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Civil War Soldiers - Cox
| Cox, Jacob D., major-general, U.S.
Army, was born in Montreal, Canada, Oct. 27, 1828, spent his boyhood
in New York, removed with his parents to Ohio in 1840, and graduated
at Oberlin college in 1851. After leaving college he studied law, was
admitted to the bar in 1853, practiced in Warren, Ohio, and was from
1859 to 1861 member of the state senate. Holding a state commission as
brigadier-general of volunteers at the beginning of the Civil war, he
was active in raising troops, and on May 17, 1861, was commissioned
brigadier-general of U. S. volunteers. He commanded an independent
column in the West Virginia campaign under McClellan from July to
Sept., 1861, and under Rosecrans from September to December of the
same year. He commanded the district of the Kanawha almost
continuously until Aug., 1862, when he was ordered to Washington and
assigned to the Army of Virginia under Pope. He led the advance of the
right wing of McClellan's army at South mountain and opened the
battle, Sept. 14, 1862, assuming command of the 9th army corps when
Gen. Reno fell, and directing its movements in the battle of Antietam
three days later. For his services in this campaign he was
commissioned major- general of volunteers, Oct. 6, 1862, and was
ordered to West Virginia, where he drove back the Confederates, and
then commanded the district until April, 1863, when he was put in
command of the district of Ohio, and later of a division of the 23d
army corps. He served in the Atlanta campaign and in the campaigns of
Franklin and Nashville under Gen. Thomas. For services at the battles
of Franklin he was restored to the rank of major-general of volunteers
from which he had been reduced by constitutional limitation, in April,
1863, and was given permanent command of the 23d corps. He was
transferred with his corps to North Carolina, in Feb., 1865, as part
of Schofield's army, capturing Fort Anderson, the cities of Wilmington
and Kinston, then joining Sherman's army at Goldsboro, and commanding
the district of western North Carolina at Greensboro after the
surrender of Gen. Johnston. He resigned from the service, Jan. 1,
1866, returned to Ohio, and was governor of the state in 1866 and
1867. He was secretary of the interior in President Grant's cabinet,
1869-70, then resigned, and, returning to Ohio, was a representative
from the Toledo district in the 45th Congress, 1877-79. He was also
for several years president of the Wabash railroad. He was elected
dean of the Cincinnati law school in 1881, and was president of the
University of Cincinnati from 1884 to 1889. He retired from the
deanship of the law school in 1897, and from active professional life,
and died Aug. 4, 1900.
Source: The Union Army: A History of Military Affairs in the Loyal
States 1861-1865, Volume 8 Biographical, 1908
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