The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 20, July 1916 - April, 1917 Page: 38

                                
The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

sion, had sufficient vision of the future to join in the judicious
choice for its location of the then perilous ground upon which
now stands the city of Austin. Soon after he became a resident
of that frontier village, as Secretary of the Navy in the cabinet
of President Lamar. The following brief references to him in
Texas historical works may be found of interest:
Louis P. Cook. Came to, Texas with the New York Battallion
in 1836. Was Secretary of the Navy in 1839. Having been
accused of killing young Peyton in Washington, he went to the
Rio Grande: was a sutler in Taylor's army in 1846. He and his
wife died of cholera in 1849.18
Cooke, Louis P., born in Tennessee, entered West Point Mili-
tary Academy-expelled before graduation-came to Texas from
New York in the Morehouse Expedition, arriving just in time to
miss the battle of San Jacinto; lieutenant colonel in the army
of 1836-37, member of congress from Brazoria in 1838-39, sec-
retary of the navy under President Lamar from        1839 to, 1841,
a wild courageous and somewhat reckless man, had an eye shot
out by an Indian arrow near Corpus Christi, in 1845, and died
of cholera at Brownsville in 1849. His brother, Dr. Wilds K.
Cooke, was senator from the Robertson district in the first Leg-
islature after annexation; and another brother, H. W. Cooke, of
Coryell, was a captain on the frontier in 1849. Louis P. Cooke
was an extraordinary man. His history, life and death abound
in romance, a romance of courageous recklessness, clouded by
actions in contrast with his otherwise admirable character.19
An incident of early life in Austin is thus described by Morphis:
One night John Wahrenberger, a Switzer and gardener for
Louis P. Cook, Secretary of the Navy, returning home with a
bag of meal on his shoulder, fell in with a party of Indians at
the head of the Avenue, near the Alhambra. He fled and gained
the residence of Col. Cook, who then lived where Col. A. H. Cook
now resides, but received three arrows in his meal sack and one
in his arm.
As the poor fellow gained the door he fell exhausted, and
fainted, while Col. Cook fired on his pursuers and wounded one
so badly that their trail was easily traced the next day by the
blood on the ground.
After recovering his senses, John Wahrenberger felt his wound,
then looking round he exclaimed: "Mine Got! What a Texas!"
"Thrall, Pictorial History of Texas, 528.
"Encyclopedia of The New West, 576.