Colonel William Gordon Cooke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1803-03-26)March 26, 1803 |
| Died | December 24, 1847(1847-12-24) (aged 44) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Texas Revolution.svg) Republic of Texas State of Texas |
| Army | Texian Army Army of the Republic of Texas Texas Military Forces |
| Service years | 1835–1836 1836–1837, 1838–1844 1846–1847 |
| Rank | Captain 1835 Major 1836 Colonel 1840 |
| Unit | New Orleans Grays 1835–1836 |
| Commands | Inspector General 1837 Quartermaster General 1838–1840 First Regiment of Infantry 1840–1841 Quartermaster General 1842–1843 Adjutant General 1843–1844 State Adjutant General 1846–1847 |
| Actions and expeditions | Siege of Béxar 1835 Matamoros Expedition 1836 Battle of San Jacinto 1836 Council House Fight 1840 Santa Fe Expedition 1841 Arroyo Hondo 1842WIA Yucatan Expedition 1843 Naval Battle of Campeche 1843 |
| Spouse | Ángela María de Jesús Blasa Navarro 1844 |
| Relations | José Antonio Navarro |
| [1] | |
William Gordon Cooke (March 26, 1803 – December 24, 1847) was aNew Orleansdruggist fromVirginia, who volunteered for service in theTexas Revolution; fighting atBéxar andSan Jacinto, he rose to the rank ofmajor in theTexian Army. In theRepublic he held a number of military and civilian appointments; as commissioner to theComanches he participated in theCouncil House Fight, and ascolonel of theFirst Texas Infantry he became the last commanding officer of theRegular Texas Army. After its disbandment, Cooke participated in theSanta Fe Expedition and sat imprisoned inMexico City. Back in Texas, he fought the Mexicans atArroyo Hondo, and in thenaval battles of Campeche. The lastSecretary of war of the Republic, he was also theState of Texas' firstAdjutant general.
Cooke, a Virginian ofAnglo-Irish descent, came to Texas with theNew Orleans Grays in 1835. Having moved fromFredericksburg to New Orleans to take up the family business ofpharmacy,[2] he had attended a public meeting in mid-October, and volunteered for service in the Texas revolution. The company was filled within four days, and sailed from theCrescent City with four months provisions provided by its citizens. Arriving atSan Antonio, where Texas forces were besieging the Mexicans in the town, Lieutenant Cooke was elected captain of the Grays. The undisciplined Texian Army was very disaffected by the many orders and counterorders received, and whenGeneral Burleson aborted an attack set to take place on December 3, dissatisfaction spread among the besiegers; the General formally resigned his command, preparations were made for retreating toGoliad, and men began to desert in droves. According to his own account, Captain Cooke persuaded about 300 men to abandon the retreat and attack the enemy. The Texas forces led byColonel Milam andColonel Johnson then pressed the attack whicheventually took the city. Cooke led the desperate assault that took the Priest's House.[3][4][5]
After the siege of Bexar, Cooke volunteered for theMatamoros Expedition as captain of the San Antonio Grays[6] formed by those of the New Orleans Grays that did not remain in San Antonio. Arriving atRefugio they were ordered toSan Patricio as reinforcements. WhenColonel Grant announced his intentions to join the Mexican Federalists, Captain Cooke was ordered back to Goliad, from where he was sent with twoprisoners-of-war toWashington on the Brazos. During thebattle of San Jacinto, Cooke served as assistant inspector general with the rank of major[4] on Houston's staff.[7] After the battle, Major Cooke prevented the lynching ofSanta Anna, thereby making it possible for Houston to negotiate peace and independence.[8]
Under Sam Houston's first presidency, Major Cooke briefly served as chief clerk of the Texas Department of War, and was subsequently appointed stock commissioner 1836, acting secretary of war 1836, inspector-general 1837, and quartermaster-general 1838.President Lamar appointed him commissary of subsistence 1839, one of the commissioners to sign treaties with theComanches 1840, and as such participating in theCouncil House Fight in San Antonio. Later the same year, Cooke became colonel of the First Regiment of Infantry, being the last commanding officer of the regular Texas army.[4][7][9] As such, Colonel Cooke was in charge of building themilitary road from Preston on theRed River toAustin, and constructingFort Johnson near the present town ofDenison.[10][11]
After the disbandment of the regular Texas army in 1841, Colonel Cooke was offered to run for vice president of the Republic, but he declined and was appointed senior civilian member of theTexan Santa Fe Expedition the same year.[7][8] The aim of the expedition was to persuade those of the people of New Mexico who lived within the Texas' claims, to accept allegiance to the Republic. Almost lost and starving, the expedition made contact with the Mexican authorities when a vanguard was surrounded and taken prisoners on September 15, 1841. Two days later the main expedition was surrounded by superior forces, and Colonel Cooke surrendered. The members of the expedition were made Mexican prisoners, marched toMexico City, and kept incarcerated.[12] The captivity lasted until the summer of 1842, when everyone exceptJosé Antonio Navarro was set free. Colonel Cooke stayed inMexico City recovering in the residence of the AmericanministerWaddy Thompson Jr., before he and the American born members of the expedition were sent home courtesy of theUnited States Government.[13]
Back in Texas, Colonel Cooke participated in the defeat ofMexican General Adrián Woll atArroyo Hondo in 1842, where he was lightlywounded by agrape shot.[14] President Houston appointed him quartermaster-general, which did not stop him from joiningEdwin Ward Moore's expedition to Yucatán aboard thesloop-of-war Austin, and took part in thesea battle of Campeche 1843. After returning home the same year, Colonel Cooke was appointed adjutant-general of Texas militia. The following year, he married a niece of José Antonio Navarro, and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. Within short, however,President Jones appointed him secretary of war (the last to hold the post).[4][7][15]
When the United Statesannexed Texas, Colonel Cooke unsuccessfully ran for theUnited States Congress, and was then appointed first Adjutant General of the State of Texas byGovernor Henderson. However, he died already next year oftuberculosis, leaving behind a widow and a young son.[4][7][15]