Gen. McCook and the defense of Washington

When the Civil War began, in 1861, there were few families that contributed more to the Union cause than did the family McCook from Ohio, descendents of George McCook, an Irishman of Scottish descent, who had come to the United States about 1780. Altogether there were some 15 members of the McCook family, two brothers and 13 of their sons, who volunteered to fight for the Union cause.

Daniel, one of the brothers was known as the Patriarch of "The Tribe of Dan." Daniel was a lawyer, and 63 years of age when the war began. He enlisted as a private, and eventually rose to the rank of major in the Union Army, losing his life at the Battle of Buffington Springs in 1864. Two of Daniel's sons also were killed in the Civil War.

Eight of nine of Daniel's sons served in the Union Army. Five of the boys were general officers. One was a colonel.

Daniel's brother, John, six years younger than Daniel, was a doctor. When the war began he also offered his services to the Union, as a volunteer surgeon. John had two sons who became generals during the war. Another son, Roderick was a naval commander during the war. His ship was patrolling off the coast of North Carolina when he received the surrender of an entire Confederate regiment -- the only Union Naval officer to accomplish this feat.

The McCook general that we, in McCook, Neb., are most interested is Alexander McDowell McCook, the third son of Daniel. He was a friend of Alexander Campbell, who platted the original town of McCook, Neb. Mr. Campbell honored his friend by naming our town in his honor.

Alexander McCook was born in 1831 in Columbiana County, Ohio. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1852, and was immediately sent west, to New Mexico, where he fought in the Indian Wars against the Apaches and Utes.

In 1857 he was ordered back to West Point, where he served as an Assistant Instructor of Infantry Tactics until the Civil War broke out in 1861.

In the early days of the war, Col. McCook commanded the 1st Ohio Infantry, defending the city of Washington, and took part in the first Battle of Bull Run. Soon after, he was promoted and sent west to take part in the Western Campaign, commanding a division in Tennessee. He commanded the 2nd Division in the Army of the Ohio at the Battle of Shiloh, and the later campaign at Corinth.

As a major general, in 1862, McCook commanded I Corps in the Army of the Ohio, sustaining heavy casualties at the Battle of Perryville, at the Battle of Stones River, and again at the Battle of Chickamauga, Ga., in September 1863. After Chickamauga, McCook served as something of a scapegoat, and was partially blamed for that defeat. He was relieved of his command, and was left in military limbo for almost a year.

By July 1864, Union Generals Grant and Sherman were having a great deal of success in capturing rebel territory, and even threatening the Confederate capital at Richmond, Va. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, in order to relieve the pressure on his army, sent his Gen. Jubal A. Early up the Shenandoah, on what was to be the South's last invasion attempt of the North.

By this time Gen. McCook had been recalled to Washington, and was placed in command of the "Defenses of the Potomac River and Washington," and charged with defending the nation's capital. McCook's forces were meager. Reinforcements from Grant's army were few. Grant could see Lee's purpose for the invasion and wanted to keep up the pressure on the enemy if it was at all possible.

McCook was forced to rely on the few soldiers he had, bolstered by government employees, who were pressed into service, as well as every patient in the hospitals who could walk and carry a gun. All were ordered to duty at Fort Stevens, which stood between Early's army and the city of Washington.

Gen. Early was a daring, and ruthless commander, and on July 11 and 12, his army had advanced to the outskirts of Washington DC.

However, Gen. Grant had spared enough troops to delay and weaken General Early's forces -- enough so that invading Washington was no longer a Confederate option. After two days of artillery barrages and isolated rifle skirmishes, Early's rebel army withdrew, leaving the Union capital in tact.

Though the Confederate invasion of Washington was a failure, there were a number of interesting aspects of that campaign.

Jubal Early was disappointed at his failure to sack the Union capital, but felt that the South had gained morale strength from its efforts. To one of his officers, Jubal Early is reported to have said, "Well, major, we didn't invade Washington, but we scared the hell out of Old Abe!"

Later in July, Early took out some of his frustration by ordering his cavalry to burn the city of Chambersburg, Pa., to the ground. On the way back south, Early's troops attacked elements of the B&O Railroad at a number of locations.

President Lincoln observed the Battle at Fort Stevens on both days of the attack, as did a number of the members of his cabinet, and other civilians.

Indeed, there were so many civilian observers at Fort Stevens that Gen. McCook stated that they interfered in the movement of the Union soldiers.

President Lincoln insisted on watching the battle from the platform at the top of the fort's walls. At 6'4", he was so tall that he made a good target for the rebel sharpshooters. According to one story, at one point Lincoln was watching the battle, paying no attention to whizzing bullets, making everyone very nervous.

A young officer shouted at the president, "Get down! You're going to get your fool head shot off!" Lincoln did get down, saying, "Thank you for your concern, major." The officer was Maj. Oliver Wendell Holmes, the future famous Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court.

On the second day of the battle, Mary Lincoln joined her husband in watching the battle from the parapets of Fort Stevens.

As she was leaving one of the officers spoke to her, saying, "You are a very brave lady, Mrs. Lincoln." Mrs. Lincoln, referring to the failure of any Union troops pursuing the enemy, replied, "Thank you, sir, and if I had a few more of my lady friends, you may be sure that we would be chasing Gen. Early's forces all the way to Richmond."

At the close of the Civil War Gen. McCook served in Texas, and from 1875-1880 he served as the aide-de-camp to Gen. Wm. Sherman. For several years before his retirement, he commanded the Fort Leavenworth Infantry and Cavalry School. After his retirement, in 1898-99, during the Spanish-American War, he served on a commission to investigate the administration of the US Department of War.

Maj. Gen. Alexander McDowell McCook died in Dayton, Ohio in 1903. He is buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Source: Alexander McDowell McCook, Ohio History Central, Fort Stevens .