George Blake Cosby (January 19, 1830 – June 29, 1909), was a

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He was an 1852 graduate of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

and served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

until May 10, 1861. In his antebellum years, he was a farmer in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, a sutler in

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

and held several government positions.

Early life

George Blake Cosby was born on January 19, 1830, in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 186Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . p. 64 He graduated 17th of 43 in the 1852 class of the United States Military Academy at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

. He was assigned as a

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

Second Lieutenant to the U.S. Mounted Riflemen Regiment on July 1, 1852, and was appointed a full Second Lieutenant on September 16, 1852. Cosby was wounded fighting Native Americans (Indians) at Lake Trinidad, Texas, on May 9, 1854.Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . p. 145 Cosby transferred to the 2nd U.S. Cavalry Regiment on March 3, 1855. He was promoted to First Lieutenant on May 1, 1856, and to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on May 8, 1861. He taught cavalry tactics at West Point before his resignation to join the

.Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988. . First published New York, McKay, 1959. p. 204 Cosby resigned on May 10, 1861, in order to join the Confederate Army.

American Civil War

On May 16, 1861, George B. Cosby was appointed Captain and assistant adjutant general in the

regular army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...

of the Confederate States. On June 20, 1861, he was promoted to Major with the same duties. He also became assistant adjutant general of the Army of the Peninsula until the following month. Between November 9, 1861, and February 16, 1861, he was assistant adjutant general and chief of staff for Brigadier General

Simon B. Buckner Simon Bolivar Buckner ( ; April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) was an American soldier, Confederate combatant, and politician. He fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War. He later fought in the Confederate States Army ...

. As such, Cosby brought the note that opened negotiations for the

surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

Fort Donelson Fort Donelson was a fortress built early in 1862 by the Confederacy during the American Civil War to control the Cumberland River, which led to the heart of Tennessee, and thereby the Confederacy. The fort was named after Confederate general Da ...

, Tennessee, on February 16, 1862, from Brigadier General Buckner to Union

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

. Cosby was captured as a result of the surrender of the Fort Donelson. He was not exchanged until August 15, 1862. Upon his return to duty in August 1862, Cosby was appointed Colonel of cavalry. In October, 1862, he was appointed chief of staff of the

Army of Mississippi There were three formations known as the Army of Mississippi in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. This name is contrasted against Army of the Mississippi, Army of ''the'' Mississippi, which was a Union Army named for the ...

and on December 23, 1862, chief of staff for the District of the Gulf, Department No. 2. Cosby was promoted to

on January 20, 1863 and given command of a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. In February and March, 1863, his brigade was assigned to the

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating i ...

. They served under

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...

in the campaign around

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

, which was planned to relieve the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...

. In March 1863, Cosby's brigade was assigned to the

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of Brigadier General William H. Jackson in the Army of Mississippi and then to the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The brigade was assigned to

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) started his military career as a United States Army officer but joined Confederate forces in 1861 after the Civil War broke out. He was a major general when he was killed in a private conflict. A g ...

in August and September, 1863, then returned to the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, which became the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. While under Van Dorn's command, Cosby fought in the

Battle of Thompson's Station The Battle of Thompson's Station was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on March 5, 1863 in Williamson County, Tennessee. In a period of relative inactivity following the Battle of Stones River, a reinforced Union infantry brigade, u ...

, Tennessee. In February 1864, Cosby and his brigade were assigned to the Department of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee until September 1864, when they were assigned to the Department of West Virginia and East Tennessee until the end of the war. Cosby had between 2,000 and 4,000 men under his command at various times during this assignment.Stanchak, John E. "Cosby, George Blake" in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . p. 108 Cosby was paroled in Kentucky in May, 1865. He had disbanded his men when he heard about the surrender of the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

Aftermath

After the Civil War, Cosby moved to

Butte County, California Butte County () is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. In the 2020 census, its population was 211,632. The county seat is Oroville. Butte County comprises the Chico, CA metropolitan statistical area. It is ...

, where he was a farmer. For a period of time, he also was a sutler in Oregon. He held several government positions, including Secretary of the Board of State Engineers and member of the West Point Board of Visitors. Cosby also lived in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, where he served as receiver of funds in the federal land office. General Cosby died by suicide on June 29, 1909, at

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, allegedly due to continuing pain from his old war wounds.While Warner refers to Cosby's Confederate war wounds, Eicher does not list any significant wounds in the summary of Cosby's Confederate record and Sifakis states that the wounds probably were his severe wounds from Indian fighting. George Blake Cosby was buried at City Cemetery in Sacramento.

Notes

References

* Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988. . First published New York, McKay, 1959. * Eicher, John H., and

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Stanchak, John E. "Cosby, George Blake" in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . p. 186. * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .

External links