Maj. Gen. Jacob D. Cox

[jkBluesman]

Maj. Gen. Jacob Dolson Cox (b. 1828, d. 1900). A radical Republican before the war without much military experience, Cox rendered valuable service as a general in the conflict. He was born in Montreal, Canada, but his American parents returned to New York City one year later. Cox attended Oberlin College in Ohio and moved after his graduation in theology to Warren, Ohio to work as a high school principal and superintendent. He studied law part-time and was admitted to the bar in 1853. Politically he supported the antislavery Whigs and became one of the organizers of the new Republican Party in Ohio, serving in 1855 as a delegate to the first party convention in the state. He was elected senator of Ohio in 1860. Together with fellow senator James Garfield he began to study the military theories of Antoine-Henri Jomini and others during this period. At the outbreak of the Civil War Cox was brigadier general of the Ohio militia and was subsequently made general of volunteers. Under Gen. George McClellan he moved his force into western Virginia along the Kanawha River. His advance was checked on July 17, 1861 in the small battle at Scarey Creek but held the valley throughout the winter of 1861/1862 against counterattacks. The planned advance into Virginia the following spring had to be cancelled when Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s campaign in the Shenandoah Valley threatened Federal presence in western Virginia. In August 1862, Cox and his “Kanawha Division” were sent to the defence of Washington and there incorporated into the IX corps of the Army of the Potomac. Thus Cox served under McClellan again whose posture he thought to be “the inoffensive defensive”. In the first battle of the Maryland Campaign, South Mountain, Cox fought at Fox’s Gap, where his corps commander Gen. Jesse Reno was killed. Cox took command and led the IX corps at Antietam. As it was the only corps left in Gen. Ambrose Burnside’s wing however, all orders there went from McClellan to Burnside until passed to Cox. Thus valuable time was lost for the attack on the Rohrbach Bridge (later renamed Burnside’s Bridge). After the war’s bloodiest day, Cox returned to western Virginia until joining Burnside in East Tennessee in 1863. He commanded the 3rd division in the XXIII corps through the Atlanta Campaign the next year, fighting in every important battle of that campaign. He stayed in Tennessee as part of the defending force against Gen. John B. Hood’s invasion, covering the retreat from Pulaski and fighting at Spring Hill. At Franklin his division held the left part of the line and helped to save the centre. On December 7, 1864 Cox was promoted to major general of volunteers for his performance (a nomination in 1862 had not been confirmed). At Nashville his division belonged to the force that turned the enemy left. Cox was afterwards transferred to North Carolina, where his force captured Fort Anderson and assisted in the capture of Wilmington. His last battle was near Kingston before the Confederates under Gen. Joseph Johnston surrendered on April 26, 1865. Cox was mustered out in 1866, but before had been elected governor of Ohio on the Republican ticket. However, as he opposed black suffrage–not believing the American people to be ready for that step–he soon got into conflict with his party. In the struggle over reconstruction between congress and Pres. Andrew Johnson he sided with the president and thus lost support for renomination as governor in 1867. Pres. Ulysses S. Grant made him secretary of the interior in 1869, but Cox resigned because of corruption in the administration one year later. He turned to the Liberal Republicans in 1872 and was elected to congress in 1876. After one term he ended his political career, returned to the practise of law and teaching. In 1897 he retired and wrote his memoirs. He was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati following his death on August 4, 1900.

Ldr: 4
Tact: 4
Init: 3
Cmd: 4
Cav: 0

Teaches: Steady, Diggers

[Gil R.]

Thanks.

I'm about to head to England for a week, and should have plenty of airplane/airport time, and other time for some more editing. So, expect to start seeing some edited bios popping up here again sometime soon.

[General Quarters]

Interesting bio. In all the complaining about political generals, you never hear much about Cox, who seems to have provided solid military service. Interesting about his political ups and downs after the war as well.

[jkBluesman]

His writings seem to be good work also as he is often used as source in history books covering the period. His "Military Reminiscences" may be read online - in German as part of the Gutenberg project (maybe it is due to the fact that Cox' family was originally from Germany).

Gil, I have edited one typo in the bio (Pres. Andrew Johnson).

[Gil R.]

Gil, I have edited one typo in the bio (Pres. Andrew Johnson).

Noted. Thanks.