Alexander C. Hosmer

Alexander C. Hosmer was born in Sandusky on September 9, 1840. His father, Sidney S. Hosmer, was an early Sandusky merchant.

According to the American Civil War Soldiers database, available at Ancesty Library Edition, Alexander C. Hosmer enlisted in Company B of the 101st Ohio Volunteer Infantry on July 22, 1862. He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on January 4, 1863. Some of Alexander's war experiences are described in the book LETTERS HOME, written by Jay Caldwell Butler, a friend of Alexander C. Hosmer. (See the Sandusky Library or the Hayes Presidential Center's Library to view this title.) Jay calls his friend "Alick" in his letters home.

On May 11, 1864, Alexander C. Hosmer was injured in the Battle of Rockyface Ridge in Tennessee. He died from his wounds the following day. On page 202 of the book STORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST OHIO INFANTRY, by Lewis W. Day, we read that Alexander C. Hosmer received every possible attention at the field hospital, under the care of Dr. T. M. Cook. Lieutenant Hosmer was "brave almost to recklessness," and he fell at his post.

Alexander C. Hosmer is buried near his parents, in the North Ridge section of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. His brother, Theodore Hosmer, named his son Alexander, in honor of his fallen brother.

Dr. Thomas M. Cook, Civil War Surgeon

Dr. Thomas M. Cook is pictured in STORY OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST OHIO INFANTRY: A MEMORIAL VOLUME, by Lewis W. Day, available at Google Books. The photograph was taken by W. A. Bishop, a Sandusky photographer, in 1894. Dr. Thomas M. Cook was the regimental and brigade surgeon of the 101st Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Dr. Cook enrolled at Monroeville, Ohio on August 12, 1861. He was appointed Brigade Surgeon in September of 1862,and he was mustered out with his unit on June 12, 1865 at Camp Harker, Tennessee.


A biography of Dr. T. M. Cook's twin brother, James Hervey Cook, which appeared in the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY, ed. by A.J. Baughman, states that the Cook family traces its roots back to the Mayflower. Thomas and James Cook were born to Jabez and Hannah Cook, in Richland County, Ohio on September 3, 1816. Dr. Thomas McCurdy Cook died in Sandusky on March 13, 1896. He is buried near his wife and son, Dr. Alta Cook, in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Dr. Cook was highly respected by his family, friends, and the community.