William O'Donald Cochran (1845-1913) was the second son of Howsan Seaton Cochran and Millie O'Donald. He married Nancy Jane Bibb and they had 14 children: Millie Elizabeth, James Alexander, John A., William Sydney, George M., Henry Seaton, Willard Maxson, Syrenia E., Mary P., Charles Jesse, Sarah M., Isaac O., Elbert E., and Achilles Calvin.

As the Civil War broke out, William O. Cochran lived in McDonald County, MO. He joined a company of home guards organized at Old Stanley Hargrove's 5 miles above Pineville on Big Sugar Creek in Spring of 1861. When Stand Waite's Indians threatened the company, it disbanded. William said if that was the kind of fighting the home guards were going to do, he would find another command. He left home and went to Fort Scott, Kansas and enlisted in the Third Kansas under Captain Foreman. He was age 16 and his father and brother Henry Owen Cochran were also at Fort Scott.

Jim Montgomery commanded the regiment. W.O. served along the border of Missouri and Kansas until the Infantry of the Third and Fourth Kansas was consolidated and put into the Tenth Kansas, commanded by Colonel Wear.

With Jim Blunt in command, the Tenth Kansas marched to Canehill, Arkansas, where they were surprised to hear firing at their rear. The company marched to the rescue of General Hearon and his brave men, in what was to be known as the battle of Prarie Grove. After this they marched back to Fort Scott. W.O. Cochran took part in driving Shelby out of Kansas.

He next went to St. Louis where the Tenth Kansas did post duty guarding the prison. Later they went to Alton, Illinois to guard Confederate prisoners. In Fall 1864, W.O. mustered out. He reached home just when Price was making his last raid through Missouri. William started out witha company of Kansas Militia to fight Old Pap Price, but the Militia turned back at the state line. W.O. attached himself to a battalion of the 2nd Colorado Cavalry, the Gray Horse Battalion. W.O. believed the 2nd Colorado was the most reckless group of fighters he was ever with. Later, W.O. was with the 15th Missouri Cavalry, known as Captain Richies' Company.

After the war, W.O. married Nancy Jane Bibb, in Lawrence County, MO. He belonged to a company of Kansas Rangers and was put out on the frontier to fight Indians. Located William and N.J. Cochran on the 1875 mid-decade Kansas census, living in Barbour (Barber) County, in Sun City.

They lived near his parents, Howsan S. and Milla Cochran.

He moved from Western Kansas to the west end of the Oklahoma Strip. There he enlisted in the Rough Riders and was stationed in Long Island, NY.

In a letter of 20 August 1898 to his brother Henry, William noted they had arrived "last Monday" from Cuba and that the Rough Riders had made a reputation as a fighting regiment. They landed in Cuba on 22 June and on the 23rd marched 10 or 12 miles, camping at Sinenn. He belonged to the advanced F-Troop, and reported that the Spanish forces used smokeless powder so the Americans could not find them.

"When the Spanish raised the white flag, they came over for the privilege of burying their dead...During this time, the Spanish fleet ran out of the harbor and tried to escape, but it failed. You ought to have heard the guns of the fleet. It was a constant roar. When we started home, we launched the boat at docks in Santiago, came out at the mouth of the bay, past the Merrimac, that was sunk by Hobson to block the channel... Colonel Roosevelt is a fine man. He is stuck on the Rough Riders." W.O. wrote the letter from Montatik Station on Long Island, and noted he was with Troop F Rough Riders.
Bio prepared by Elaine L. Orr, his brother Henry's granddaughter, who started with info from Henry's daughter Lettie Reed Cochran Grove..