Samuel Cooper (general)

Samuel Cooper
Born	(1798-06-12)June 12, 1798 New Hackensack, New York, US
Died	December 3, 1876(1876-12-03) (aged 78) Alexandria, Virginia, US
Place of burial	Christ Church Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia, US
Allegiance	United States Confederate States
Service/branch	United States Army (USA) Confederate States Army (CSA)
Years of service	1815–1861 (USA) 1861–1865 (CSA)
Rank	Colonel (USA) General (CSA)
Commands held	Adjutant general Inspector general
Battles/wars	Second Seminole War Mexican–American War American Civil War

Samuel Cooper (June 12, 1798 – December 3, 1876) was a career United States Army staff officer, serving during the Second Seminole War and the Mexican–American War. Although little-known today, Cooper was technically the highest-ranking general officer in the Confederate States Army throughout the American Civil War, even outranking Robert E. Lee. After the conflict, Cooper remained in Virginia as a farmer.