John Cook – Bugler

John Cook¹ was born August 16, 1847, in Hamilton County, Ohio.  He enlisted in the army at the age of 14, in Cincinnati, Ohio.  In September 1862, at the age of 15, he would find himself taking part in the Maryland Campaign.  He was a bugler assigned to Battery B, 4^th U.S. Artillery.  This artillery unit was attached to US Brigadier General John Gibbon’s brigade of westerners – the Iron Brigade.

During the fighting, at Antietam, on September 17, 1862, young Cook would find himself in some of the “hottest” action.  Gibbon’s Iron Brigade was part of US Major General Joseph Hooker’s I Corps and was the Fourth Brigade in US Brigadier General Rufus King’s First Division.  Hooker’s I Corps would open the action, at Antietam, pushing south through the Corn Field, towards CS Major General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s Division, massed near the Dunker Church and the East Woods.  A section of Battery B, 4^th U.S. Artillery, was sent to the opposite side of the Hagerstown Pike.  The Iron Brigade would push their assault through the Corn Field.

John Cook described the action, “General Gibbon, our commander, had just ordered Lieutenant Stewart to take his section about one hundred yards to the right of the Hagerstown Pike, in front of two straw stacks, when he beckoned me to follow. No sooner had we unlimbered, when a column of Confederate infantry, emerging from the so called west woods, poured a volley into us, which brought fourteen or seventeen of my brave comrades to the ground. The two straw stacks offered some kind of shelter for our wounded, and it was a sickening sight to see those poor maimed, and crippled fellows, crowding on top of one another, while several, stepping but a few feet away, were hit again or killed.”

“Just then Captain Campbell unlimbered the other four guns to the left of Stewart, and I reported to him. He had just dismounted, when he was hit twice and his horse fell dead, with several bullets in its body. I started with the Captain to the rear and turned him over to one of the drivers. He ordered me to report to Lieutenant Stewart and tell him to take command of the battery. I reported, and, seeing the cannoneers nearly all down, and one, with a pouch full of ammunition, lying dead, I unstrapped the pouch, started for the battery and worked as a cannoneer. We were then in the vortex of the battle. The enemy had made three desperate attempts to capture us, the last time coming with in ten or fifteen feet of our guns.”

“It was at this time that General Gibbon, seeing the condition of the battery, came to the gun that stood in the pike, and in full uniform of a brigadier-general, worked as a gunner and cannoneer. He was very conspicuous, and it is indeed surprising, that he came away alive. At this battle we lost forty-four men, killed and wounded, and about forty horses which shows what a hard fight it was.”²

Cook also served conspicuously at Gettysburg, where he carried messages across the battle ravaged ground, of McPherson’s Ridge.  During the retreat, towards Culp’s Hill, he would help destroy a caisson, to keep it from being captured by the Confederates, and used against the Federal army.

Bugler Cook, served through the remainder of the war, participating in 33 battles and receiving several wounds.  On June 30, 1894, John Cook would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (see also The Congressional Medal of Honor – A Short History).  His citation reads, “Volunteered at the age of 15 years to act as a cannoneer, and as such volunteer served a gun under a terrific fire of the enemy.”³

After the Civil War, Cook would reside in Washington, D.C., working in the government printing office for over 20 years.  He would die in Washington on August 3, 1915, at the age of 67.  He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, with his wife Isabella, buried next to him.

¹  John Cook (soldier) at Wikipedia.
²  Gutzke, Scott T., Battery B, 4th U.S. Light Artillery, Published 1998, Source Page.
³  R.J. (Bob) Pfoft, Editor, United States of America’s Medal of Honor Recipients, Fifth Edition, Pgs. 839-840.