Exploits of the fighting McCooks

by Alister J. McReynolds

UP in North Antrim, around the Ballymoney and Armoy area, the McCook family have long had a well-deserved reputation as champion long-distance runners.  Their cousins in America are also renowned, albeit for reasons other than their athletic ability. 

 Writing in The Proceedings of the Scotch-Irish Society in America, Henry Howe applauded the family as follows - "One of the best-known Scotch-Irish families who have contributed their full share to the honorable record of that race in the United States are the Ohio McCooks, who acquired a wide reputation during the Civil War as the 'Fighting McCooks'."

 The first of this family George McCook was born in 1752 near Ballymoney Co. Antrim.  His grandfather, also George, had moved to and settled in this area, having been born in Scotland. 

 George the younger was subsequently to emigrate to America in the mid to late-1780s.  By 1790 he had settled in York County Pennsylvania prior to moving to Cannonsburg in Washington County in the same state.  He married Mary McCormick, originally from Glasgow, and they were the parents of four children - George (b.1795), Daniel (b.1798), John James (b.1806) and Mary who was born after 1806.

 In 1825 Daniel and John James moved to Ohio with Daniel settling in New Lisbon and John James in Steubenville.  Daniel later moved to Carrolton, where the house which he built in 1837 is today, an historic site which is open to the public and is managed by the Carroll County Historical Society.

 Daniel McCook and his eight sons, "the tribe of Dan" and John and his five sons, "the tribe of John" - 15 men of Ohio all served in the Union Army during the Civil War.  Daniel's family included five generals and brother John's brood two generals and three officers.  Four of Daniel's family, including himself, died in the conflict. 

 The courage and constancy of the McCooks brought honour and fame to the family.  Those who survived the war added to this becoming Congressmen, ambassadors, doctors, lawyers, ministers and scholars in civilian life.

 Daniel McCook, the patriarch of "the tribe of Dan" was commissioned as a major and lost his life in the battle of Buffington Island in 1863 when he led an advance party against Confederate General John Morgan.

 Dan's son George Wythe McCook attained the rank of brigadier-general.  After the war he was Attorney General for the state of Ohio and Democratic candidate for the same state for Congress in 1871. 

 Other members of "the tribe of Dan" included Latimer, Robert, Alexander, Daniel Jr., Edwin Stauton, Charles Morris and John James.  Latimer was a surgeon major who was seriously wounded twice and who survived the war, but died later in 1869 of debility associated with his wounds. 

 Robert who was a lawyer and became Colonel of 9th Ohio Regiment was severely wounded in the battle of Mills Spring, Kentucky and was shortly afterwards promoted to General.  He was shot by Confederates as he lay wounded and prostrate in his ambulance wagon sick-bed.  Alexander became a major general and survived the war.  Edwin also earned the rank of major general. 

 Although he was severely wounded three times he also survived the war. He eventually became Governor of the North Dakota Territory and was shot dead by a member of the audience when he was chairing an open public meeting. 

 Daniel McCook became a brigadier-general and was killed in 1864 at the battle of Kennesaw Mountain.  Charles Morris was the first McCook to be slain in the war at the first battle of Bull Run in July 1861.  He was just 18  when he was killed.  John James survived the war, attaining the rank of Colonel.

 The "tribe of John" included the patriarch John who served as a surgeon during the war.  Other members of this family who served were Edward, Anson, Henry, John James and Roderick. 

 All of this family survived the War,  Edward and Anson both attained the rank of major general. 

 After the war Anson moved to New York City, where, as well as working as a lawyer, he represented the Eighth New York District in Congress as a member of the Republican Party.  He became Secretary of the United States Senate.  Edward was appointed US Minister to the Sandwich Islands.  He was twice Governor of Colorado, Henry and John James each attained the rank of Lieutenant and served as chaplains in the Union army.  One was an Episcopalian rector and the other a Presbyterian minister. 

 John James later became a Professor of Modern Languages in Trinity College Hartford.  Roderick became a commander in the United States Navy.

 Such was the impact of the McCook family's history on the American psyche that as late as June 1903 the editor of the New York Tribune could write: "The appellation of 'the fighting McCooks' is still almost as familiar as his own name to every American boy."