"Lawyer and Confederate general Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb was born on Cherry Hill Plantation in Jefferson County, Ga. When he was young, Cobb and his family moved to Athens, where he attended the University of Georgia, graduating at the top of his class. Cobb was admitted to the bar in 1842 and took the position of reporter for the state Supreme Court. While manning this position, he published a number of legal works, most notably a Digest of Georgia Laws (1851). Known for his religious zeal as a revivalist, Cobb brought the same intensity of spirit to his demand for better schools—which he believed should not only educate, but shape the morals of young men and women. To serve the educational needs of young women, he helped establish the Lucy Cobb Institute, named for his recently deceased daughter, in 1859. He also established the Lumpkin Law School at the University of Georgia that same year. Early on Cobb was a Unionist in his political sentiments, though he vigorously defended slavery. But when Lincoln was elected and secession became inevitable, Cobb joined the chorus calling for separation from the Union. On November 12, 1860 he delivered a powerful speech before the Georgia legislature calling for secession. Elected to the Provincial Congress of the Confederate States of America, he served on the judiciary and printing committees, and the committee which drafted the Confederate Constitution, the original draft of which is thought to be in his handwriting. But Cobb was argumentative and did not get along well with many of the other legislators, not understanding why his suggestions were not immediately implemented. He raised his own regiment of troops—the Cobb's Legion—and led them into war as a commissioned colonel, serving in the battles of Seven Days, Second Manassas, and Sharpsburg. In October of 1862 he took command of a brigade formerly led by his brother Howell Cobb, and was promoted to brigadier general. He was killed defending a wall at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Cobb is buried in Oconee Hills Cemetery in Athens."
[This biographical sketch of Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb appears with the gracious permission of Ed Jackson, at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia. It is reprinted from the Institute's This Day in Georgia History] [[See also: Edwin Anderson Alderman & Joel Chandler Harris (eds.), Library of Southern Literature 89 (New Orleans: Martin & Hoyt Co., 1910) (1907) (Vol. 15, Biographical Dictionary of Authors, Lucian Lamar Knight ed.)]
Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb was born at Cherry Hill in Jefferson County, Georgia on April 10, 1823. His parents were John A. Cobb and Sarah Rootes Cobb. They were married at Fredericksburg, Virginia. Thomas was the younger brother of Howell Cobb. Cobb graduated from the University of Georgia (1841), studied law and was admitted to the bar (1842). He served as assistant secretary to the state senate, and as a Supreme Court reporter from 1849 to 1857. During this period, he edited twenty legal books. He codified the laws of the state of Georgia, producing a book that "...a was unique in America both by reason of its method, its comprehensiveness, and the clearness of its language." (Dictionary of American Biography) Cobb was an ardent secessionist, often making speeches and contributing to newspapers in support of the movement. He also wrote An inquiry into the law of Negro slavery (1858) and A historical sketch of slavery from the earliest periods (1859)
After the election of Abraham Lincoln, Cobb spoke to the Georgia General Assembly advocating secession. Alexander Stephens said that because of Cobb's force and eloquence, he was the most potent influence in taking Georgia out of the Union. (A constitutional view of the late War Between the States. volume II, page 321.) The legislature declined to act, but passed an act that required the governor to convene a state convention. Cobb was selected as a member of the convention and was a very active member, advocating secession. After the convention vote for secession, Cobb was selected to rewrite the state constitution. He and his brother were selected to attend the confederate assembly at Montgomery. The younger Cobb was appointed to the committee responsible for writing the Confederate constitution.
Although he did not have any experience in the military, Cobb wanted to serve the Confederacy by being in the army. He raised Cobb's Legion and was commissioned a colonel on August 28, 1861. The legion served in North Carolina, on the Virginia peninsula, and in the James River fortifications. It suffered terribly at Antietam. Cobb stated that he lost "the flower of my battalion." He commanded the Legion until he was promoted to Brigadier General on November 1, 1862. Cobb was mortally wounded in the thigh at the Battle of Fredericksburg, while his brigade was defending the stonewall at the foot of Mayre's Heights. He died within sight of the house that his father and mother were married.
He left a widow, Marion Lumpkin Cobb, the daughter of the Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Henry Lumpkin. Three of Cobb's children lived past childhood, Callendar, Belle, and Marion. Marion married Hoke Smth, a prominent Georgia politician, who served at the national level.
http://www.cobbslegion.com/cobb_biography.shtml
It was always thought that General Cobb, commander of Cobb's Georgia Legion, was killed by a Federal shell during the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia during the Confederate war, but from what we learned last week from an old Confederate of Phillip's Legion, who lives at Lost Mountain, such was not the case, but he was killed by a Confederate soldier who lived at Lost Mountain before enlisting, whose name he gave us, but which we will not publish for family reasons. This gentleman informed us that while on a march he and this Confederate soldier and others stopped as they crossed a creek to get some water and fill their canteens, General Cobb rode up and commanded them to pour the water out of their canteens and move on. The Confederate soldier, noted for his courage, told General Cobb he wouldn't do it, General Cobb drew his sword and told him he would use it on him if he didn't obey. The Confederate soldier replied to "use it." General Cobb put up his sword, drew his pistol and rode up to the defying soldier and said, "If you don't pour that water out of that canteen at once, I will shoot your head off." The soldier madly replied, "Sir, you can kill me, but you can't scare me. I will not pour out the water. Now shoot me," and with that remark the old Confederate soldier pulled apart his shirt front and said, "Shoot me." General Cobb put up his pistol and rode off. The Confederate soldier called out to him, "I will kill you the first opportunity I get."
At the battle of Fredericksburg, this gentleman tells us that he and another Confederate soldier were sent back to the rear to get some ammunition. The fighting was not raging at that time, but just occasional firing on both sides. While he was waiting in full view of the lines, he saw General Cobb ride up on his horse in front, then a shot was fired near where Phillip's Legion was in line. General Cobb fell from his horse shot through the hip and thigh, from which he died. This old Confederate soldier, on returning to the ranks, accosted the soldier who had threatened General Cobb's life and asked, "Sam, did you shoot General Cobb?" "Well, I got him." Shortly after that Sam was shot by a Federal through the breast and was placed in the hospital. This old Confederate soldier went to see him and said, "Sam, you are going to die and I want you to tell me did you kill General Cobb?" He replied. "I did. I always do what I say I will." The man died, and in the "great beyond" the private and the General met face to face, the avenger and the victim.
—from the Marietta Journal, March 21, 1901.
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