Colonel Melville Augustus Cochran
 

Kentucky Post, Saturday, 19 December 1896, page 8

Ft Thomas and the Highlands

Melville A Cochran will entertain a few friends with a dancing party on the evening of the 41st. Mr. Cochran will return to his studies in the east on Jan 3. Colonel and Mrs. Cochran have issued invitations for a reception on the evening of the 24th in honor of Mrs. Austin, Miss Smith and the Misses Hancock.

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Kentucky Post, Monday, 23 March 1903, page 5

Melville Cochran, who is so well known in this vicinity, expects to leave St Augustine and spend some time in New York.

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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 2 May 1903, page 5

NEWPORT SOCIETY

The news received here of the death of Mrs. Melville A Cochran at St Augustine, Fla. was received with great regret by the many friends of the family. Mrs. Cochran was well known in this vicinity as the wife of Col. Cochran commanding post for eight years and her many acts of kindness endeared her to all. For eight years Col. Cochran was in command of Ft Thomas.

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Kentucky Post, Friday,17 July 1903, page 2

Melville Cochran, 25 years of age, son of Col. Cochran of the Sixth Infantry USA, is dead at his home, 127 Marine Street, St Augustine, Fla. according to a dispatch. He received a medical education in Cincinnati. At one time Cochran was engaged in business in the Philippines, but was forced to go to Florida for his health.

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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 18 July 1903, page 5

FT THOMAS KY-July 18. The sad news was received here yesterday of the death at St Augustine, Fla. of Melville A Cochran Jr. youngest son of Col. M A Cochran, USA retired, formerly commanding officer of the Sixth Infantry at the post. Mel had hosts of friends in the three cities, who will regret to hear of his death.

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Kentucky Post, Saturday, 5 September 1903, page 4


Bowed down with grief over their recent double loss, Col. Melville E Cochran retired, who for many years was in command of "The Gallant Sixth" at Ft Thomas, and his youngest daughter, will spend a few weeks at the post, about which many happy memories cling. Colonel Cochran was for many years in command of the regiment that made a heroic record on Santiago Hill. He was retired at the breaking out of the Spanish-American War, in order to give some of the younger blood in the army a chance to distinguish themselves, and since that time has led a quiet life.

Col. Cochran was at the Grand Hotel Friday, making ready to remove his sick daughter from the Jewish Hospital to the home of friends at Ft Thomas. In April Col. Cochran lost his wife and two months later the youngest son died. The grizzled veterans grief was not more poignant than that of the daughter, who became prostrated and was sent to the Jewish Hospital.

Col. Cochran is proud of his son, Percy, who is stationed in Alaska, and was recently promoted to a captaincy. The younger man will shortly be transferred to the army in the Philippines and will said for the Island of Mindanao in October. Notwithstanding the weight of three score years which has passed over the head of Col. Cochran, his cares have not taken from him the distinguished military bearing, which made him a noteworthy figure in Cincinnati in the days when he was in command at Ft Thomas.

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Kentucky Post, Wednesday, 4 May 1904, page 1

Disappointment because illness prevented his serving at the front and grief over the death of his wife and son within a year, are believed to have been partly responsible for the death of Col. Melville Augustus Cochran, former commandant at Ft Thomas Ky. who passed away at Jacksonville Fla. Tuesday night, according to a dispatch. Had he lived a few months longer, friends are confident he would have been honored by promotion to the rank of Brigadier General, as allowed under a bill passed by the late Congress.

With Col. Cochran at the time of his decease were his daughters, Mrs. Capt. Bennett and Miss Katherine Cochran. A son, Capt. Perry M Cochran, is at the head of his company in the faraway Philippines, ignorant that his father has fought and lost his last great battle.

The body will be taken to Washington for burial.

He was a native of Maine and was in his third year at Bowdon College when the Civil War began. With others in his class he promptly enlisted, the degree of B A being conferred on him, though his course was not completed. He was made a Captain in the Sixteenth Infantry, serving with bravery throughout the Civil War and being vetted Major in 1863. In 1879 he became Major of the Twelfth Infantry and in 1883 Lieutenant Colonel of the Fifth Regiment. He succeeded to the Colonelcy of the Sixth Regiment, USA at Ft Thomas in 1890, when Alexander McDowell McCook became a Brigadier General.

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Kentucky Post, Tuesday, 30 January 1906, page 5

The marriage of Miss Katherine Mortimer Cochran, daughter of the late Colonel M A Cochran of the Sixth Infantry and Lieut. Ralph Kingman, of the Sixteenth Infantry, which was celebrated on Saturday evening, at Christ Church, Cincinnati, will interest quite a number of Kentuckians.

Miss Cochran being a social favorite over here. The church was beautiful in decoration. The altar was banked with palms, intermingled with Easter lilies. The bride in an exquisite lace robe, with a veil of lace, an heirloom worn by Lieut. Kingman's grandmother and carrying a white prayer book with a cluster of lilies of the valley, entered on the arm of her brother, Capt. Percy Madison Cochran, who gave her away. The maid of honor, Miss Louise Dameron, of New York City and the bridesmaid, Miss Caroline Jennings, of Rochester NY were dressed alike in white net, wearing bridesmaids veils and carrying Easter lilies.

Edwin Watkins, of New York, was best man. The ushers were T Was Buckingham, of Memphis, Dan Kingman of Atlanta; Fred Kingman of Cleveland; Lieut. John Scott, Fourth Infantry, Ft Thomas; Frank Stinson, Cincinnati; and Lieut. John Kingman of Ft Leavenworth Kansas. and Coleman Avery of Cincinnati.

Lieut. and Mrs. Kingman expect to sail from San Francisco on the Sherman on Feb 15 for the Philippines.

 

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