Expedition to Pawnee Villages​
1845: Served in the Expedition through South Pass of Rocky Mtns.​
1846 – 1847: Lt. Colonel of Missouri Volunteers in California​
1847 – 1853: Major, United States Army, 2nd Dragoons​
1848: Regimental Commander during Battle of Mexico City​
1847: Brevetted Lt. Colonel for Meritorious Service in California​
1848 – 1852: Superintendent of Cavalry Recruiting Service​
1852: Commander of Lipan Expedition​
1853 – 1858: Lt. Colonel United States Army 2nd​ Dragoons​
1855: Served in the Sioux Expedition​
1856: Author of Scenes and Adventures in the Army​
1858 – 1861: Colonel, United States Army, 2nd Dragoons​
1859: Helped prepare a new system of Cavalry Tactics​
1860 – 1861: Commander of U.S. Army, Department of Utah​

Civil War Career:

1861 – 1873: Brigadier General in United States Army​
1861 – 1862: Served in the Defenses of Washington, D.C.​
1862: Commander of Cavalry Division in the Peninsula Campaign​
1862: Served in the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia
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1862: Served in the Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia​
1862: Served in the Battle of Gaines Mill, Virginia​
1862: Served in the Battle of Glendale, Virginia​
1862 – 1863: Served on Court Martials​
1863 – 1864: U.S. Army Commander of District of Baton Rogue​
1864 – 1866: General Superintendent of Recruiting for U.S. Army​
1865: Brevetted Major General for his role in the war​

Occupation after War:

1861 – 1873: Brigadier General in United States Army​
1864 – 1866: General Superintendent of Recruiting for U.S. Army​
1865 – 1866: Member of the Board of Retiring Disabled Officers​
1866 – 1867: U.S. Army Commander, Department of the Platte​
1867: Member of Board for Promotion of Volunteer Officers​
1867: Member of United States, Army Retiring Board​
1868: Member of United States Army, Cavalry Tactics Board​
1869 – 1870: U.S. Army Commander, Department of the Cumberland​
1870 – 1873: U.S. Army Commander, Department of the Lakes​
1873: Retired from United States Army on October 29th
1878: Author of The Conquest of New Mexico and California​
1884: Author of New Cavalry Tactics​

Died: March 20, 1895

Place of Death: Detroit, Michigan

Cause of Death: Senesctus

Age at time of Death: 85 years old

Burial Place: Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan
 
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The Cooke family was one of the more prominent families in Colonial Eastern Virginia during the settlement of the colony. Most of his other family members fought for the South so it is somewhat surprising he stayed loyal to the Union. He wrote one of the first Cavalry
manuals used just before the Civil War and after the war he continued to share his knowledge and experience to others in the United States Army.
 
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Most follwers of Civil War history are well aware that Jeb Stuart was Cooke's son-in-law but many (including myself) wasn't aware that his son, John Rogers Cooke, was a Confederate Brigadier General.
 
It was probably embarrassing for Cooke to have Stuart to ride around McLellan during the Peninsula Campaign. Cooke was in charge of a Cavalry unit (Reserve) at the time and failed to stop or intercept his Son-in-law, Stuart.
 
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