WRITINGS OF 5AM HOUSTON, 1836
343
To Capt. W. G. Cooke of the San Antonio Grays. 1 Army P<ipers, Texas State Library. Yoakum, History of Texas, II, 458. · 2 William G. Cooke (l\farch 26, 1808-December, 1847), the son of Adam and Martha (Riddle) Cooke, was born and educated at F1·edericksburg, Virginia. As a young man he went to New Orleans where he engaged in the mercantile business. When the Texas revolution began in 1835, and volunteers were invited to come from the United States, William G. Cooke enrolled his name along with sixty-five other "emigrants." They landed at Velasco on Sunday, October 25, 1835, and on the next day they organized the "New Orleans Grays," with Robert L. Morris as captain, and William G. Cooke as first lieutenant. This company reached San Antonio on Novem- ber 8, and participated in the "Storming of Bexar," December 5-10. Cooke remained in the army, and at the Battle of San Jacinto was on Houston's staff as Assistant Inspector General with the rank of major. Later he rose to the rank of Quartermaster General in 1837. On December 5, 1837, his commission as Stock Commissioner was confirmed; and in August, 1839, he was appointed Commissary o( Subsistence by President Lamar, the Senate confirming the appointment on January 10, 1840. Cooke partici- pated in the "Council House Fight," March 19, 1840, and on August 18, 1840, was appointed colonel of the First Regiment of Texas Infantry. In 1841 he was a commissioner to the ill-fated Santa Fe Expedition, and was made a prisoner. He marched with the other prisoners to Mexico City, but was released in 1842. On March 31, 1845, he was appointed Secretary of War and Marine of the Republic of Texas, and on April 27, 1846, James Pinckney Henderson appointed him the first Adjutant General of the State c-f Texas. He married Angela Navarro, a niece of Juan Antonio Navarro, in 1844. He died at his home near Seguin, in December, 1847, leaving his widow and one son. See Z. T. Fulmore, The History and Geography of Texas as Told in County Names, 153, 300. '.I'hrall, A Picto1·ial History of Texas, 528. E. W. Winkler (ed.), Secret Jour11als of the Senate of the Republic of Texas, 44, 50, 114, 170, 189. Dixon and Kemp, The Heroes of San Jacinto, 42-43. To ROBERT c. MORn1s 1 Headquarters, Refugio, January 20, 1836. General Houston will be happy to see Major R. C. Morris\ at Captain Westover's 3 , whenever it will suit his convenience, as he wishes to make some communications through him to the volun- teers at this post. 1 Henderson Yoakum, History of Texas, II, 459. 2 William Christy and Adolphus Sterne fitted out two companies of vol- unteers at New Orleans for service in the Texas Revolution. The only ,kind of clothing that could be secured in sufficient quantity to outfit these men was a kind of homespun of gray color,. called jeans. Suits made of this cloth were somewhat comparable to the ordinary workman's suit that may be bought ready-made in most department stores today. They can hardly be designated as uniforms; however, since all the men of these two companies were outfitted with these gray suits, they came to be known
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