John James McCook (February 21, 1806 – October 11, 1865), was a patriarch of the

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 ...

, one of the most prolific families in

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 ...

history. Five of his sons became prominent soldiers, chaplains, or sailors, as well as eight of his nephews.

Biography

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 ...

on February 21, 1806, to George and Mary McCormack McCook. He attended Jefferson College's medical school. His older brother

Daniel Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...

, a local attorney, moved to eastern Ohio in 1826, settling in Carrollton. Not long afterward, John McCook also moved to the Buckeye State and established a practice in New Lisbon and later in Steubenville. He was married to Catherine Julia Sheldon, a native of

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. He was superintendent for several years of the

Sunday School A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

of the First Church of Steubenville. He served as a volunteer surgeon 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 Civil War. He died just after its close at the headquarters of his son, General

Anson G. McCook Anson George McCook (October 10, 1835 – December 30, 1917) was an American military and political figure who served as Union Army colonel during the Civil War. In recognition of his service, in 1866, he was nominated and confirmed for appo ...

, in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, during a visit. McCook was buried at Union Cemetery in Steubenville beside his wife, who had preceded him in death by just seven months.

References

*Whalen, Charles and Barbara, ''The Fighting McCooks: America's Famous Fighting Family'', Westmoreland Press, 2006.
Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio
1907. 1806 births 1865 deaths McCook family People from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Washington & Jefferson College alumni People from Steubenville, Ohio People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Army surgeons Burials at Union Cemetery-Beatty Park {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub