Jacob Dolson Cox

His parents were natives of the United States, but at the time of his birth were temporarily sojourning in Canada. He was an educator (Oberlin), lawyer, and politician: after leaving college he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1853. In 1859-'61 he was a member of the state senate.

In April 1861 he was commissioned BGen. of OH state troops and in May 1861 BGen. of Volunteers. He then served in Western VA with his "Brigade of the Kanawha".

In command of the Kanawha Division of the Ninth (IX) Army Corps, and nominally the IX Corps, though that was Burnside's in fact.

In October 1862 he was promoted to MGen. of Volunteers but his commission expired as there was an excess of generals. He commanded the District of OH then the 3rd Division/XXIII Corps in the Atlanta campaign and at the battles of Franklin and Nashville.

Before he left the service, he was elected governor of Ohio. He was governor for a year, but did not win reelection. Cox became Secretary of the Interior in 1868, under President Grant, in which position he supported civil service reforms. After resigning his position in 1870 because of difficulties with the President, he returned to his law practice.

In October, 1873, he was elected president of the Wabash railroad, and removed to Toledo to take charge of his new work. In 1876 he was elected representative to Congress, where he served from 15 October, 1877, till 3 March, 1879.

Source: Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, edited by James Grant Wilson and John Fiske. Six volumes, New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1887-1889.

10/27/1828; Montreal, CANADA

8/4/1900; Gloucester, MA