John Cook (Medal of Honor, 1847) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Cook
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Bugler John Cook
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| Born | August 10, 1847 Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Died | August 3, 1915 (age 67) Washington, D.C. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Rank | Bugler |
| Unit | Battery Battery B, 4th Regiment U.S. Artillery |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War • Battle of Antietam • Battle of Gettysburg |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
John Cook (born August 10, 1847 – died August 3, 1915) was a brave young bugler in the Union Army. This was the army of the Northern states during the American Civil War. When he was just fifteen years old, John earned the highest award for bravery in the U.S. military. This award is called the Medal of Honor. He received it for his amazing actions during a big battle called the Battle of Antietam.
Contents
A Young Soldier's Story
John Cook joined the Union Army when he was only fourteen years old. He was from Cincinnati, Ohio. He became a bugler in a special army group called Battery B. This group was part of the 4th U.S. Artillery Regiment. A bugler uses a bugle, which is like a small trumpet, to send signals to soldiers.
Bravery at Antietam
On September 17, 1862, a huge fight happened. It was called the Battle of Antietam. John Cook's unit was helping General John Gibbon's attack. They were moving their cannons into place. This is called unlimbering the guns.
Suddenly, soldiers from the Confederate army attacked them. Many of John's fellow soldiers, called cannoneers, were killed. Cannoneers are the soldiers who load and fire the cannons.
John saw a wounded officer and helped him get to safety. When he returned, he saw that most of his unit's cannoneers were gone. He noticed a dead soldier with a full bag of ammunition. John quickly grabbed the ammunition. He then started to help load and fire the cannons himself. He kept working the cannons even though the enemy soldiers were very close. They were only about fifteen feet away!
Actions at Gettysburg
The next year, John Cook was part of another very important battle. This was the Battle of Gettysburg. During this battle, John had to carry messages across a dangerous area. This area was being heavily shot at by the enemy.
He also helped destroy a damaged caisson. A caisson is a special wagon that carries ammunition for cannons. He did this to stop it from falling into the hands of the approaching Confederate soldiers.
Medal of Honor
Many years later, on June 30, 1894, John Cook received the Medal of Honor. This award was for his incredible bravery at the Battle of Antietam.
The official reason for his award says:
Volunteered at the age of 15 years to act as a cannoneer, and as such volunteer served a gun under a terrific fire of the enemy.
This means he bravely chose to help fire a cannon. He did this even though he was only 15 and under very heavy enemy fire.
Later Life and Burial
John Cook lived to be 67 or 68 years old. He passed away on August 3, 1915. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia. This is a very special place where many brave American soldiers are laid to rest.
