COOKE, Jonx ESTEN (1830-86). An Ameri can novelist. He was born at Winchester. Va.. the son of a distinguished lawyer, John Rogers Cooke, and brother of Philip Pendleton Cooke (q.v.). He studied law, but showed early a lit erary bent, and published several books before he was twenty-five. Among these was his best work, The 1 irginia Comedians a Colonial romance uneven in merit, yet full of a promise not destined to be realized. on account in part of the strenuous experiences its author underwent during and after the Civil War. He entered the Confederate service on Stonewall Jackson's stall', and on the death of the latter was transferred to the stall' of Gen. J. E. B. Stuart. Later he was inspector-general of the horse artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia. From the close of the war until his death his pen was rarely idle. Novels dealing with military events in Virginia and biographies of the great generals under whom he had served were produced with a speed fatal to high literary art. hut they did not pre
vent his work having distinct literary and his torical value as representing the thoughts, feel ings, and experiences of an active participant in the stirring events of the war and reconstruction periods. The most popular of his military nov els is Sorry of Eagle's :Vest (1800). which is to be partly autobiographical. A complete list of his publications is not necessary, but the following may be mentioned as impor tant: Leather Stocking and Silk (1854); The Youth of Jefferson (1854) ; Ellie, or the Human Comedy (1555); Henry Saint John, Gentleman (1859), a sequel to Virginia Comedians; ing of the Gray (1867) and its sequel, Mohan; or, the Last Days of Lee and His Paladins (1868) ; Life of Stonewall Jackson (1863, 1876); Life of R. E. Lee (1871) ; and Virginia: A History of the People (1883), an excellent book contributed to the "American CO111111011 wealths Series."