By 1860, Cooke was the proprietor of the "Ohio State Journal", a Republican newspaper. Although it was unprofitable, it made him a favorite of various Washington officials, including Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, Senator John J. Sherman, and General Ulysses S. Grant. These alliances made Cooke a particular asset to his brother Jay; Chase's friendship allowed the Cookes to become war profiteers during the Civil War, selling bonds and establishing the sale of government loans. In 1862, Jay Cooke opened a Washington branch of his Jay Cooke & Co. financing firm, making Henry the partner in charge of that office.