Michael Cook (Minnesota politician)

Michael Cook
Cook c. 1858
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 5th District and 8th District
In office
December 2, 1857 – January 5, 1863
GovernorSamuel Medary
Henry Hastings Sibley
Alexander Ramsey
Personal details
Born(1828-03-17)March 17, 1828
Morris County, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedDecember 27, 1864(1864-12-27) (aged 36)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Resting placeOak Ridge Cemetery, Faribault, Minnesota, U.S.
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnion Army
Years of service
1862–1864
Rank Major
Unit10th Minnesota Infantry Regiment
Battles/warsDakota War of 1862
American Civil War

Michael Cook (March 17, 1828 – December 27, 1864) was an American carpenter, politician, and soldier. Cook served four terms in the Minnesota Senate from 1857 to 1863 and served as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Cook is the namesake of Cook County, Minnesota.

Early life

Cook was born on March 17, 1828 in Morris County, New Jersey,[1] he was the son of Richard Cook and Nellie Louisa Courter.[2] Cook's family moved to New York where he studied architecture.[2] Cook moved to Minnesota Territory in 1855 and settled in Faribault, Minnesota as a carpenter.[3]

Politics

Cook was first elected to the Minnesota Senate on October 13, 1857 as a senator representing Rice County, Minnesota.[1] Cook served during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Minnesota Legislature from 1858 to 1863.[1] During his tenure in the Minnesota senate Cook served on the committees for state affairs, Indian affairs, railroads, engrossments, and the state prison.[1]

Dakota War and Civil War

At the outbreak of the Dakota War of 1862 Cook volunteered for service in the Union Army and was commissioned as a Major in the 10th Minnesota Infantry Regiment on September 15, 1862.[4][5] Cook assisted in commanding the regiment under Colonel James H. Baker and Lieutenant Colonel Samuel P. Jennison during the Dakota War at the Battle of Wood Lake and later served with the rest of the regiment in Sibley's 1863 Campaign in Dakota Territory.

The Battle of Nashville, c. 1906 by Howard Pyle

When the 10th Minnesota was later rerouted to fight in the Western theater of the American Civil War in 1864 the regiment would take part in the Battle of Nashville during the broader Franklin–Nashville campaign. Cook was mortally wounded in the lungs on December 16, 1864 during the 10th Minnesota's main attack during the battle.[6] Cook died 11 days later in a field hospital on December 27, 1864.[1][2][3][6]

Legacy

In 1874 a bill was introduced by senator Charles Hinman Graves in the Minnesota senate to name a county in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region after Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, the explorer who first explored Minnesota's northern boundary with Canada.[2][3] Cook was later chosen as the county's namesake with the establishment of Cook County, Minnesota on March 9, 1874.[2][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Minnesota Legislators Past & Present - Cook, Michael". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Sauve, Jeff. "Stories Behind the Stones: Major Michael Cook (1828–1864)". rchistory.org. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Upham, Warren (1969). Minnesota Geographic Names; Their Origin and Historic Significance. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society. p. 135.
  4. ↑ Minnesota Adjutant General (1866). Annual Report of the Adjutant General, of the State of Minnesota, for the Year Ending December 1, 1866, and of the Military Forces of the State from 1861 to 1866. Saint Paul: Pioneer Printing Company (published 1862). p. 452.
  5. ↑ "Soldier Details". The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service). Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Flandrau, Charles E. (1890). Minnesota in the civil and Indian wars 1861-1865. St. Paul: Pioneer Press Company. p. 467.
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