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Howell CobbAmerican political figure
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Howell Cobb: A Statesman and Confederate General
- Governor and Treasury Secretary
- Secession and Confederate Service
- Post-War Life and Legacy
Howell Cobb: A Statesman and Confederate General
Early Life and Political CareerHowell Cobb, an American politician, was born in 1815 in Jefferson County, Georgia. In 1836, after graduating from the University of Georgia, he was appointed solicitor general of Georgia's western judicial circuit. Cobb soon entered politics and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia, where he served four consecutive terms. In the 31st Congress (1849-1851), Cobb was Speaker of the House.
Throughout his congressional tenure, Cobb proved a loyal supporter of the Union. He backed President Jackson's stance on nullification, President Polk's Mexican-American War, and despite being a pro-slavery expansionist, he supported the Compromise of 1850.
Governor and Treasury Secretary
In 1850, Cobb was elected governor of Georgia. After three years, he resigned to return to Congress. However, his stay was brief as President Buchanan appointed him Secretary of the Treasury.
Secession and Confederate Service
Abraham Lincoln's election transformed Cobb from a Unionist into a secessionist. He resigned his federal post and dedicated himself to Georgia's secession and the formation of a new nation. As chairman of the Six States Convention in February 1861, Cobb served as the provisional president of the Confederate States of America for two weeks, from February 4 to 18.
After a year in the Confederate Congress, Cobb believed his talents would be better served in the field and resigned to join the army as a brigadier general. His brigade saw action in several key battles, including South Mountain, the prelude to Antietam. In September 1863, Cobb was promoted to major general, the rank he held when he surrendered in his native Georgia in April 1864.
Post-War Life and Legacy
After the war, Howell Cobb lived a short time, passing away in 1868. Throughout his political and military career, he played a significant role in American history and remains remembered as a noteworthy figure in the antebellum and Civil War eras.
