Headstone for Confederate general dedicated at Fort Washita (OK)
Confederate Brigadier General Douglas Hancock Cooper
A headstone dedication was held Saturday for Confederate Brigadier General Douglas Hancock Cooper at the Fort Washita Confederate Cemetery. The event was organized by Clem Vann Rogers, Camp 481 Sons of Confederate Veterans Oklahoma City.
Cooper also served in the Mexican-American War and he was a Federal Indian Agent for the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes.
Eric McBroom, commander of Oklahoma City camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans, said this began as a project of Kevin Easterling, who is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
“General Cooper has never had a formal gravestone until the research and dedication of compatriot Kevin Easterling culminated in him acquiring one from the Veterans Administration - an unnecessary and unfortunately daunting task to undertake,” McBroom said. “Kevin has been recently honored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy with the Jefferson Davis award for his efforts to get General Cooper’s grave marked with full military honors. If it were not for him, we would not be here doing this today.
Easterling said that upon coming to Oklahoma in 1991 after Desert Storm, Dr. James Castor told him about General Cooper being in an unmarked grave. Easterling wanted to obtain a marker to pay respects to General Cooper, something that was never done.
“I decided about four years ago, I’m going to get the man a marker, one way or another,” Easterling said. “So, I went to …