United States Army Officer. Served as 1st Lieutenant and Regimental Adjutant of the 7th United States Cavalry. A Canadian who served under General Custer and was killed with him at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He wrote the last message received from General Custer which was a note to Captain Frederick W. Benteen to bring the pack train up to him quickly. William was born in Mount Pleasant, near Hamilton, in Brant County, Ontario, Canada, the son of Alexander Hardy Cooke and Angeline Augusta Winer Cooke. He attended school in Hamilton, and joined the 24th New York Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War in 1863 at Niagara Falls, New York. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on January 26, 1864, and 1st Lieutenant on December 14, 1864. He was wounded during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. Mustered out on June 24, 1865, he immediately joined the 1st Provisional NY Volunteer Cavalry, and applied for a regular army commission. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant, 7th US Cavalry, on July 28, 1866, and promoted to 1st Lieutenant on July 31, 1867, at Fort Harker, Kansas. He served as Regimental Adjutant from January 1, 1871 until his death in June 1876. Brevetted Captain, US Volunteer on March 2, 1867, for service at Petersburg, Va in June 1864, brevetted Major, US Volunteers for service at Dinwiddie Court House in March 1865, and brevetted Lieutenant Colonel, US Volunteers for service in the battle of Sayler's Creek in April 1865. He participated in the Washita Campaign of 1868, the 1873 Yellowstone Expedition, and the 1874 Black Hills Expedition. During the Battle of the Little Big Horn, in June 1876, he accompanied Lt. Col. George A. Custer and the Regimental Staff with Custer's column, and was killed with Custer on Last Stand Hill. His body was buried on the battlefield, and exhumed and reburied in June 1877, in the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Cemetery. His body was later exhumed again and reburied in the Hamilton Cemetery.
United States Army Officer. Served as 1st Lieutenant and Regimental Adjutant of the 7th United States Cavalry. A Canadian who served under General Custer and was killed with him at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. He wrote the last message received from General Custer which was a note to Captain Frederick W. Benteen to bring the pack train up to him quickly. William was born in Mount Pleasant, near Hamilton, in Brant County, Ontario, Canada, the son of Alexander Hardy Cooke and Angeline Augusta Winer Cooke. He attended school in Hamilton, and joined the 24th New York Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War in 1863 at Niagara Falls, New York. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on January 26, 1864, and 1st Lieutenant on December 14, 1864. He was wounded during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. Mustered out on June 24, 1865, he immediately joined the 1st Provisional NY Volunteer Cavalry, and applied for a regular army commission. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant, 7th US Cavalry, on July 28, 1866, and promoted to 1st Lieutenant on July 31, 1867, at Fort Harker, Kansas. He served as Regimental Adjutant from January 1, 1871 until his death in June 1876. Brevetted Captain, US Volunteer on March 2, 1867, for service at Petersburg, Va in June 1864, brevetted Major, US Volunteers for service at Dinwiddie Court House in March 1865, and brevetted Lieutenant Colonel, US Volunteers for service in the battle of Sayler's Creek in April 1865. He participated in the Washita Campaign of 1868, the 1873 Yellowstone Expedition, and the 1874 Black Hills Expedition. During the Battle of the Little Big Horn, in June 1876, he accompanied Lt. Col. George A. Custer and the Regimental Staff with Custer's column, and was killed with Custer on Last Stand Hill. His body was buried on the battlefield, and exhumed and reburied in June 1877, in the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Cemetery. His body was later exhumed again and reburied in the Hamilton Cemetery.
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