Samuel Cooper (general)

Samuel Cooper (September 21, 1798 – December 3, 1876) was a career United States Army officer who later became the highest-ranking general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Born in New Hackensack, New York, Cooper graduated from West Point in 1821 and served in the artillery. He held various posts in the U.S. Army, including aide-de-camp to General Winfield Scott and adjutant general of the army (1852-1861). His long service and administrative skills made him an expert in military organization and logistics.

Upon the secession of his adopted state of Virginia, Cooper resigned his U.S. Army commission and joined the Confederate Army. He was appointed Adjutant and Inspector General of the Confederate Army on March 16, 1861, a position he held throughout the entire war. This made him the highest-ranking officer in the Confederate Army, outranking even the more famous generals like Robert E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnston, and Stonewall Jackson in terms of formal rank.

Cooper's responsibilities included overseeing the recruitment, organization, and equipping of Confederate forces. He was responsible for the administrative functions of the army, handling correspondence, issuing orders, and maintaining records. While his role was primarily administrative, his expertise was critical in the early organization of the Confederacy's military.

After the Confederate defeat, Cooper retired to his farm near Alexandria, Virginia. He died in 1876 and is buried in the Christ Church Cemetery in Alexandria. While often overshadowed by field commanders, Samuel Cooper's organizational and administrative contributions were essential to the Confederate war effort.