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On June 25, 1876, at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, five companies of the U.S. Seventh
Cavalry, under the direct command of George Armstrong Custer were wiped
out. Among the dead was:
First Lieutenant William W. Cooke, a Canadian who was the Regimental Adjutant and
was known as "Queen's Own" Cooke.
Cooke was known for his long side whiskers that
he always wore.
Cooke was awarded brevet promotions to captain, major and
lieutenant colonel for this bravery during the Civil War. He joined the Regular Army after the War and
was made a second lieutenant in the 7th Cavalry in 1866.
In 1868 he participated in the Washita Campaign. At the Battle of the Washita, Cooke, one of
the best shots in the regiment, commanded forty sharpshooters. Cooke’s men hid themselves on the northern
side of the river and shot down Cheyenne fleeing Custer’s charge. Chief Black Kettle and his wife Medicine
Woman Later were killed by Cooke’s sharpshooters.
In 1871Cooke became the regimental adjutant reporting to
Custer. Cooke became a close friend of
Tom Custer and became part of what was known as the Custer Gang, a close-knit
group of Custer’s friends and relatives.
The anti-Custer faction within the regiment, including
Captain Frederick Benteen and Major Marcus Reno, began calling him “The Queen’s
Own.”
On the day of battle at
the Little Bighorn, June 25, 1876, Cooke was by the side of George Armstrong
Custer. He is remembered for writing
Custer’s final orders to Captain Benteen: “Come On. Big village. Be quick. Bring packs. W.W.
Cooke. P.S. Bring Packs”.
Cooke died alongside Custer. He was scalped
twice, the second trophy being his side whiskers. The Cheyenne warrior Wooden Leg claimed to
have scalped the whiskers from one side of Cooke's face. He gave this trophy to
his grandmother, who didn’t think much of it and discarded it two nights later
at a victory dance.
Custer’s Last Stand: Portraits in Time
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