312 Union General Joseph A. Cooper: Tennessee's Forgotten Civil War Warrior
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This is the little-known story of the military career of General Joseph A. Cooper during the American Civil War. He was one of the few men to rise from the rank of private to general. He grew up in Campbell County, TN. He crossed the Appalachian Mountains with a group of other Unionists to join the Federal army in Kentucky. He later became colonel of the 6th Tennessee Infantry Regiment and then general of a division under General Sherman during his campaign to take Atlanta. Cooper returned to Tennessee to fight the Battle of Nashville in December 1864.
After the war, Cooper completed his service by commanding the Tennessee State Guard after appointment by Governor William Brownlow. He is buried in Knoxville’s National Cemetery.
Norman Shaw
Norman Shaw graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1972 with a degree in political science and history. The following year he graduated with a degree in public administration, also from the University of Tennessee. In 1979 he graduated from the Memphis State School of Law. He was the founder of the Civil War Roundtable in 1983 and served three terms as president of the group.