Biography
The son of a career army officer, Cooke was born at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. After studying at the University of Missouri and Harvard College, Cooke was commissioned into the United States Army in 1855 as a second lieutenant of the 8th U.S. Infantry Regiment. On January 28, 1861, Cooke was promoted to second lieutenant. When Virginia seceded from the Union, in 1861 Cooke followed his brother-in-law, Jeb Stuart, south. To his dismay, his father remained loyal to the Union.
Read more about this topic: John Rogers Cooke
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