Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-10-17
CORRESPOND ENCE.
Joe Cooper of Tennessee.

THE COMMANDER OF BRowNLow's MILITIA
From Special Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, October ~.
Prejudlced people, who were ready to believe
any ISLANDERS against the loyal Tennessceans, and
skim-milk people who did not understand the
position Of affairs in that State, have looked upon
" Brownlow's Militia" as n most unworthy and
discreditablc organization. The truth is just the
reverse. Every wise man knows you must Eight
the devil with fire." and the men who fought In
Tennessee for the Union, for Emancipation, and
for Enfranchisement became convinced, early in
the struggle, that 1t was the devils own spirit
with which they had 10 contend. They, there
tore, adopted childish policy, but that of full
grown men. They carried the conflict to n sue
cessful Issue, and we doubt ii there is any set OF
political leaders in the country more worthy to
be termed Statesmen than Governor Brownlow
and the men who rallied around him. The re-
suit of events has justified them, and restored,
free, courageous, Tennessee, loyal to the core of
her organization, enlisting all her true sons In
her councils and her labors, adopting good sys-
TEN of free education, is about to enter on a
career which will show she was worth fighting
for, and will indicate the wise policy of those
who gained her control.
But we have wandered somewhat Among the
agencies which have been employed to check the
enemy, within the past year, is the organization
under law Of the last Legislature, of the Ten
nessee State Militia at the head of which il Cen
cral Joe Cooper, aud of whom we are going to
my few complimentary words, He deserves 1t.
Upon the roll of Union heroes, who left East
Tennessee to fight for the Union, his name was
one OF the very first 1t was in June, 1861. when
lar md hat
found itself checked among the patriotic noun
tains of East Tennessee, that convention met
at Grcenville, to decide what course that section
of the State should take. The Western portion
was hopelessly rebel, it remains to this day, SO
iir as white men and women are concerned, but
the ha rdy Mountaineers who read the Knoxville
Wig, and sworc by "Parson" Brownlow, were
faithful to the Republic.
| In the Convention, it was resolved to eff .ct n
military organization In the three Congressional
districts which were there represented. Only one
district however, could be organized. The first
company in it was raised in Campbell county
chiefly through tho exeriions of Joseph Cooper.
Tho men were recruited secretly, quietly, for the
country swarmed with spies, cut-throats, and
guerrias, In the service of the rebellion. On the
last day of July they were ready to leave for the
guides, T. j. Rogers, Jackson Cannon, and Syl-
vester Cooper, divided the recruits into three
| squads, that they might the better avoid discov-
cry us they traverscd the country, and then him
self set out at once to scout in advance of them.
| The tnen followed, starting on the night OF Aug.
LIST. By mountain paths, through valleys along
streams, following only unfrequented roads, OBJ
aiming secret help and succor from the Union
men whom their leader had seen and engaged 10
help, they pursued their way, and arrived finally
at the Union lines, at Williamsburg, KY. Here,
the men chose by reclamation Joe Cooper Tor
| their Capt ain, and they were mustered in as 20.
| A., of the First loyal Tennessee Regiment. By
| August 21st it was completed, and X. X. Byrd,
whom the Greenvle Convention had named as
Enthusiastically WINS mustered In as the Colonel
| of the Regiment.
OF Joe Cooper's course throughout the wal, by
| which he rose to be Breyet Major General we
have not space to say. We desired in this, only
to tell the story of the early days of the war,
| when he was at the head of the first handful in
his State who rose from amid the swelling mass
OF treason to fight for the unity of the Republic
Last spring, when the question of the Guberna-
toriai nomination came up, there was some who
hesltated about Brownlow, on account chiefly of
his physical inhrmaties. Cooper set out at once
to canvass the State, visiting oil the Union
Leagues and urging. upon the members the i'm
portance OF re-nominating the fre-tried Cover
| nor. He cited the example of Maryland, betrayed
by the unprincipled Swami. and urged that this
was no time to run any risks. AS for his health
u was not good, certainly, but William q. Brown
lows dead body, set up In the State House had
more terror for Tennessee rebels, than any five
| living men
The result was the unanimous denomination
of Brownlow.
Joe Cooper, to-day, y plain, frank, honest
looking fellow, with a clear, light eye, and fair
hair, and very little bearded. Ho speaks calmly
but earnestly and plainly, and looks you In the
eye us he does SO. The close waistcoat with eagle
buttons gives the only hint of the service he has
done. II you converse with him, you will find
General Cooper very much In earnest about Ten
nessee very devoted to her political and material
progress, and looking with great interest and
anxiety to me success of the system of popular
education which is Just now being organized, with
that fine fellow, bold soldier, good editor, and
skilled educator, John Eaton, Jr., Of the Mem
PMS iost, at LIS head, as State Superintendent
~ is said Joe Cooper Is talked of strongly for
United States Senator in Tennessee, to succeed
son-in-law Patterson. He thinks his chances of
II not the worst. We do not know that he is a
Detter man Or has stronger claims than chivalrous,
patriotic Horace Maynard, or hard hitting, reso-
lnie Stokes, but If Tennessee does send the Gene
ral OF her State militia she will have o Senator
Wno VII neysr Ego back" slther on herself or