A witness to unspeakable atrocities on the battlefields of the Civil War, Dr. Amos Cochran is one of the few honorable men in Deadwood. He takes his duties seriously, even gruffly, and does what he can to preserve human life. It is Cochran who attends to the declining Reverend Smith and who attempts the construction of a boot to improve Jewel' s mobility.

He is paid by Swearengen to take care of the whores at The Gem, but Cochran isn't in Swearengen's pocket, and he crosses Al to protect the Metz child.