George Wythe McCook (November 21, 1821 – December 28, 1877) was a lawyer, politician, and soldier from the state of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He was the

Ohio Attorney General The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state, State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Republican Dave Yost. History The office ...

and an officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

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 a member of the famed

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 involved in the army, making the fami ...

, a prominent military family that contributed more than a dozen officers to the war effort.

Early life and career

McCook was born in

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Canonsburg is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. The town li ...

, the son of a local attorney,

Daniel McCook Daniel McCook (June 20, 1798 – July 21, 1863) 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 ...

and Martha Latimer McCook. He was one of an eventual twelve children (nine boys and three girls). In 1826 the family moved to New Lisbon, Ohio, and then to Carrollton. He graduated from

Ohio University Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...

and subsequently studied law with

Edwin M. Stanton Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer and politician who served as U.S. Secretary of War under the Lincoln Administration during most of the American Civil War. Stanton's management helped organize ...

, and afterward became his partner. He served as an officer in the 3rd Ohio Infantry Regiment throughout the Mexican War, and returned from the war as its commander.''Appleton's Cyclopedia''. Retrieved 2008-10-20 He was the Attorney General of Ohio from 1854–1856 and edited the first volume of the "Ohio State Reports." During his term in office, McCook specialized in railroad law. His skill in this area was noticed by the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad Company, and after his term ended, the company sent him to Europe on legal business. McCook was a delegate to the

1860 Democratic National Convention The 1860 Democratic National Conventions were a series of presidential nominating conventions held to nominate the Democratic Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1860 election. The first convention, held from April 23 t ...

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

Civil War service

At the war's outset, McCook was one of the first four brigadier generals selected by the

Governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

to command the troops from that state, but, because of impaired health from his Mexican service, McCook was prevented from accepting that post. Later, he was appointed as the

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the

2nd Ohio Infantry The 2nd Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Three-months regiment With the outbreak of the Civil War in the spring of 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for volunteers from each No ...

, and spent much of the war recruiting volunteers for several new regiments. He was named by Governor William Dennison as the Ohio

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

. Later, he accepted an appointment as the

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of the

157th Ohio Infantry The 157th Ohio Infantry Regiment, sometimes 157th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 157th OVI) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 157th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio, and ...

, Hundred Days Regiment. He was second-in-command of the prisoner-of-war camp at

Fort Delaware Fort Delaware is a former harbor defense facility, designed by chief engineer Joseph Gilbert Totten and located on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River.Dobbs, Kelli W., et al. During the American Civil War, the Union used Fort Delaware as ...

. At the end of the war, he received the

brevet rank In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...

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 ...

, dating from March 13, 1865.

Postbellum career

After the war, McCook resumed his legal practice and political career. In 1871 he was the Democratic candidate for governor of Ohio. However, he lost to another former Union Army officer, Col. Edward F. Noyes, by more than twenty thousand votes. He, with the Rev. Dr. Charles Beatty, were the largest contributors to the erection of the Second Presbyterian Church at

Steubenville, Ohio Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a ...

, of which he was a trustee. McCook died in Steubenville and is buried in Union Cemetery.The Political Graveyard
Retrieved 2008-10-20

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCook, George Wythe 1821 births 1877 deaths People from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania People from Lisbon, Ohio Union Army colonels People of Ohio in the American Civil War United States Army officers American military personnel of the Mexican–American War McCook family Ohio lawyers Ohio Democrats Ohio Attorneys General Ohio University alumni Burials at Union Cemetery-Beatty Park 19th-century American politicians People from Carrollton, Ohio

Early life and career

Civil War service

Postbellum career

See also

Notes

References