John James McCook (lawyer)
Encyclopedia
John James McCook was an American
corporate attorney
, business director, and soldier, serving as a Union Army
officer during the American Civil War
. He was the youngest member of the famed "Fighting McCooks
", a prominent Ohio
military family which contributed fifteen members to the war effort.
, to family patriarch Daniel McCook
. He was named for his uncle, John James McCook
. He enrolled in Kenyon College
, but left school after completing his freshman year to enlist as a private
in the 52nd Ohio Infantry
on August 12, 1862, but was not mustered into the service initially because of his age. He accompanied the regiment
as a volunteer aide-de-camp
. On September 12 of that year, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 6th Ohio Cavalry
and assigned to the staff of Major General
Thomas L. Crittenden in what later became the XXI Corps
in the Army of the Cumberland
. McCook was involved in several campaigns and battles in the Western Theater
, including Perryville
, Stones River
, the Tullahoma Campaign
, Chattanooga, and Chickamauga
.
In September 1863, McCook was commissioned as a captain and an aide-de-camp
, serving in the Army of the Potomac
. He was part of the army of Ulysses S. Grant
in the Overland Campaign
in Northern Virginia
in the spring of 1864. He was severely wounded near Shady Grove, Virginia, during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
, but recovered, although he never fought again. He received a brevet
promotion to major
for his "gallant and meritorious" service in that battle. In the omnibus promotions at the end of the war, McCook was breveted as a lieutenant colonel
and then a colonel
in the volunteer army.
and graduated in 1869, and later received honorary law degrees from Princeton University
and the University of Kansas
. He passed his bar exam and established a prosperous legal practice in New York City
in the celebrated firm of Alexander & Green, eventually becoming a senior partner. He joined the New York State Bar Association and served on the boards of directors for several prominent insurance companies, railroads, and financial institutions. He was also a trustee of Kenyon College, as well as being a director of the Princeton Theological Seminary
. He was instrumental in establishing a formal statute for an intercollegiate system of academic costume, and provided the money in 1892 for the University of Kansas's first athletic stadium, McCook Field, which was in service for thirty years.
The Santa Fe Railroad went into receivership in December 1893 due to rapidly declining stock prices and the failing health of its president, and McCook was one of three men appointed as directors to oversee the struggling railroad as it returned to financial stability.
McCook declined an offer to serve in the first Cabinet of President William McKinley
. During the Spanish-American War
, he chaired the Army and Navy Christian Commission. He became a close friend of Theodore Roosevelt
.
, at the age of 66.
The village of McCook, Illinois
, is named after him, as is McCook Street on the campus of the University of Kansas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
corporate attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, business director, and soldier, serving as a Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
officer during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was the youngest member of the famed "Fighting McCooks
Fighting McCooks
The Fighting McCooks were members of a family of Ohioans who reached prominence as officers in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Two brothers, Daniel and John McCook, and thirteen of their sons were actively involved in the army, making the family one of the most prolific in American...
", a prominent Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
military family which contributed fifteen members to the war effort.
Early years
John J. McCook was born in Carrollton, OhioCarrollton, Ohio
Carrollton is a village in Carroll County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,190 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County.Carrollton is part of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, to family patriarch Daniel McCook
Daniel McCook
Daniel McCook was an attorney and an officer in the Union army during the American Civil War. He was one of two Ohio brothers who, along with 13 of their sons, became widely known as the “Fighting McCooks” for their contributions to the war effort.-Biography:McCook was born in Canonsburg,...
. He was named for his uncle, John James McCook
John James McCook
John James McCook , was a patriarch of the Fighting McCooks, one of the most prolific families in United States Army history. Five of his sons became prominent soldiers, chaplains, or sailors, as well as eight of his nephews....
. He enrolled in Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, but left school after completing his freshman year to enlist as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the 52nd Ohio Infantry
52nd Ohio Infantry
The 52nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 52nd Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio in August 1862 and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Daniel McCook, Jr..The...
on August 12, 1862, but was not mustered into the service initially because of his age. He accompanied the regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
as a volunteer aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
. On September 12 of that year, he was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 6th Ohio Cavalry
6th Ohio Cavalry
The 6th Regiment, Ohio Cavalry was a regiment of Union cavalry raised in ten counties in northeastern and north-central Ohio for service during the American Civil War...
and assigned to the staff of Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Thomas L. Crittenden in what later became the XXI Corps
XXI Corps (ACW)
XXI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. It served as part of William S. Rosecrans's Army of the Cumberland and was in existence from January 9th to October 1863....
in the Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
. McCook was involved in several campaigns and battles in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
, including Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
, Stones River
Battle of Stones River
The Battle of Stones River or Second Battle of Murfreesboro , was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Civil War...
, the Tullahoma Campaign
Tullahoma Campaign
The Tullahoma Campaign or Middle Tennessee Campaign was fought between June 24 and July 3, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Union Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. William S...
, Chattanooga, and Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
.
In September 1863, McCook was commissioned as a captain and an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, serving in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
. He was part of the army of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
in the Overland Campaign
Overland Campaign
The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Union armies, directed the actions of the Army of the...
in Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
in the spring of 1864. He was severely wounded near Shady Grove, Virginia, during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania , was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged...
, but recovered, although he never fought again. He received a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
promotion to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
for his "gallant and meritorious" service in that battle. In the omnibus promotions at the end of the war, McCook was breveted as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
and then a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
in the volunteer army.
Post-war years
After the war, McCook resumed his studies at Kenyon College and graduated in 1866. He entered the Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
and graduated in 1869, and later received honorary law degrees from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. He passed his bar exam and established a prosperous legal practice in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the celebrated firm of Alexander & Green, eventually becoming a senior partner. He joined the New York State Bar Association and served on the boards of directors for several prominent insurance companies, railroads, and financial institutions. He was also a trustee of Kenyon College, as well as being a director of the Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
. He was instrumental in establishing a formal statute for an intercollegiate system of academic costume, and provided the money in 1892 for the University of Kansas's first athletic stadium, McCook Field, which was in service for thirty years.
The Santa Fe Railroad went into receivership in December 1893 due to rapidly declining stock prices and the failing health of its president, and McCook was one of three men appointed as directors to oversee the struggling railroad as it returned to financial stability.
McCook declined an offer to serve in the first Cabinet of President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
. During the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, he chaired the Army and Navy Christian Commission. He became a close friend of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
Death and legacy
John McCook died at his summer home in Sea Bright, New JerseySea Bright, New Jersey
Sea Bright is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,412.Sea Bright was formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 21, 1889, from portions of Ocean Township, based on the results of a...
, at the age of 66.
The village of McCook, Illinois
McCook, Illinois
McCook is a suburb of Chicago in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 254, which is the lowest population of all municipalities in the county. It was named for John J. McCook, a late 19th century director of the Santa Fe Railroad and a former...
, is named after him, as is McCook Street on the campus of the University of Kansas.