Milton B. Cochran, M. D., was born in Cambridge. Franklin county. Vermont. June 7th, 1828, and moved with his parents to Milan, Erie county, Ohio, in 1836. His father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and his grandfather was a Lieutenant in the Vermont volunteers in the Revolutionary war.
The early education of Dr. Cochran was obtained in the district schools and the Huron Institute in Milan. In 1849 he commenced the study of medicine under Dr. L. Galpin, of Milan, and graduated from the medical department of the Western Reserve College, of Cleveland. Ohio, in 1851. After his graduation he went to Delaware county, Ohio, where he resided until 1854, when he moved to Iowa City. Iowa.
He enlisted in what became Company F, First Iowa Cavalry, in April, 1861, and upon the organization of the regiment he was commissioned Surgeon. He served with the regiment until November, 1862, when he was detached to serve as Medical Director of the Third Division of the Army of the Frontier. He was with the Army of the Frontier in all its marches and engagements from its organization until it was disbanded, and was appointed Medical Director of that army in March, 1863. In June, 1863, he was ordered to accompany Major General Herron to Vicksburg, Mississippi, as Surgeon-in-Chief of the left wing of the investing forces. After the capture of Vicksburg he accompanied the army to Yazoo, Port Hudson, Morganza and New Orleans.
At his own request, in October he was ordered to rejoin the First Iowa, then at Little Rock, Arkansas. Arriving at Little Rock late in November, he was at once assigned to the Cavalry Division of the Seventh Corps, under Brigadier General Davidson, as Surgeon-in-Chief, in which position he remained until March following. When the army under Major General Steele commenced the Camden expedition, he was assigned Medical Director of the Seventh Corps in the field. After the army reached Camden, Arkansas, Surgeon Cochran was ordered to accompany a detachment of the Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry and the Seventy-seventh Ohio to Pine Bluff, to obtain supplies for the army; and on the 25th of April the escort, consisting of about 1.500 infantry, two sections of artillery, and one company of cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel Drake, of the Thirty-sixth Iowa, was attacked by a large body of rebel cavalry under Major General Fegan, fresh from the repulse of Major General Banks on Red river, and the entire command, except a few of the cavalry, after a most stubborn fight was killed or captured. Of the artillery every man and horse was killed or wounded. The rebels held the field. After a week of captivity, Surgeon Cochran was released on the promise that he would send hospital supplies for the wounded, (about 500 in all,) both Union and rebel forces being destitute. Two days after Surgeon Cochran reached Pine Bluff, sent back the supplies promised, and went to Little Rock, where he joined the First Iowa again, to return to Iowa on veteran furlough.
In May, 1864, he was appointed Assistant Surgeon United States Volunteers, but his commission did not reach him until the August following, when he resigned as Surgeon of the First Iowa Cavalry, and was assigned to hospital duty at Jefferson Barracks. Missouri,
In September he was appointed Chief of the Medical Examining Board of Surgeons, and sent to Benton Barracks. The duty of the board was to examine all drafted men and substitutes of the Department of the Missouri, The circular of the Adjutant General of the Army directing the Surgeon General to establish these Examining Boards, directed that the medical officers constituting them “should be selected so as to give some of the best talent of the medical corps for the especial purpose of examining recruits.”
Surgeon Cochran remained at Benton Barracks as long as the board was in existence, and was then ordered to take charge of the military hospital at Alton. Illinois. In April he was ordered to take charge of the General Hospital at Benton Barracks, Missouri, where he remained until November, 1865. when he was ordered to Iowa City to be mustered out of service. In May he was commissioned Surgeon of United States Volunteers, and on November 1st, 1865, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel by brevet.
In 1866 he removed from Iowa City to Davenport, where he resided until 1884, when he removed to Shawano, Wisconsin. In 1890 he returned to Iowa City, his present home.
He was one of the organizers of the State Historical Society of Iowa, of which he was two years corresponding secretary: was president of the Iowa State Medical Society in 1863; was elected a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1889; and has always been an active member of the local medical and scientific organizations in places in which he has resided.
SOURCE: Charles H. Lothrop, A History Of The First Regiment Iowa Cavalry Veteran Volunteers, p. 323-4
