Walter Howard Cooke (21 July 1838 – 28 January 1909) was a

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 ...

officer who fought in 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 ...

. Cooke received his country's highest award for bravery during combat, the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

, for his actions at the First Battle of Bull Run in Virginia on 21 July 1861. He was honored with the award on 19 May 1887. He undertook several short periods of service in the Army before being discharged in 1863 and returning to civilian life. He then undertook a variety of business roles, including a directorship of a bank in Norristown and charity work. He died in 1909 at the age of 70.

Early life and military service

Cooke was born in

Norristown, Pennsylvania Norristown is a municipality with home rule status and the county seat of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Montgomery County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the third-most populous county in Pennsylvania and the 7 ...

on 21 July 1838, the son of David and Mary Whipple ''née'' Cushman, Cooke. A descendant of the ''

Mayflower ''Mayflower'' was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After a grueling 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, r ...

'' settlers, he inherited substantial estates, residing at his family's mansion on Sydney Farm. When the

began, Cooke organized Company K of the 4th Pennsylvania Infantry for three months' service with the

in April 1861, in which he served as

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 ...

. The regiment's enlistment expired on the day before the First Battle of Bull Run began on 21 July and its men insisted on returning to Pennsylvania rather than staying to fight. Cooke, after finding that only a half dozen of his men stepped forward to fight in response to his appeal for them to stay, left them in disgust and initially started for the camp of the New York Fire Zouaves to serve as a private before being told he could be more useful with the staff of a unit. The regimental commander, Colonel

John F. Hartranft John Frederick Hartranft (December 16, 1830 – October 17, 1889) was the United States military officer who read the death warrant to the individuals who were executed on July 7, 1865 for conspiring to assassinate American President Abraham Lin ...

, was the only other officer who stayed with the army from the 4th Pennsylvania. Cooke joined the staff of Colonel

David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...

's division as an aide-de-camp for the battle. After Hunter was wounded, he accompanied Colonel Ambrose Burnside and later replacement division commander Colonel Andrew Porter. Cooke was honorably mentioned after the battle and praised as "a young officer but...one of the bravest in the service." After the end of the war, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on 19 May 1887. After being mustered out on 31 July, Cooke returned to Norristown. He served as major of the 11th Pennsylvania Militia Infantry in September 1862 when the militia was called up in response to the Maryland campaign. When the militia was called up in response to the Gettysburg campaign, Cooke became sergeant major of an independent cavalry company attached to the

20th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment The 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry was a cavalry regiment of the Union Army which fought during the American Civil War. Also known as the 181st Pennsylvania Volunteers, it was initially led by Colonel John E. Wynkoop, Lieutenant Colonel William Rotch ...

on 29 June 1863, serving until 30 July, when the militiamen were discharged after the Confederate retreat from Pennsylvania.

Later life

Cooke subsequently worked as director of the First National Bank in Norristown, and served on the local school board for three years. He participated in charity work with the Associated Charities, being one of the incorporators of the Norristown Charity Hospital and served as president of the association at the time of his death. He also served as a trustee of the Bringhurst Fund, which was established to provide affordable housing for the poor, and was a vestryman of St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church. Elected to the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

in 1890, Cooke was also a member of the

Art Club of Philadelphia The Art Club of Philadelphia, often called the Philadelphia Art Club, was a club in Philadelphia, founded on February 7, 1887, to advance the arts.

. Cooke married Mary Newbold and had two daughters, Edith and Ellen, all of whom survived him. He died suddenly at his home on 28 January 1909 and his remains are interred at the Saint Thomas Episcopal Church Cemetery in Pennsylvania.

Medal of Honor citation

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