Joseph T. Derry , A. M. , Author of School History of the United States; Story of the Confederate War, etc., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 6, Georgia
Clement Anselm Evans, Ed.

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[407] At the expiration of his term of enlistment he entered Oglethorpe university, Baldwin county, and after three years entered the university of Virginia, which he attended until 1841, when he returned home on account of his father's death. He practiced law at Forsyth three years and then moved to Oglethorpe, where he resided until 1861. Being an honorary member of the Macon county volunteers, he went with that company when it responded to Governor Brown's call, and with nineteen other companies was mustered into service at Augusta, Ga., in May, 1861. They were sent to Portsmouth, Va., and his company was assigned to the Fourth Georgia infantry. Private Cook was then appointed adjutant of the regiment, and he served as such until after the Seven Days battles around Richmond, when he was, upon the unanimous recommendation of the officers of the regiment, commissioned lieutenant-colonel. He was painfully wounded at Malvern Hill by the fragment of a shell. After the campaigns of Second Manassas and Sharpsburg he was commissioned colonel, November 1, 1862. He commanded his regiment at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, in the latter battle receiving a wound in the leg by a minie ball which disabled him for three months. During this period he was in hospital at Richmond and subsequently at his home, and was elected to the State senate, in which he served forty days. Upon recovery he rejoined his command at Orange Court House. He returned to Georgia to serve out his term in the senate during the session of 1864, and then went back to the army. Upon the death of General Doles at Cold Harbor, Colonel Cook was promoted to brigadier-general, his commission bearing date August 5, 1864. He was in Early's Valley campaign, at the close of which he went down to Petersburg, where he was wounded in the right elbow and captured. He lay in the Petersburg hospital until July 30, 1865. Upon his recovery he returned to Oglethorpe, Ga., resumed his law practice,