The gate to Montgomery Cemetery, located in Norristown, Pennsylvania. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 10:30 AM on Sunday, May 8, 2011, by Andre Mammino.
Founded in 1847, the Montgomery Cemetery, located in Norristown, Pennsylvania, is home to a number of generals from the Civil War. Today we will take a look at the grave of Brigadier General Samuel K. Zook. Special thanks to Gettysburg Daily reader Andre Mammino for providing photography and historical information for this series.
The cemetery is located off of Hartranft Avenue where it intersects with Jackson Street in Norristown. The blue “Z” marks the grave of Brig. General Samuel Zook in Section G of the cemetery. A map with the cemetery sections can be found on the website of the Historical Society of Montgomery County.
Samuel Zook’s grave is located here in Section G. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 10:30 AM on Sunday, May 8, 2011, by Andre Mammino.
Samuel Zook’s father David Zook is buried next to him. Born David “Zug,” the name was changed to “Zook” when he was a boy. David Zook’s family moved to the Montgomery County area in 1880, purchasing the home of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene in Valley Forge (Greene served as Washington’s quartermaster during the Continental Army’s famous winter encampment). This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 10:30 AM on Sunday, May 8, 2011, by Andre Mammino.
Samuel K. Zook was born on March 27, 1821. His parents, of Amish descent, had given him the Amish surname of “Kurtz,” which would serve as his middle name. At some point in his life, he decided to drop Kurtz in favor of “Kosciuszko,” after Polish military hero, Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kosciuszko. This view was taken circa 1860 and is courtesy of the Library of Congress.
After serving in the Pennsylvania militia at 19, Samuel Zook moved to New York and worked in telegraphy and electrical sciences until joining the 6th New York, a 90-day regiment, at the start of the Civil War. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 10:00 AM on Sunday, May 8, 2011, by Andre Mammino.
By July of 1863, Zook was a United States Brigadier General. He was mortally wounded near this location on July 2, 1863. He was hit in the shoulder, chest, and abdomen, and died in a house on the Baltimore Pike on July 3, 1863. The small obelisk that serves as his memorial was dedicated on July 25, 1882, and is located here, next to the Wheatfield. This view was taken facing east at approximately 4:45 PM on Tuesday, October 12, 2010.
Zook’s body was first sent to New York City, where it would lay in state at the Governor’s Room in City Hall. His father, David Zook, at the age of 73, upon hearing news of his son’s death ordered that the body be shipped to Norristown, where it was interred here at Montgomery Cemetery. David Zook would die the next spring, in 1864. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 10:00 AM on Sunday, May 8, 2011, by Andre Mammino.
This sign provides more information about the Historical Society of Montgomery County. Thanks again to Gettysburg Daily reader Andre Mammino for providing these photographs. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 10:00 AM on Sunday, May 8, 2011, by Andre Mammino.