Introduction

Biography

Christopher was the son of Me­thod­ist preach­er Lu­ther J. Cox and Ma­ria Ca­the­rine Keen­er, bro­ther of Sam­uel Cox, and hus­band of Am­an­da North­rop.

He gra­du­at­ed from Yale Col­lege (1835) and me­di­cal school in Bal­ti­more (1838), then stu­died me­di­cine in Hei­del­berg, Ger­ma­ny.

He served as a doc­tor and as Sur­geon Ge­ne­ral of the Ar­my of the Po­to­mac in the Am­eri­can ci­vil war.

Later, he was the first Lieu­ten­ant Gov­er­nor of the state of Ma­ry­land (1865–1868); first chair­man of the Board of Health in Wash­ing­ton, DC; and Com­mis­sion­er of Pen­sions.