JASON WALKER COOPER -- 34th INFANTRYTWO BROTHERS FROM COOPERSVILLE - Exactly two months after PresidentLincoln's first call for men, on June 15, 1861, the 34th Infantry wasmustered at Albany to serve for 2 years. Although it was known as theHerkimer Regiment because 5 companies were from Herkimer County, theyrecruited the other 5 companies from all over northeastern New York.Company D was recruited in Champlain. Two brothers from the local areaenlisted in 1861 -- Henry Johnson Cooper enlisted in Company D on May22nd and his brother, Jason Walker Cooper, enlisted on October 14th.They were the sons of Ezra Edgerton Cooper and Fanny Maria Johnson.The first contingent of men, including 18-year-old Henry who had beenmustered in as a sergeant, left for Washington on July 3rd, to join theArmy of the Potomac. At first, the 34th stayed in the Washington area,then they were ordered to Edward's Ferry and Poolesville, MD, where theyestablished Camp McClellan. It was at this camp that Jason joined hisbrother after he was mustered in on October 14th.The regiment stayed in camp for the winter and then were sent to theSiege of Yorktown for the month of April 1862. Henry somehow becamedisabled there and was discharged on May 24th. By this time, theregiment had moved on and they had their first major battle at Fair Oakson May 31st where they had almost 100 casualties.Jason, who had been promoted corporal, continued fighting for the nextyear - the Seven Days\' Battles in June where they received 60 morecasualties - September at Antietam, their worst engagement, with 33killed in action, 13 mortally wounded, 98 injuries and 10 who werecaptured or went missing - December at Fredericksburg - at Marye'sHeights in May 1863, their last battle. At the end of June, the regimentwas mustered out in Albany.Henry lived until 1942 and died just 4 months short of his 100thBirthday. After his wife, Anna Code, died in 1826, he went to Seattle,WA, to live with his daughter. His body was brought back to Minnesota,where he had worked for years, and was buried in the Oakland Cemetery inSt. Paul with his wife and near his parents and other members of hisfamily who had moved there right after the Civil War.Like his father, Jason became a successful businessman in Minnesota, andin his retirement, moved to California. He was buried in the Forest LawnMemorial Park in Glendale, CA, in 1925. Sarah Hall Dougan, who he hadmarried in Minnesota in 1875, lived until 1932 and was buried besidehim.
