Jeremiah Vardaman Cockrell, also known as Vard Cockrell, (May 7, 1832 – March 18, 1915) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, after having served as a field commander in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during 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 ...

. He was a prominent member of the political

South–Cockrell–Hargis family The South–Cockrell–Hargis family is a family of politicians from the southern United States who achieved prominence in state and national offices, representing Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Texas. *John South (Kentucky politici ...

Early life

Cockrell was born near

Warrensburg, Missouri Warrensburg is a city in and the county seat of Johnson County, Missouri, United States. Its population was 20,313 at the 2020 census. The Warrensburg micropolitan statistical area consists of Johnson County. The city is a college town, as it is ...

, to Joseph Cockrell (the sheriff of Johnson County) and Nancy (Ellis) Cockrell, who had migrated there from the Upper South. He attended the common schools and Chapel Hill College in

Lafayette County, Missouri Lafayette County is a County (United States), county in the western portion of Missouri, part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 32,984. Its county seat is Lexington, Misso ...

. He was the older brother of

Francis Marion Cockrell Francis Marion Cockrell (October 1, 1834December 13, 1915) was a Confederate military commander and American politician from the state of Missouri. He served as a United States senator from Missouri for five terms. He was a prominent member o ...

, who also served as a Confederate officer and later as a

US Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from Missouri. As a young man, Cockrell went to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in 1849 during the

Gold Rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...

. He worked as a miner and a merchant near the Bear River. Cockrell returned to Missouri in 1853, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, studied law and, for a time, was a minister in the

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

Marriage and family

On April 7, 1852, he married Maranda "Jane" Douglas. They had five children together.

Civil War

Cockrell entered the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at variou ...

and then later joined the

as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

. He served throughout the Civil War, attaining the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

. Cockrell served in the 8th Division of the Missouri State Guard at the Battle of Carthage, the

Battle of Wilson's Creek The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was the first major battle of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri. In August, Confe ...

and the

Siege of Lexington A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characte ...

. He was nominally in command at the

Battle of Lone Jack The Battle of Lone Jack took place during the American Civil War on August 15–16, 1862 in Jackson County, Missouri. The battle was part of the Confederate guerrilla and recruiting campaign in Missouri in 1862. Background During the summer o ...

, Missouri, in August 1862. In October 1862, he led a skirmish of State Guard and guerrillas (with Bill Truman) against Kansas forces at the

Skirmish at Island Mound The Skirmish at Island Mound was a skirmish of the American Civil War, occurring on October 29, 1862, in Bates County, Missouri. The Union victory is notable as the first known event in which an African-American regiment engaged in combat again ...

Bates County, Missouri Bates County is a County (United States), county located in the west central part of the U.S. state of Missouri, two counties south of the Missouri River and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 202 ...

. This was the first time that a regiment of

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

engaged in combat against Confederate forces; they held their ground and helped achieve Union victory. In 1864 Cockrell was wounded so severely that he could not return to field duty.

Post-war and politics

At the close of the war, Cockrell settled with his family in

Sherman, Texas Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area, Sherman–Denison metropolitan statist ...

, where he practiced law. He was appointed as Chief Justice of

Grayson County, Texas Grayson County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 135,543. The county seat is Sherman, Texas, Sherman. The county was founded in 1846 and is named ...

, in 1872. He served as delegate to the Democratic state conventions in 1878 and 1880. He and his family moved from the northern area to Jones County, in the center of Texas. There he was appointed judge of the Thirty-ninth judicial district court in 1885. He was elected to the position in 1886 and re-elected in 1890. In 1892, Cockrell was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

, where he served until 1897. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1896. He returned to engage in farming and stock raising in Jones County. Cockrell died in

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor County, Texas, Taylor and Jones County, Texas, Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan ar ...

on March 18, 1915, at the age of 82. He was interred in the

Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Cemetery. His son, Joseph E. Cockrell, founded the

Southern Methodist University School of Law SMU Dedman School of Law, commonly referred to as SMU Law School or Dedman School of Law, is a law school located in Dallas, Texas. Jason P. Nance serves as its current dean. Founded in February 1925, the school located is on the Southern Metho ...

Sources

Retrieved on 2009-5-12 {{DEFAULTSORT:Cockrell, Jeremiah Vardaman 1832 births 1915 deaths Texas state court judges Confederate States Army officers People of Missouri in the American Civil War Missouri State Guard Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas 19th-century Texas state court judges 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives