Military officer: born at
Steubenville, O., June 15, 1833; a nephew of
Major McCook.
He was an active politician in
Kansas, and was a member of its legislature in 1860.
He was an efficient cavalry officer during the
Civil War, rising to the rank of brigadier-general in April, 1864.
He was in
[
13]
the principal battles in
Kentucky,
Tennessee, and
northern Georgia, and in the
Atlanta campaign commanded a division and was distinguished for skill and bravery in quick movements.
During the siege of
Atlanta he was ordered to move out to
Fayetteville and, sweeping round, join
Stoneman—leading another cavalry raid—at Lovejoy's Station on the night of July 28.
He and
Stoneman moved simultaneously.
McCook went down the west side of the
Chattahoochee; crossed it on a pontoon bridge at Rivertown: tore up the track between
Atlanta and
West Point, near Palmetto Station: and pushed on to
Fayetteville, where he captured 500 of
Hood's wagons and 250 men, and killed or carried away about 1,000 mules.
Pressing on, he struck and destroyed the Macon Railway at
Lovejoy's at the appointed time; but
Stoneman did not join him. Being hard pressed by
Wheeler's cavalry,
McCook turned to the southward and struck the
West Point road again at
Newman's Station.
There he was met by a force of
Mississippi infantry moving on
Atlanta, and, at the same time, his rear was closely pressed by Confederate cavalry.
He fought at great odds, but escaped with a loss of his prisoners and 500 of his own men. In 1865 he was brevetted major-general of volunteers: in 1866-69 was American minister to the
Hawaiian Islands; and in 1870 was appointed governor of
Colorado Territory.
