An estimated 50,000 Canadians served in the American Civil War, and among them, four rose to the rank of General in the Union Army. One of the most notable was Jacob Dolson Cox, born in Montreal, Quebec.
Cox’s father, Jacob Dolson Cox Sr., was a contractor who, in 1828, worked on the roof of Montreal’s Church of Notre Dame. On October 27, 1828, his wife, Thelia, gave birth to Jacob Jr.
Raised in New York City, Cox initially contemplated careers in the navy or ministry, but ultimately enrolled at Oberlin College. In 1849, he married Helen Clarissa Finney, daughter of the college president. After graduating, he pursued law and politics, being called to the bar in 1853 and helping to organize the Republican Party in Ohio. By 1860, he was serving in the Ohio State Senate.
When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Cox was in ill health and had six young children (eventually eight). Despite this, he volunteered for military service. Already a Brigadier General in the Ohio militia, he took command of a recruiting camp near Columbus before joining the field, where he commanded brigades and divisions at the battles of South Mountain and Antietam.
After spending 1864 in administrative roles in Ohio, Cox returned to active duty with the 3rd Division of the XXIII Corps, under Major General John M. Schofield’s Army of the Ohio. He played a pivotal role in the Atlanta, Franklin-Nashville, and Carolinas campaigns. At the Battle of Franklin, Cox was credited with saving the centre of the Union line. On December 7, 1864, he was promoted to Major General and led the XXIII Corps at the Battle of Wyse Fork.
Following his military service, Cox transitioned seamlessly into politics. Mere days after being mustered out on January 1, 1866, he was elected Governor of Ohio, the first of several significant post-war positions. He later served briefly as Secretary of the Interior under President Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1870) and, in 1876, won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Reform Republican from Toledo. He declined an appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Spain offered by President William McKinley.
Cox also had a distinguished career outside politics. He served as President of the Toledo and Wabash Railroad, Dean of the Cincinnati Law School (1881–1897), and President of the University of Cincinnati (1885–1889). A prolific writer, from 1882 until his death, Cox authored multiple books on the Civil War, providing firsthand accounts and analysis of the conflict.
On August 4, 1900, while vacationing in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Cox passed away at the age of 71. He was laid to rest in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, leaving behind a legacy as a soldier, scholar, and statesman whose contributions bridged both Canada and the United States.
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