Chauncey H. Cooke
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Chauncey Hibbard Cooke (May 15, 1846 – May 11, 1919) was a
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
soldier from
Buffalo County, Wisconsin Buffalo County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 13,317. Its county seat is Alma, Wisconsin, Alma. The county was created in 1853 and ...
who fought in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. After the war ended, he worked as a schoolteacher, teaching former slaves in Texas.


Early life and education

Cooke was born in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
in May 1846; he had three brothers and a sister. He visited
Winchester, Indiana Winchester is a city in White River Township, Randolph County, Indiana, United States. The city is the county seat of Randolph County. The population was 4,843 at the 2020 census. It is the home of Winchester Speedway. History Winchester was l ...
in 1856 and grew up in
Buffalo County, Wisconsin Buffalo County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 13,317. Its county seat is Alma, Wisconsin, Alma. The county was created in 1853 and ...
. While growing up in
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, he lived amicably near Native Americans, and both he and his father had a favorable opinion of them.


Career


American Civil War

In August 1862, Cooke joined the U.S. Army with the
25th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 25th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a United States Volunteers, volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. During their service, they first participated in the Dakota War of 1862, then spent mos ...
. He was 16 years old and thus underage at the time, but this was not noticed by his superiors. He joined the U.S. Army as both he and his father were abolitionists who were opposed to slavery. Upon joining the army, Cooke's father reminded of him of why he was fighting for the United States, saying to him, "Don't forget that there are four million slaves whose hope of liberty is at stake in this war." However, after he joined the army, his unit was sent to
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
to fight Sioux Native Americans. Cooke disliked this for two reasons, first as he had joined the army to fight against the Confederacy and its cause of slavery, and second because he had a favorable opinion of Native Americans and felt that they were being treated unfairly by the U.S. government. The unit's mission in Minnesota ended without major combat in November 1862, as the reason for its deployment had been resolved. The unit was then sent to Illinois and arrived there in February 1863. Afterwards, they then headed to Kentucky.


Contact with slaves

While in Kentucky, Cooke met with many slaves that had been freed by the U.S. Army, and was impressed by their demeanor. He was especially impressed by freed slaves he had met that were from Louisiana and could speak multiple languages. Meeting these slaves strengthened Cooke's dislike of slavery, as he felt that these slaves, some of whom were more intelligent than he was, should not be enslaved. Cooke stated that his primary reason for fighting for the U.S. in the war was to free the slaves, stating that "I have no heart in this war if the slaves cannot go free."


Contact with Confederates

During the war, Cooke came across Confederate prisoners that had been captured by the U.S. Army. He would often ask them why they were waging a war against the United States, to which they consistently replied that they were fighting against the U.S. so that the Confederacy's women would be prevented from marrying slaves, which the Confederates constantly referred to as "niggers". Disapproving of the Confederates' use of racist language and their staunchly pro-slavery views, Cooke referred to them as "Poor ignorant devils".


Discharge

Cooke fell ill and was discharged from the army on May 15, 1865. He was proud of his service in the U.S. Army and what U.S. victory in the war had achieved in ending slavery.


Later life and death

After the war, Cooke returned to Buffalo County and in 1870 was living with his parents, three brothers, and a sister in his father's hotel in
Alma, Wisconsin Alma is a city in and the county seat of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 716 at the 2020 census. History Alma was named in commemoration of the Battle of Alma, in the Crimean War. Geography Alma is located on ...
, the county seat of Buffalo County. Cooke attended Eau Claire Seminary, which became the
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (UWL or UW–La Crosse) is a public research university in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States. Established in 1909, it is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's, master's, and ...
. He then taught briefly as a teacher in Wisconsin. Cooke's commitment to helping the slaves did not end with the end of slavery, he lived for several years in Texas, teaching and educating former slaves. Afterwards, he returned to Buffalo County, Wisconsin and lived as a farmer there. Cooke served as a member of the Buffalo County commission and was commander of his local Grand Army of the Republic. He worked, farming in Dover Township and farmed until a few years before his death. Cooke died in May 1919. On the day of his funeral, the businesses in his town agreed to close for two hours. His gravestone lists him as a friend to African Americans and Native Americans alike and notes that he fought in the army to preserve the U.S. and free the slaves.


Personal life

Cooke married Sarah Eliza Caves on September 27, 1882; she died in 1933. They had three sons, Samuel S. Cooke, Carl Hibbard Cooke and Rodney Cooke, who became an army lieutenant and died during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
.


References


Further reading

*William De Loss Love, ''Wisconsin in the War of the Rebellion'' (1866). *E. B. Quiner, ''The Military History of Wisconsin'' (1866). *Henry Casson, ''"Uncle Jerry": The Life of General Jeremiah M. Rusk: Stage Driver, Farmer, Soldier, Legislator, Governor, Cabinet Officer'' (1895). *Warren W. Cooke, ''A Frontiersman in Northwestern Wisconsin'' (1940) *James I. Clarke, ''The Civil War of Private Cooke: A Wisconsin Boy in the Union Army'' (1955). *Margaret Brobst Roth, ed., ''Well, Mary: Civil War Letters of a Wisconsin Volunteer'' (1960).


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Chauncey Herbert 1846 births 1919 deaths County supervisors in Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin Politicians from Columbus, Ohio People from Alma, Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War University of Wisconsin–La Crosse alumni Union army soldiers Schoolteachers from Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians People from Mondovi, Wisconsin Educators from Ohio Grand Army of the Republic officials