histcoll6

HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO By henry Howe, LL.D., 1898

II. THE JOHN MCCOOK BRANCH
John McCook Catherine Julia Sheldon

Dr. McCook was born and educated at Canonsburg, Pa., the seat
of
Jefferson College; was a man of fine presence, genial nature, and a
physician of unusual ability. His wife was born at Hartford, Conn.,
of an
old New England family, and was a woman of rare culture. She was
remarkable
for her gift of song and musical attainments, and her fine intellect
and
sprightly manners. She greatly excelled in reading aloud, and taught
her
sons this art, instructing them also in declamation and composition,
before
these branches were introduced into the schools of the neighborhood.
She
was particularly fond of poetry, and could render from memory
chapters of
Scott's "Marmion and Lady of the Lake," as well as the poems of
Burns. Her
influence was decided upon the character of her five sons.
Dr. McCook, practiced medicine for many years in New Lisbon,
Ohio,
whence he removed to Steubenville, he was an ardent patriot, and
although a
lifelong Democrat, joined the Union Republican party, and gave the
whole
weight of his influence and service to the support of the government
during
the civil war. He died just after its close, October 11, 1865, at the
headquarters of his son, General Anson G. McCook in Washington, D.C.,
during a temporary visit, and was buried at Steubenville, Ohio by the
side
of his wife, who had preceded him just six months.
He united with the Presbyterian church of New Lisbon, Ohio,
together with his wife, after the birth of all their children. The
latter
were baptized on the same Sabbath by the late Dr. A.O. Patterson. Dr.
McCook was a warm friend of Sunday schools, and was Superintendent for
years of the school of the First Church of Steubenville, under the
late Dr.
H.G. Comingo.
The children of the above are as follows:
1. Major-General Edward Moody McCook, born at Steubenville,
Ohio,
June 15, 1833. He was one of the earliest settlers in the Pike's Peak
region, where he had gone to practice his profession, law. He
represented
that district in the legislature of Kansas, before the division of the
Territory. He was temporarily in Washington in the troubled era
preceding
the war, and by a daring feat as a volunteer secret agent for the
government, won such approbation that he was appointed into the
regular
army as a lieutenant of cavalry. At the outbreak of the rebellion he
was
appointed major of the Second Indiana cavalry, rose rapidly to the
ranks of
colonel, brigadier and major-general, and, after brilliant and
effective
service retired at the close of the war, with the rank of
lieutenant-colonel in the regular army. His most difficult and
dangerous
service, perhaps was penetrating the enemy's lines by way of diversion
previous to Sherman's march to the sea. He returned from this "forlorn
hope," having inflicted great damage upon the enemy defeated and
captured a
large number, whom he was compelled to release, and retired in the
face of
Hood's entire army. He resigned from the regular army to accept the
appointment of United States minister to the Sandwich islands. He was
subsequently twice appointed governor of Colorado Territory by
President Grant.
2. Brigadier-General Anson George McCook was born in
Steubenville,
Ohio, October 10, 1835. He was educated in the public schools of New
Lisbon, Ohio, and at an early age crossed the plains to California,
where
he spent several years. He returned shortly before the war, and was
engaged
in the study of law in the office, of Stanton & McCook, at
Steubenville, at
the outbreak of the rebellion. He promptly raised a company of
volunteers,
and was elected captain of Company H, which was the first to enter the
service from Eastern Ohio. He was assigned to the Second Ohio
regiment, and
took part in the first Bull Run battle. Upon the reorganization of the
troops, he was appointed major of the Second Ohio, and rose by death
and
resignation of his seniors to the rank of colonel. At the battle of
Peach
Tree Creek near Atlanta, he commanded a brigade. He was in action in
many
of the principal battles of the West, including those of Perryville,
Stone
River, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, etc. On the muster-
out
of the Second regiment, at the close of three years service, he was
appointed colonel of the One-hundred-and-ninety-fourth Ohio, and was
ordered to the Valley of Virginia, where he was assigned to command a
brigade. He was brevetted a brigadier-general at the close of the
war. He
returned to Steubenville, whence, after several years' residence, he
removed to New York city, his present residence. He served six years
in
Congress from the Eighth New York, district, in the Forty-fifth,
Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Conresses. He is at present secretary
of the
United States Senate.
3. Rev. Henry C. McCook, D.D., the third son, was born July 3,
1837, at New Lisbon, Ohio and married an Ohio lady, Miss Emma C.
Horter, of
New Lisbon. He graduated at Jefferson College. He was a student in the
Western Theological Seminary (Presbyterian), Allegheny City, on the
outbreak of the rebellion, and having made an engagement to go West to
spend his summer vacation, stopped at Clinton, Dewitt county, Ill. He
was
actively engaged in raising troops for the service until the first
Bull Run
battle, when he enlisted as a private soldier, stumped the county to
raise
troops, and was mustered into the Forty-first Illinois regiment as
first
lieutenant. He was appointed chaplain of the regiment, and returned
home
for ordination by the Presbytery of Steubenville, Ohio. He served for
less
than one year, and resigned, with the intention of taking another
position
in the army; but convinced that he could serve his country better in a
public position at home, he returned to his church at Clinton. He was
subsequently a home missionary and pastor in St. Louis, Mo., whence
he was
called to Philadelphia in 1869, where he continues pastor of one of
the
most prominent churches of the East. He is author of a number of
popular
theological and ecclesiastical books, but is particularly known as a
naturalist. His studies of the ants and spiders, on whose habits he
has
written several important books and numerous papers, have made his
name
well known among the naturalists of Europe and American.
4. Commander Rhoderick Sheldon McCook, U.S.N., was born in New
Lisbon, Ohio, March 10, 1839. He graduated at the Naval Academy,
Annapolis
in 1859, and his first service was off the Congo river, Africa,
whence he
was sent home with a prize crew in charge of a captured slaver. From
1861
to 1865 he took active part in aggressive operations before Newberne,
Wilmington, Charleston, Fort Fisher, and on James river. At Newberne
he
bore an active and successful part in the battle on land. He offered
himself and the services of his marines to the land force in moving a
battery of guns from his vessel. With this battery he took a
conspicuous
part in the conflict, and had the honor of receiving the surrender of
a
Confederate regiment of infantry, probably the only surrender of this
sort
which occurred during the civil war. During his arduous service with
monitors, particularly the "Canonicus" of Fort Fisher, he seriously
injured
his health. He was engaged in the operations on the James river, and
also
in those ending in the surrender of Charleston. He attained the grade
of
commander September 25, 1873. His last service was in lighthouse duty
on
the Ohio river, on whose banks, in the family plot in the Steubenville
cemetery, his remains are buried. Failing in health, he was retired
from
active service February 23, 1885, when he went to Vineland, N.J.,
seeking restoration of strength in the occupations of farm-life. His death was
caused by being thrown from his buggy upon his head, sustaining
injuries which resulted in suffusion of the brain. He married Miss Elizabeth
Sutherland, of Steubenville, Ohio, who, with one son, survives him.
5. The fifth son and sixth child, Rev. Prof. John James
McCook, was born at New Lisbon, Ohio, February 4, 1843. He served as lieutenant
in the First Virginia volunteers during a short campaign in West Virginia
volunteers during a short campaign in West Virginia, a regiment
recruited almost exclusively from Ohio. There were so many volunteers from that
State that its quota of regiments was immediately filled, and many of its
citizens entered the service with regiments from other States. He was
at Kelleysville, one of the earliest engagements of the war. He
graduated at Trinity College, Hartford; began the study of medicine, but abandoned
it to enter the Protestant Episcopal ministry. He was rector of St. John's
Detroit, and now of St. John's East Hartford. He is distinguished as a
linguist, and is author of a witty booklet, "Pat and the Council." He
is at present Professor of Modern Languages in Trinity College, Hartford.