Alexander M. McCook, one of the youngest major generals in the Union army, was a member of a patriotic family from Ohio that became known as the “Fighting McCooks.” He participated in some of the bloodiest campaigns of the Civil War, including Bull Run, Shiloh, Perryville, Stones River and Chickamauga. In battle, McCook could be rash and reckless, but his personal courage was beyond reproach, even as his career was marked by controversy. Subjected to an inquiry into his conduct at the battle of Chickamauga, he was cleared of all charges but relieved of command to spend the remainder of the war in relatively minor assignments. This biography, focusing especially on McCook’s Civil War service, fills out the full picture of a proud if clouded career.

Wayne Fanebust is the author of books on a variety of topics including the history of the American West, Dakota Territory, historic true crime, and the Civil War. A retired attorney, he lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Wayne Fanebust
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 288
Bibliographic Info: 27 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2013
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7241-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0101-4
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1
Introduction: Meet the McCook Family      4

1. Disunion and the Democratic Party      9
2. The McCooks Answer the Call for Volunteers      26
3. The Inevitable Conflict      37
4. The Battle of Bull Run      48
5. General McCook and the Kentucky Campaign      64
6. The Battle of Shiloh: The First Day      80
7. The Battle of Shiloh: The Second Day 92
8. The Corinth Campaign: Halleck’s Slow-Coach Operation      101
9. The Race for Louisville      111
10. The Battle of Perryville 120
11. Rosecrans Takes Command 134
12. The Battle of Stones River 146
13. The Tullahoma Campaign and the Advance to Chattanooga      164
14. The Battle of Chickamauga      180
15. The McCook Inquiry      199
16. Another Rebel Army Marches North      211
17. The Rebel Raid on Washington, D.C      225
18. Last Years of Service in the Army      239
19. The Death of General Alexander M. McCook      249

Notes      255
Bibliography      270
Index      27

• “gives us a very good look at the general’s life and military career…full of often fine detail about military operations and some interesting analysis, this book is a useful read for anyone interested in command during the Civil War”—The NYMAS Review