George Herrick Cook

In 1860 he was a 45 year old shoemaker in the Hemlock neighborhood of Livonia, Livingston County, NY. He enlisted at Lima, NY on 7 May 1861 and mustered as a Musician in Company G, 27th New York Infantry on 21 May. He was promoted to Drum-Major of the regiment on 29 May 1861.

He was with the regiment on the Maryland Campaign and briefly noted his experiences in Maryland in his pocket diary:

SATURDAY 6 [SEPTEMBER 1862]
In Camp near Fairfax Seminary. left Camp 8 oc eve
Crossed to Long Bridge into Washington about 12 oc night
Marched through the city of Washington and Georgetown and campt on a hill above Georgetown

SUNDAY 7
About 2 oc this morning marched about 12 miles
Staid till 5 oc pm, started again
Marched about 8 miles up the river towards Poolesville
Campt about 9 oc evening

MONDAY 8
Started at 7 oc am marched about 6 or 7 miles and halted near Rockville at noon. Started at 6 oc pm marched about 3 miles and campt

TUESDAY 9
Started about 9 oc am, marched about 5 miles
Campt near Fasnes town
Went outside the picket this morning and dug a mess of potatoes
Lost my spoon and singed my whiskers today

WEDNESDAY 10
Started at 9 oc am. marched 12 or 15 miles and campt near Barnesville on Mt. Road to Harpers Ferry about 35 miles from Washington. found a spoon today all rite. rest day stopt at Hamptons. got a good meal

THURSDAY 11
Did not move today
Staid in camp near Barnesville Md

FRIDAY 12
Started about 10 oc am
Marched 9 or 10 miles and campt near Urbania on the road to Frederick, Md
I am getting quite lame with a boil and my arm.
Slept in a wood rack last night.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1862
Some firing 4 or 5 miles in our front this morning. Started at 9 oc am marched 7 miles crossed the Monocacy River
Crossed the b and O RR 60 miles from B[altimore]. Campt on the eastern slope of B [Blue] Ridge.

SUNDAY 14
Started 6 oc am for Scromptons [Crampton's] Gap. had a sharp fight but drove the Rebs out. Our loss some. Great loss of Rebbels.
Slept on the battle field beside the dead and wounded last night

MONDAY 15
In camp in Scromptons Gap burying the dead, ours and the Rebbels. Foraged corn and potatoes.
Lived well since we came into Md

TUESDAY 16
Still in Camp at Scromptons pass in the Blue Ridge Mts

WEDNESDAY 17
Moved of [out] this morning 8 or 9 miles to the right where Burnside and G B [McClellan] have been fighting 4 or 5 days
Arrived on the Bf [battlefield] 12 pm. hard fighting. The Rebbels falling back

THURSDAY 18
Still on the battlefield. Worked all last night carrying off wounded our men and Rebbels. Expect to fight again today
10 oc am both parties burying their dead. Wrote a line to Sarah. No fighting today

He was discharged, as were most musicians of the Army of the Potomac, on 18 October 1862.

By 1865 and to at least 1880, he was again making shoes in Livonia. In 1900 he'd finally retired, still living in Livonia.

His service basics from the State of New York,1 as George A Cook, and his Muster Roll Abstract, online from fold3, as George H Cook. His experience on the Campaign from his wartime diary in the collection of the New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, online thanks to New York Heritage. Personal details from family genealogists, the US Census of 1860-1900, and the New York State Census of 1865. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

He married Sarah Ganoung/Ganung (1819-1865) in 1837 and they had a son George Riley Cook (1850-1865). He married again, Sarah Caroline Swan (1830-1872) in 1866.

06/1815; Londonderry, VT

03/05/1901; Hemlock, NY; burial in Hemlock Lake Cemetery, Hemlock, NY