The Brothers Cobb, MG H. Cobb and BG T. Cobb

[Mike13z50]

Major General Howell Cobb (b.1815, d. 1868). A native of Georgia, Howell Cobb and his brother Thomas both served as general officers in the Confederate Army. Cobb was active in politics prior to war, serving in the United States House of Representative. He was elected Speaker of the House on the 63rd ballot, in the 31st Congress. In 1850 he was second in line for the Presidency following the death of Zachary Taylor. In 1851, he was elected Governor of Georgia on the Union Ticket by the largest margin ever recorded to that point, and served until 1853, then was returned to congress. Cobb was active and influential in James Buchanan’s election, and served as Secretary of the Treasury in President Buchanan's Cabinet for three years, resigning in December 1860. Cobb was a leader of the secession movement, serving as president of the convention of the seceded states that assembled in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 24, 1861. Cobb is known as the father of the Confederate constitution, and was a rival of Jefferson Davis for the presidency. He was appointed Colonel of the 16th Georgia Infantry and promoted to brigadier general on February 13, 1862. Cobb's brigade saw combat during the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, and played a key role in the fighting at Crampton's Gap during the Battle of South Mountain, and saw action on the Confederate left as part of McLaw’s division at Sharpsburg. Cobb left the Army of Northern Virginia after Sharpsburg for assignments in Georgia and Florida. Politically, President Davis wanted Cobb in Georgia as a counterweight to Georgia’s troublesome Governor Joseph E. Brown. Davis promoted Cobb to major general in September of 1863, and put him in command of the military District of Georgia and Florida. As commander in Georgia, Cobb was responsible for the construction of Andersonville prison. During General William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign (1864) and March to the Sea, Cobb commanded the Georgia reserve corps. When the Confederacy collapsed Cobb surrendered at Macon to Gen. Wilson. After the war he practiced law in Macon, Georgia in partnership with James Jackson. Cobb was an uncompromising opponent of Reconstruction. He died suddenly on Oct. 9, 1868, while on a visit to New York, and is buried at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia.


Brigadier General Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb (b.1823, d. 1862). A native of Georgia, Thomas Cobb and his brother Howell both served as general officers in the Confederate Army. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1841, Cobb studied law and was admitted to the bar. Through political connections he acquired a position as assistant secretary to the state senate. From 1849-1857 he worked as a Supreme Court reporter and wrote and edited over 20 law books, including works on the laws and history of slavery in the United States. His digest of Georgia Laws, published in 1851, was well received. Cobb writings appeared with regularity in both northern and southern newspapers. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln, Cobb addressed the Georgia General Assembly with such force and eloquence the he was afterwards credited with taking Georgia out of the Union. Cobb left a position on the constitutional convention to accept a colonel’s commission, and organized Cobb’s Legion. Cobb commanded the legion through Sharpsburg, where it suffered heavy casualties. He was promoted to brigadier general in November 1862, and was killed during the Battle of Fredericksburg Campaign in December 1862. There is controversy as to the source of his mortal wound. He was severely wounded in the left thigh with severing of the femoral artery leading to rapid blood loss, shock, and death. The official source of his wound was enemy fire, probably cannon shell fragments. The alternate version comes from an “old Confederate of Phillip's Legion.” In this version, Cobb accosted some soldiers who had fallen out of a march to fill their canteens. “General Cobb rode up and commanded them to pour the water out of their canteens and move on. [Sam], a Confederate soldier noted for his courage, told General Cobb he wouldn't do it, General Cobb drew his sword and told him he would use it on him if he didn't obey. The Confederate soldier replied to "use it." General Cobb put up his sword, drew his pistol and rode up to the defying soldier and said, "If you don't pour that water out of that canteen at once, I will shoot your head off." The soldier madly replied, "Sir, you can kill me, but you can't scare me. I will not pour out the water. Now shoot me." General Cobb put up his pistol and rode off. Sam called out to him, "I will kill you the first opportunity I get." In an interview at the turn of the century the old soldier claimed he saw General Cobb shot by friendly fire. He also claimed that Sam, mortally wounded in battle, confirmed on his deathbed that he had shot General Cobb, saying "Well, I got him. I always do what I say I will." General Lee always spoke well of Cobb’s abilities as an officer. Cobb is buried at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia.
Traits: Disciplined, Obedient

[Gil R.]

Received, thanks.

[Gil R.]

Here are the Cobb brothers. The second is ready to go, but the first has some issues.


Maj. Gen. Howell Cobb (b. 1815, d. 1868). A native of Georgia, Cobb and his brother Thomas both served as general officers in the Confederate Army. Cobb was active in politics prior to the war, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and even being elected Speaker of the House in the 31st Congress (though on the 63rd ballot). In 1850, he was second in line for the presidency following the death of Pres. Zachary Taylor. In 1851, Cobb was elected Governor of Georgia on the Union Ticket by the largest margin ever recorded to that point, and served until 1853, when he was returned to Congress. Cobb was active and influential in Pres. James Buchanan’s election, and served as his Secretary of the Treasury in for three years, resigning in December 1860. Cobb was a leader of the secession movement, serving as president of the convention of the seceded states that assembled in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 24, 1861 Wasn’t the date of the secession convention Feb. 4? Or are you referring to something else?. Cobb is known as the father of the Confederate constitution, and was a rival of Jefferson Davis for the presidency of the Confederate States of America. Having decided to serve in combat, Cobb was appointed Colonel of the 16th Georgia Infantry and promoted to brigadier general on February 13, 1862. Cobb's brigade saw action during the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, played a key role in the fighting at Crampton's Gap during the Battle of South Mountain, and fought on the Confederate left as part of Gen. Lafayette McLaw’s division at Antietam. Cobb left the Army of Northern Virginia after Antietam for assignments in Georgia and Florida. Politically, Davis wanted Cobb in Georgia as a counterweight to Georgia’s troublesome Governor Joseph E. Brown. Davis promoted Cobb to major general in September of 1863, and put him in command of the military District of Georgia and Florida. In this capacity, Cobb was responsible for the construction of the infamous Andersonville prison, the infamous Confederate prison camp that in a period of roughly fifteen months held more than 45,000 men, of whom nearly 13,000 died. During Gen. William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign in 1864 and subsequent “March to the Sea,” Cobb commanded the Georgia reserve corps. Cobb eventually surrendered at Macon to Gen. James H. Wilson in the aftermath of the Confederacy’s collapse. After the war he practiced law in Macon in partnership with James Jackson Who was this? Is he important enough to mention by name?, but remained active in public affairs as an uncompromising opponent of Reconstruction. Cobb died suddenly on October 9, 1868, while on a visit to New York, and is buried at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia. (Bio by Michael Jennings)

Leadership: 4
Tactical: 4
Initiative: 3
Command: 4
Cavalry:

Teaches: Random (-1)


Brig. Gen. Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb (b. 1823, d. 1862). A native of Georgia, Thomas Cobb and his brother Howell both served as general officers in the Confederate Army. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1841, Cobb studied law and was admitted to the bar. Through political connections he acquired a position as assistant secretary to the state senate. From 1849-1857 he worked as a Supreme Court reporter and wrote and edited over twenty law books, including works on the laws and history of slavery in the United States. As a writer he was a success: his “Digest of the Statute Laws of Georgia,” published in 1851, was well received, and his pieces appeared with regularity in both northern and southern newspapers. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Cobb addressed the Georgia General Assembly with such force and eloquence in favor of secession that he was afterwards credited with taking Georgia out of the Union. Cobb left a position on the constitutional convention to accept a colonel’s commission, and organized “Cobb’s Legion.” Cobb commanded the Legion from the Peninsula Campaign, during which he and his unit fought in his brother’s brigade, through the Battle of Antietam, where it suffered heavy casualties. He was promoted to brigadier general on November 1, 1862, but was killed just six weeks later during a Union assault on his position atop Marye’s Heights at Fredericksburg. There is controversy as to the source of Cobb’s mortal wound, by which the femoral artery of his left thigh was severed, leading to rapid blood loss, shock, and death. Officially, the source of his wound was enemy fire, probably shell fragments. The alternate version comes from an “old Confederate of Phillip's Legion.” In this version, Cobb accosted some soldiers who had fallen out of a march to fill their canteens. “General Cobb rode up and commanded them to pour the water out of their canteens and move on. [Sam], a Confederate soldier noted for his courage, told General Cobb he wouldn't do it, General Cobb drew his sword and told him he would use it on him if he didn't obey. The Confederate soldier replied to "use it." General Cobb put up his sword, drew his pistol and rode up to the defying soldier and said, "If you don't pour that water out of that canteen at once, I will shoot your head off." The soldier madly replied, "Sir, you can kill me, but you can't scare me. I will not pour out the water. Now shoot me." General Cobb put up his pistol and rode off. Sam called out to him, "I will kill you the first opportunity I get." In an interview at the turn of the century the old soldier claimed he saw Cobb shot by friendly fire. He also claimed that “Sam,” mortally wounded in battle, confirmed on his deathbed that he had shot General Cobb, saying, "Well, I got him. I always do what I say I will." Gen. Robert E. Lee always spoke well of Cobb’s abilities as an officer. Cobb is buried at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia. (Bio by Michael Jennings)

Leadership: 4
Tactical: 3
Initiative: 3
Command: 4
Cavalry:

Traits: Disciplined (1), Obedient (16)

Start date: 44
Death date: 46

[Gil R.]

Since Mike13z50 didn't see my questions about Howell Cobb I decided to use Heidler to try to answer them, and ended up adding some stuff I found. Here's a much expanded version of the bio, which is now ready to go:


Maj. Gen. Howell Cobb (b. 1815, d. 1868). A native of Georgia, Cobb and his brother Thomas both served as general officers in the Confederate Army. Cobb was active in politics prior to the war, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and even being elected Speaker of the House in the 31st Congress (though on the 63rd ballot); in 1850, he was second in line for the presidency following the death of Pres. Zachary Taylor. In 1851, Cobb was elected Governor of Georgia on the Union Ticket by the largest margin ever recorded to that point, and served until 1853, when he was returned to Congress. Cobb was active and influential in Pres. James Buchanan’s election, and served as his Secretary of the Treasury in for three years. Failing in his attempt to get the Democratic nomination to run for President, Cobb ended up supporting John C. Breckinridge, the favorite of the southern Democrats after their party’s breakup. During the campaign, Cobb urged that Georgia secede if Abraham Lincoln was elected, and following Lincoln’s victory he wrote a lengthy pamphlet calling for immediate secession. Resigning his cabinet post on December 8, Cobb returned to Georgia and worked tirelessly to swing the state’s convention in favor of secession, subsequently joining his brother Thomas and eight others as delegates to the convention in Montgomery that would establish the Confederate States of America. Serving as president of the Provisional Congressional Congress that began meeting on February 4, 1861, Cobb became known as the father of the Confederate Constitution that was approved four days later, but lost out to Jefferson Davis for the presidency of the Confederacy. Having decided to serve in combat while remaining in the Provisional Congress, Cobb was authorized to raise a regiment, the 16th Georgia Infantry, and was appointed its colonel. That fall and winter, Cobb divided his time between commanding his regiment has it worked to fortify the York Peninsula and serving out his term in the Provisional Congress. When the Provisional Congress was replaced by the regular Confederate Congress in February 1862, Cobb left politics and, having been promoted to brigade general on February 13, was given command of the 2nd Brigade in Gen. John. B. Magruder’s Army of the Peninsula. Cobb's brigade saw action during the Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days’ Battles. Cobb soon had to leave his brigade for health reasons, but returned that August in time for the Maryland Campaign. The brigade, now in Gen. Lafayette McLaw’s division, played a key role in the fighting at Crampton’s Gap during the Battle of South Mountain but was overwhelmed by Union forces, earning Cobb McLaw’s criticism. Despite its heavy losses, the brigade fought at Antietam three days later on the Confederate left. Cobb left the Army of Northern Virginia after Antietam because of poor health, seeking and receiving assignments closer to home – a desire that meshed with Davis’s desire to have Cobb in Georgia as a counterweight to the troublesome Gov. Joseph E. Brown. In September 1863, Davis promoted Cobb to major general and put him in command of the military District of Georgia and Florida. In this capacity, Cobb was responsible for the construction of the infamous Confederate prison at Andersonville, which in a period of roughly fifteen months held more than 45,000 men, of whom nearly 13,000 died. During Gen. William T. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign in 1864 and subsequent “March to the Sea,” Cobb commanded the Georgia Reserve Force. He eventually surrendered at Macon in the aftermath of the Confederacy’s collapse. After the war he practiced law in Macon, but remained active in public affairs as an uncompromising opponent of Reconstruction. Cobb died suddenly on October 9, 1868, while on a visit to New York, and is buried at Oconee Hill Cemetery in Athens, Georgia. (Bio by Michael Jennings)

Leadership: 4
Tactical: 3
Initiative: 3
Command: 4
Cavalry:

Start date: 26

Teaches: Diggers