Park View in Portsmouth, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
John K. Cooke
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, April 10, 2026
1. John K. Cooke Marker
Colonel John Cooke was born in Portsmouth, Virginia and resided at 809 Dinwiddie Street. He was the son of Mordecai Cook and a graduate of Princeton College, New Jersey.
In 1832 he was a Lieutenant in the troop of cavalry which left this city to take part in the repulse of the Nat Turner Rebellion in Southampton County. Virginia. During the Mexican War he was a 1st Lieutenant of Company F, 1st Virginia Volunteers.
In 1836 President Tyler appointed Cooke the United States Consul to Havana, Cuba. Later he was appointed Postmaster of the City of Portsmouth and in 1859 he was elected President of the City Council. At the outbreak of hostilities, he joined General Lee's Army and served as Postmaster of the Army of Northern Virginia until after the battle of Gettysburg. He then was transferred to the Quartermaster Department in Southwestern Virginia.
His son, Major Giles Cooke, was on the staff of General Robert E. Lee and served with him through the surrender at Appomattox.
Erected 2008 by Stonewall Camp # 380, SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans).
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 36° 50.35′ N, 76° 18.442′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, Virginia. It is in Park View. It can be reached from Fort Lane, on the right when traveling north. The Marker is located in Cedar Grove Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 Fort Lane, Chesapeake VA 23322, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads, specifically in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, April 10, 2026
2. John K. Cooke Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mordecai Cooke (here, next to this marker); Fannie Murdaugh Downing (within shouting distance of this marker); Captain William H. Murdaugh (within shouting distance of this marker); This Bell (within shouting distance of this marker); Brigadier General Archibald Campbell Godwin (within shouting distance of this marker); Roll of Honor (within shouting distance of this marker); Portsmouth Confederate Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles R. McAlpine, M.D. (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portsmouth.
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, April 10, 2026
3. John K. Cooke Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2026, by C. Ryan Dodson of Danville, Virginia. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 17, 2026, by C. Ryan Dodson of Danville, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
