Roderick S. McCook

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Commander Roderick Sheldon McCook (10 March 1839 13 February 1886) was an officer in the United States Navy. He was a member of the famed family of American Civil War soldiers and sailors, the "Fighting McCooks."

United States Navy Naval warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most capable navy in the world, with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, and two new carriers under construction. With 319,421 personnel on active duty and 99,616 in the Ready Reserve, the Navy is the third largest of the service branches. It has 282 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of March 2018, making it the second largest and second most powerful air force in the world.

American Civil War Civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865

The American Civil War was a war fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865, between the North and the South. The Civil War is the most studied and written about episode in U.S. history. Primarily as a result of the long-standing controversy over the enslavement of black people, war broke out in April 1861 when secessionist forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina shortly after Abraham Lincoln had been inaugurated as the President of the United States. The loyalists of the Union in the North proclaimed support for the Constitution. They faced secessionists of the Confederate States in the South, who advocated for states' rights to uphold slavery.

The Fighting McCooks were members of a family of Ohioans who reached prominence as officers in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Two brothers, Daniel and John McCook, and thirteen of their sons were involved in the army, making the family one of the most prolific in American military history. Six of the McCooks reached the rank of brigadier general or higher. Several family members were killed in action or died from their wounds. Following the war, several others reached high political offices, including governorships and diplomatic posts.

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Biography

Born at New Lisbon, Ohio, McCook was appointed midshipman 21 September 1854. From 1859 to 1861, he cruised off the coast of Africa, searching for and capturing slavers. During the Civil War, he served in Minnesota (1861), Stars and Stripes (1862), and Canonicus (1863–65). As executive officer of latter ship, he participated in operations along the James River and in attacks on and the surrender of Fort Fisher. He was also present at the surrender of Charleston, South Carolina (February 1865).

Lisbon, Ohio Village in Ohio, United States

Lisbon is a village in Center Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,821 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Columbiana County. Lisbon is located in the Salem, OH Micropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the southern regions of the greater Mahoning Valley.

A midshipman is an officer of the junior-most rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada, Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Kenya.

Africa The second largest and second most-populous continent, mostly in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres

Africa is the world's second largest and second most-populous continent, being behind Asia in both categories. At about 30.3 million km2 including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area. With 1.2 billion people as of 2016, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognised sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. The majority of the continent and its countries are in the Northern Hemisphere, with a substantial portion and number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

From 1866 to 1878 he was in command of vessels of war on the West India and Asiatic stations. His last duty, 1880‑82, was as lighthouse inspector on the Ohio River. Promoted to commander 25 September 1873, McCook died at Vineland, New Jersey, February 13, 1886.

Union blockade

The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading.

Asiatic Squadron

The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily involved in matters relating to American commerce with China and Japan, though it participated in several conflicts over 34 years of service until becoming the Asiatic Fleet in 1902.

Ohio River river in the eastern United States

The Ohio River, which flows southwesterly from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cairo, Illinois, is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River in the United States. At the confluence, the Ohio is considerably bigger than the Mississippi and, thus from a hydrological perspective, is the main stream of the whole river system.

Namesakes

Two ships have been named USS McCook for him.

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References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .