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James Cooper (Pennsylvania politician)

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James Cooper
United States Senator
from Pennsylvania
In office
March 4, 1849 – March 4, 1855
Preceded bySimon Cameron
Succeeded byWilliam Bigler
Attorney General of Pennsylvania
In office
July 31, 1848 – December 30, 1848
GovernorWilliam F. Johnston
Preceded byBenjamin Champneys
Succeeded byCornelius Darragh
Member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 12th district
In office
March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843
Preceded byDaniel Sheffer
Succeeded byAlmon H. Read
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
In office
1840
Personal details
Born(1810-05-08)May 8, 1810
Frederick County, Maryland, U.S.
DiedMarch 28, 1863(1863-03-28) (aged 52)
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Resting placeMount Olivet Cemetery
Frederick, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyWhig
SpouseJane Mary Miller
EducationMount St. Mary's University
Alma materWashington College
ProfessionPolitician, lawyer
Signature
Military service
AllegianceUnited States of America
Union
Branch/serviceUnion Army
Years of service1861–1863
RankBrigadier General
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

James Cooper (May 8, 1810 – March 28, 1863) was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician, who served in the United States Congress.

Early life

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James Cooper was born on May 8, 1810, in Frederick County, Maryland. In 1829, he enrolled in Mount St. Mary's University, but moved to Washington College (later Washington & Jefferson College). He graduated from Washington College in 1832. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1834.[1][2]

Career

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Cooper started practicing law in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in the office of Thaddeus Stevens.[1][2] He was elected as a Whig to the 26th and 27th congresses; serving from March 4, 1839, to March 3, 1843. In the 27th congress, he was chairman of the indian affairs committee.[2] He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1843 to 1844 and in 1846 and 1848. He was speaker of the house for one term in 1847.[1][2] In 1848, he was attorney general of Pennsylvania. He was elected to the United States Senate; serving from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1855.[2]

General James Cooper

When the American Civil War started, Cooper raised a brigade of volunteers in Maryland and was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in May 1861. His brigade served in Franz Sigel's division during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. In poor health, he was assigned as commandant of Camp Chase, a military staging, training and prison camp near Columbus, Ohio.[1][2]

Personal life

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Grave of Cooper at Mount Olivet Cemetery

Copper died on March 28, 1863, at the American Hotel in Columbus. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland.[2][3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. V. James T. White & Company. 1907. p. 498. Retrieved March 3, 2024 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Cooper, James". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "Death of General Cooper". The Ohio Statesman. March 29, 1863. p. 3. Retrieved March 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Cooper (Pennsylvania politician).
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district
March 4, 1839 – March 4, 1843 		Succeeded by
Legal offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Pennsylvania
1848 		Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from Pennsylvania
March 4, 1849 – March 4, 1855
Served alongside: Daniel Sturgeon and Richard Brodhead 		Succeeded by


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