Veterans Column: Charles Cook's viral gold watch story
In July of 1881 in Brownsville, Ohio, Civil War Veteran Captain Charles A. Cook was ordered to pay $32.00 for slapping George Morrison who said he “Hoped to God that President Garfield would die” after Garfield was shot during an assassination attempt.
Cook wrote a letter to the governor on July 29 asking for the arrest of Morrison. That letter was probably how news leaked out of Cook’s plight. The editor of the Cincinnati Commercial paper ran the story and decided to help Cook pay his court costs. On August 3, the paper advertised that they would sell subscriptions to the paper for one cent to pay the fine of Cook. The next day, according to an article in the paper 3,200 residents of Cincinnati had contributed to the fund. The paper reported that they had “The pleasure of sending the money by Adams Express, with a letter to Captain Cook informing him what had been done and telling him that a list of subscribers who had enjoyed the privilege of giving one cent each would be forwarded him and he would find the names of Democrats as well as Republicans, and of Confederate and National Soldiers, and that the workingmen in the shops of Cincinnati had been especially zealous and were very largely represented.”
The story was picked up by papers across the United States and Canada. Subscriptions came in from all over as people eagerly sought to help Cook who had been dubbed, “The defender of the nation.” Within a month, 100,000 subscribers had donated a penny. The paper decided to use some of the money to purchase Cook an engraved gold watch. The Chicago Tribune described the watch in an article on Sept. 2, 1881. The watch had been shipped to Sprague’s jewelry store in Newark and was on display in the front window.
“The watch is an eighteen-carat stem-winding Elgin with extra nickel adjusted works. The case is of Louis XIV style with raised colored gold edge, elaborately ornamented and engraved.” The front of the watch was engraved, “To Charles Albert Cook, from the one cent fund by 100,000 subscribers.” On the back was a Bald Eagle with wings spread to take flight surrounded by 13 stars. On the inside is inscribed, “The war is now ended, peace reigns in the land. Our muskets we’ll stack and our troops we’ll disband. But still as good soldiers, wherever we rove, prove true to our banner of beauty and love.” Below that was engraved a quote from Cook and his signature. “I claim no honor nor seek no notoriety for performing a simple duty.” The gold chain was described as “a heavy curb, fourteen-carat gold chain, and attached to which is a beautiful locket with fancy engraving on one side and on the other Cook’s monogram and above it is executed a small clenched fist.”
The article in the Chicago paper went on to report that Captain Cook was simply overcome when the watch was given him and his eyes filled with tears.” He then wrote an open letter to the Cincinnati Commercial publisher. “I wish to acknowledge the receipt this morning of the gold watch, chain, and locket purchased from the One Cent fund. When I think how the performance of a simple duty in the streets of the village has attracted public attention and enlisted public sympathy, it is hard for me to express myself.” The paper also wrote that, “George Morrison, the villain who ‘wished to God Garfield would die’ and whom Cook struck was in Newark last Sunday and was seen standing before Sprague’s store, viewing the Cook watch with ill-concealed embarrassment and chagrin.”
Andy Warhol is quoted as saying, “everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes”, Cook’s 15 minutes wasn’t over yet.
Doug Stout is the Veterans Project Coordinator for the Licking County Library. You may contact him at 740-349-5571 or dstout@lickingcountylibrary.org. His book "Never Forgotten: The Stories of Licking County Veterans" is available for purchase at the library or online at bookbaby.com.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Veterans Column: Charles Cook's Gold Watch
