George Ashworth Cobham Jr. (December 5, 1825 – July 20, 1864) commanded the

111th Pennsylvania Infantry The 111th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was noted for its holding the high ground at the center of the line at Antietam as part of Stainrook's 2nd Brigad ...

in the American Civil War and rose to the rank of brigade commander before being killed in battle. TidiouteCemetery

Early life

Cobham was born in Liverpool, England, and migrated to the United States with his family in 1836. Settling in Warren County, Pennsylvania, Cobham attended Allegheny College in

Meadville, Pennsylvania Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The city is within of Erie and within of Pittsburgh. It was the first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The population was 13,388 at the 2010 censu ...

, then worked as a contractor in western Pennsylvania. He married Annie Page of Warren, Pennsylvania around 1858. They had one son, Frederick P. Cobham, born in 1859.

Civil War

Early in the Civil War, Cobham began recruiting in Warren County following the Union disaster at the First Battle of Bull Run. Invited to join the regiment then forming at Erie, Pennsylvania, Cobham led his men into camp and on January 28, 1862, he became

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 111th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. The regiment served on garrison duty at

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

, Maryland, and Harpers Ferry. It also served under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, in the division of

Brig. Gen. 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 to ...

Christopher C. Augur Christopher Columbus Augur (July 10, 1821 – January 16, 1898) was an American military officer, most noted for his role in the American Civil War. Although less well known than other Union commanders, he was nonetheless considered an able battl ...

. Cobham fell ill with

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over severa ...

in July 1862 and did not rejoin the regiment until October of that year. He was promoted to the rank of

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 ...

on November 7, 1862. Cobham led the regiment at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

in Brig. Gen.

John W. Geary John White Geary (December 30, 1819February 8, 1873) was an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was the final alcalde and first mayor of San Francisco, a governor of the Kansas Territory, a ...

's second division of

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII (R ...

. Cobham was credited with capturing the flag of the 5th Alabama Infantry during the fight. When brigade commander, Brig. Gen.

Thomas L. Kane Thomas Leiper Kane (January 27, 1822 – December 26, 1883) was an American attorney, abolitionist, philanthropist, and military officer who was influential in the western migration of the Latter-day Saint movement and served as a Union Army co ...

, was taken ill, Cobham led the 2nd Brigade of Geary's division in the Gettysburg Campaign. Kane returned to the brigade during the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of th ...

on July 2, 1863, but he was unable to retain command. Cobham resumed command. The brigade built defenses on

Culp's Hill Culp's Hill,. The modern U.S. Geographic Names System refers to "Culps Hill". which is about south of the center of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, played a prominent role in the Battle of Gettysburg. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated by a ...

. As evening fell, they were ordered to march to the relief of the left flank of the army. Starting without a guide, Geary got lost and took Cobham's and

Charles Candy Charles Candy (August 7, 1832 – October 28, 1910) was a career soldier in the United States Army who served as an officer in the volunteer Union Army during the American Civil War. He commanded an Ohio regiment and, frequently, a brigade, dur ...

's brigade down the Baltimore Pike in the wrong direction. Returning with the brigade to the Culp's Hill area in the early morning hours of July 3, Cobham took part in the fighting of July 3, helping to hold off the confederate attacks. When XII Corps was transferred under the command of Maj. Gen.

Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker (November 13, 1814 – October 31, 1879) was an American Civil War general for the Union, chiefly remembered for his decisive defeat by Confederate General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. Hooker had serv ...

to relieve the

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creatio ...

, besieged at Chattanooga, Cobham was transferred with his brigade. They fought at the

Battle of Wauhatchie The Battle of Wauhatchie was fought October 28–29, 1863, in Hamilton and Marion counties, Tennessee, and Dade County, Georgia, in the American Civil War. A Union force had seized Brown's Ferry on the Tennessee River, opening a supply li ...

, the

Battle of Lookout Mountain The Battle of Lookout Mountain also known as the Battle Above The Clouds was fought November 24, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker assaulted Lookout Mountain, Chatt ...

and the

Battle of Ringgold Gap The Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, outside the town of Ringgold, Georgia, by the Confederate and Union armies during the American Civil War. Part of the Chattanooga Campaign, it followed a heavy Confederate loss at the Bat ...

. When the XII Corps and

XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to: * 11th Army Corps (France) * XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army * XI ...

were amalgamated into the XX Corps under Hooker, Cobham reverted to command of the 111th Pennsylvania Infantry, still part of Geary's second division. Cobham participated in Maj. Gen.

William T. Sherman William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conq ...

's Atlanta Campaign. He took command of 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, XX Corps, when its previous commander, Col. David Ireland, was wounded at the

Battle of Resaca The Battle of Resaca, from May 13 to 15, 1864, formed part of the Atlanta Campaign during the American Civil War, when a Union force under William Tecumseh Sherman engaged the Confederate Army of Tennessee led by Joseph E. Johnston. The batt ...

on May 15, 1864. He led the brigade until Ireland returned on June 6, 1864. Col. Cobham was killed while leading his regiment at the

Battle of Peachtree Creek The Battle of Peachtree Creek was fought in Georgia on July 20, 1864, as part of the Atlanta Campaign in the American Civil War. It was the first major attack by Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood since taking command of the Confederate Army of Tennesse ...

on July 20. Cobham was awarded a posthumous

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

promotion to the rank of

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 t ...

on July 19, 1864, effective as of the date before his death. Geary, his division commander, described Cobham in one of his letters as a valuable and beloved officer.Blair, p. 189.

Burial and legacy

Cobham was buried at Oakland Cemetery in

Warren, Pennsylvania Warren is a city in Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States, located along the Allegheny River. The population was 9,404 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to the headquarters of the Allegheny National Fore ...

. In a family tiff in 1865, his remains were exhumed and reburied in the family burial plot at Cobham Park, the family home in Warren County, Pennsylvania. As a result, Cobham's wife and in-laws sued the Cobham family for their return. The case was dismissed by the court, and General Cobham remained buried at Cobham Park. In 1896, the local post of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy ( U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, I ...

convinced the surviving family to allow Cobham's reburial in the GAR plot at Oakland Cemetery, where he rests today. Cobham's wartime letters to his mother and brother are part of the collections of the Warren County,

Pennsylvania Historical Society The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a long-established research facility, based in Philadelphia. It is a repository for millions of historic items ranging across rare books, scholarly monographs, family chronicles, maps, press reports and v ...

. Some additional letters written by him are in the

Salvation Army Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its ...

Archives in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...

Early life

Civil War

Burial and legacy

See also