Joseph Alexander Cooper
Encyclopedia
Joseph Alexander Cooper was an American
farmer, soldier, and civil servant. He briefly served in the United States Army
during the Mexican–American War
, and later he was a Union Army
general during the American Civil War
, fighting most notably during the 1864 Battle of Nashville
.
near Cumberland Falls
. He and his parents moved to Campbell County, Tennessee
the following year. He grew up in Campbell County, and married Mary J. Hutson in April 1846. In 1847 Cooper served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican–American War
, enlisting as a private
in the 4th Tennessee Infantry in August and mustering out that October.
After the war ended he returned to Campbell County, and was involved in farming near Jacksboro, Tennessee
.
. He was elected a delegate to the 1861 Union convention
at Knoxville
. He next spent a few months recruiting men from his county. Then in April Cooper was sworn into service to the Union as a captain in the 1st Tennessee Infantry
at Whitesburg, Kentucky
.
Cooper was promoted to the rank of colonel
on August 8, 1861. After fighting at Wild Cat Mountain
and Mill Springs
under Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas
, he was given command of the 6th Tennessee Infantry
on May 18, 1862. He would lead the 6th Tennessee throughout the year and into the summer of 1863. Cooper fought in the battles of Stones River
and Chickamauga
, and the Chattanooga Campaign
. After joining the army of Maj. Gen.
William Tecumseh Sherman
in the Atlanta Campaign
, he was promoted to brigadier general
on July 30, 1864. He commanded a brigade of the 2nd Division of the XXIII Corps from June 4 until he temporarily obtained divisional command following the Battle of Jonesborough
. He was again in command of his brigade, and intermittently commanded the 2nd Division during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign
. He also commanded the brigade during the Battle of Bentonville
. He was appointed a brevet
major general
in the Union Army for his service throughout the war,in partivcular for his actions at Nashville. Cooper was mustered out on January 15, 1866.
from Tennessee, but his bid was unsuccessful. Next year, he was rewarded by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
with the sinecure of collector of internal revenue for the Knoxville District. Cooper held this position from 1869 to 1879.
He later was enlisted by William Gannaway Brownlow
, Governor of Tennessee, to quell the forces of the Ku Klux Klan
disturbance in the state. In 1880 he moved to Stafford County, Kansas
, where he became involved in farming. On April 3, 1891, Cooper was wounded in the city of Larned
in Pawnee County
when he was struck by a railroad car while. He died in Stafford, Kansas
in May 1910, and was buried in Knoxville National Cemetery
.
. He was a deacon of the Baptist Church for more than thirty-five years. He was also a long time moderator of the South Central Baptist Association of Kansas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
farmer, soldier, and civil servant. He briefly served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, and later he was 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...
general 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...
, fighting most notably during the 1864 Battle of Nashville
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
.
Early life
Cooper was born in 1823 on a farm in Whitley County, KentuckyWhitley County, Kentucky
Whitley County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. 2005 census projections list its population at 38,029 . The county seat is at Williamsburg, though the largest city is Corbin, and the county's District Court sits in both cities...
near Cumberland Falls
Cumberland Falls
Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South, or the Great Falls, is a large waterfall on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky...
. He and his parents moved to Campbell County, Tennessee
Campbell County, Tennessee
Campbell County is a U.S. county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 40,716. Its county seat is Jacksboro. The Census Bureau has identified the county as a Micropolitan Statistical Area, designated the LaFollette Micropolitan Statistical Area for the largest...
the following year. He grew up in Campbell County, and married Mary J. Hutson in April 1846. In 1847 Cooper served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
, enlisting 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 4th Tennessee Infantry in August and mustering out that October.
After the war ended he returned to Campbell County, and was involved in farming near Jacksboro, Tennessee
Jacksboro, Tennessee
Jacksboro is a town in Campbell County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,887 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Campbell County.-Geography:Jacksboro is located at...
.
Civil War service
When the American Civil War began in 1861, Cooper chose to follow the Union causeUnion (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
. He was elected a delegate to the 1861 Union convention
East Tennessee Convention of 1861
The East Tennessee Convention consisted of a series of meetings held in 1861 on the eve of the American Civil War in which 29 counties in East Tennessee and one county in Middle Tennessee denounced secessionist activities within the state of Tennessee and resolved to break away and form an...
at Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. He next spent a few months recruiting men from his county. Then in April Cooper was sworn into service to the Union as a captain in the 1st Tennessee Infantry
1st Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
The 1st Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 1st Tennessee Infantry was organized at Camp Dick Robinson in Garrard County, Kentucky August through September 1861 and mustered in for a three year...
at Whitesburg, Kentucky
Whitesburg, Kentucky
Whitesburg is a city in Letcher County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,139 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Letcher County.-Culture:...
.
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...
on August 8, 1861. After fighting at Wild Cat Mountain
Battle of Camp Wildcat
The Battle of Camp Wildcat was one of the early engagements of the American Civil War. It occurred October 21, 1861, in northern Laurel County, Kentucky during the campaign known as the Kentucky Confederate Offensive...
and Mill Springs
Battle of Mill Springs
The Battle of Mill Springs, also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek in Confederate terminology, and the Battle of Logan's Cross Roads in Union terminology, was fought in Wayne and Pulaski counties, near current Nancy, Kentucky, on January 19, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It...
under Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas
George Henry Thomas
George Henry Thomas was a career United States Army officer and a Union General during the American Civil War, one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater....
, he was given command of the 6th Tennessee Infantry
6th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
The 6th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 6th Tennessee Infantry was organized at Williamsburg and Boston, Kentucky and mustered in for a three year enlistment on April 18, 1862.The regiment was...
on May 18, 1862. He would lead the 6th Tennessee throughout the year and into the summer of 1863. Cooper fought in the battles of 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...
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...
, and the Chattanooga Campaign
Chattanooga Campaign
The Chattanooga Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in October and November 1863, during the American Civil War. Following the defeat of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans's Union Army of the Cumberland at the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen...
. After joining the army of Maj. Gen.
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...
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
in the Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
, he was promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
on July 30, 1864. He commanded a brigade of the 2nd Division of the XXIII Corps from June 4 until he temporarily obtained divisional command following the Battle of Jonesborough
Battle of Jonesborough
-Further reading:...
. He was again in command of his brigade, and intermittently commanded the 2nd Division during the Franklin-Nashville Campaign
Franklin-Nashville Campaign
The Franklin-Nashville Campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee Campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate Army of Tennessee under Lt....
. He also commanded the brigade during the Battle of Bentonville
Battle of Bentonville
At 3 p.m., Confederate infantry from the Army of Tennessee launched an attack and drove the Union left flank back in confusion, nearly capturing Carlin in the process and overrunning the XIV Corps field hospital. Confederates under Maj. Gen. D.H. Hill filled the vacuum left by the retreating...
. He was appointed 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...
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...
in the Union Army for his service throughout the war,in partivcular for his actions at Nashville. Cooper was mustered out on January 15, 1866.
Postbellum
In 1868 Cooper ran for the U.S. SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Tennessee, but his bid was unsuccessful. Next year, he was rewarded by U.S. President 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...
with the sinecure of collector of internal revenue for the Knoxville District. Cooper held this position from 1869 to 1879.
He later was enlisted by William Gannaway Brownlow
William Gannaway Brownlow
William Gannaway "Parson" Brownlow was an American newspaper editor, minister, and politician who served as Governor of the state of Tennessee from 1865 to 1869 and as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1869 to 1875...
, Governor of Tennessee, to quell the forces of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
disturbance in the state. In 1880 he moved to Stafford County, Kansas
Stafford County, Kansas
Stafford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 4,437. Its county seat is St. John...
, where he became involved in farming. On April 3, 1891, Cooper was wounded in the city of Larned
Larned, Kansas
Larned is a city in and the county seat of Pawnee County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,054.-History:...
in Pawnee County
Pawnee County, Kansas
Pawnee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,973...
when he was struck by a railroad car while. He died in Stafford, Kansas
Stafford, Kansas
Stafford is a city in Stafford County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,042.-Geography:Stafford is located at...
in May 1910, and was buried in Knoxville National Cemetery
Knoxville National Cemetery
Knoxville National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Established in 1863, the cemetery currently encompasses , and as of the end of 2007, had 9,006 interments. The Union Soldier monument, which stands in the eastern corner of the...
.
Religion
Cooper was a BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
. He was a deacon of the Baptist Church for more than thirty-five years. He was also a long time moderator of the South Central Baptist Association of Kansas.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals