Joseph Louis Cook
Encyclopedia
Joseph Louis Cook or Akiatonharónkwen (died October 1814) was an Iroquois
leader and American
soldier. Born to a black father and an Abenaki mother in what is now Quebec
, he was adopted as a Mohawk
. He became an influential leader in the Iroquois Confederacy and distinguished himself during the French and Indian War
. He later supported the United States
during the American Revolutionary War
, becoming the highest ranking Native American
officer in the Continental Army
. After the war, he became an important adviser to the Mohawk and Oneida, as well as a leading figure in the Seven Nations of Canada
.
, Akiatonharónkwen, translates as "he unhangs himself from the group." In English, he is most often referred to as Louis Cook or Colonel Louis. Louis was born to an Abenaki woman and an African father, both of whom were taken captive in a French raid in 1745. A French officer planned to keep him as a slave, but the Iroquois intervened and gave him back to his mother. Out of gratitude, she followed the Iroquois back to their village of Caughnawaga
in New York
, and Cook was adopted into the Iroquois.
Louis Cook lived in the village of Kahnawake. He fought with the Mohawk nation
on the side of the French in the French and Indian War
. A friend, Eleazer Williams, later wrote that Cook was at the battle against the Braddock expedition
in 1755 (the Braddock party included the young George Washington
), and served under General Montcalm
at the Battle of Fort Oswego in 1756. The same year, he was wounded in a skirmish with Rogers' Rangers
near Fort Ticonderoga
. His first command came in the 1758 Battle of Carillon
, where he was commended by General Montcalm. He was also present at the Battle of Sainte-Foy
in 1760, serving under the Chevalier de Levis
.
Following the war, Cook returned to Caughnawaga and married Marie-Charlotte. He never fully accepted the British victory, and moved to St. Regis, Canada prior to the American Revolution
.
sided with the British during the American Revolution, Louis Cook allied himself with the American colonists. He offered his services to General George Washington
as early as 1775. Cook was with Benedict Arnold
on his expedition into Quebec, and was already known as Colonel Louis. Washington again met with Cook in 1776 and referred to him as "Colonel Louis."
In New York, Louis Cook was present at the Battle of Oriskany
, and participated in the Saratoga Campaign
. Cook led a large body of Oneida
warriors under General Robert Van Rensselaer
. Following the Battle of Klock's Field
, Colonel Louis forded a river in pursuit of Sir John Johnson while General Rensselaer delayed. Infuriated, Colonel Louis shook his sword at Rensselaer and accused him of being a Tory
.
Colonel Louis was with the Continental Army at Valley Forge
in the winter of 1777. In spring 1778, Peter Stephen DuPonceau
wrote of his meeting Colonel Cook, dressed in American regimentals, when he overheard Cook singing a French aria. In March of that year, General Philip Schuyler
sent Colonel Louis to destroy British ships at Niagara to prevent another Canadian expedition.
The familiar name "Colonel Louis" became official on June 15, 1779, when he received a commission from Continental Congress
as a Lieutenant Colonel
in the Continental Army
. This commission was the highest rank awarded to an American Indian
during the Revolution, and is the only known Continental Army commission given to a man of African descent. Colonel Louis was with Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett
at the Battle of Johnstown
in 1781, one of the last North American battles of the American Revolutionary War.
During the war, Colonel Louis Cook became a personal enemy of Captain Joseph Brant
, a Mohawk who supported the British. When each returned to their homes after the war, their personal conflict divided the Mohawk nation and brought the Seven Nations
and Iroquois to the brink of war.
following the war, and became an influential advisor to the Oneida tribe
because he could speak both French and English. It was while living at Onondaga
that Cook married Marguerite Thewanihattha. They had several children. Cook convinced the Oneida to lease their lands, using the example of the Mohawk tribe at Kahnawake. The Oneida leased nearly 5 million acres (20,234.3 km²) to Colonel John Livingston for 999 years. Conflicting claims were made on many of the Iroquois lands, and much of the land was lost to the state of New York. The Oneida named Colonel Louis and Peter Otsequette to negotiate with Governor George Clinton
for a return of- or compensation for- their land. Governor Clinton made some minor concessions to the Oneida in the Treaty of Fort Schuyler, but generally outnegotiated the Oneida representatives. Today, Cook is sometimes criticized for negotiating bad land deals for the Oneida.
Despite his shortcomings in the Oneida land negotiations, between 1792 and 1796 the Seven Nations sent Colonel Louis six separate times to represent them in land negotiations with New York state. The negotiations were in response to lands sold by two villages, Grand River and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario under the leadership of Joseph Brant. The Akwesasne
and Kahnawake denied that the villages had the right to sell the land. Ultimately, New York prevailed, and the division between Cook and Brant was deepened.
By 1789, Cook had settled in the St. Regis area, where he became an influential chief. He argued that the St. Regis Indians and the Seven Nations should remain neutral in the War of 1812
. His earlier service in the Continental Army
was forgotten. He was detained at Fort Niagara
until he produced his commission, as well as letters from George Washington. Although too elderly to participate, Cook followed the American army into Canada and was present at the Battle of Lundy's Lane
.
Colonel Louis was involved in a skirmish when he fell from his horse. The injuries proved fatal; he died in the American camp in October 1814. Cook was given a military salute at his funeral, and was buried near Buffalo, New York
.
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
leader and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier. Born to a black father and an Abenaki mother in what is now Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, he was adopted as a Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
. He became an influential leader in the Iroquois Confederacy and distinguished himself during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. He later supported the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, becoming the highest ranking Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
officer in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. After the war, he became an important adviser to the Mohawk and Oneida, as well as a leading figure in the Seven Nations of Canada
Seven Nations of Canada
The Seven Nations of Canada were a historic confederation of Canadian First Nations living in and around the Saint Lawrence River valley beginning in the eighteenth century. They were allied to New France and often included substantial numbers of Roman Catholic converts. During the Seven Years War...
.
French and Indian War
Cook's name in the Mohawk languageMohawk language
Mohawk is an Iroquoian language spoken by around 2,000 people of the Mohawk nation in the United States and Canada . Mohawk has the largest number of speakers of the Northern Iroquoian languages; today it is the only one with greater than a thousand remaining...
, Akiatonharónkwen, translates as "he unhangs himself from the group." In English, he is most often referred to as Louis Cook or Colonel Louis. Louis was born to an Abenaki woman and an African father, both of whom were taken captive in a French raid in 1745. A French officer planned to keep him as a slave, but the Iroquois intervened and gave him back to his mother. Out of gratitude, she followed the Iroquois back to their village of Caughnawaga
Fonda, New York
Fonda is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The population was 810 at the 2000 census. Fonda is the county seat of Montgomery County...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Cook was adopted into the Iroquois.
Louis Cook lived in the village of Kahnawake. He fought with the Mohawk nation
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
on the side of the French in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. A friend, Eleazer Williams, later wrote that Cook was at the battle against the Braddock expedition
Braddock expedition
The Braddock expedition, also called Braddock's campaign or, more commonly, Braddock's Defeat, was a failed British military expedition which attempted to capture the French Fort Duquesne in the summer of 1755 during the French and Indian War. It was defeated at the Battle of the Monongahela on...
in 1755 (the Braddock party included the young George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
), and served under General Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
at the Battle of Fort Oswego in 1756. The same year, he was wounded in a skirmish with Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
near Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
. His first command came in the 1758 Battle of Carillon
Battle of Carillon
The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War...
, where he was commended by General Montcalm. He was also present at the Battle of Sainte-Foy
Battle of Sainte-Foy
The Battle of Sainte-Foy, sometimes called the Battle of Quebec, was fought on April 28, 1760 near the British-held town of Quebec in the French province of Canada during the Seven Years' War . It was a victory for the French under the Chevalier de Lévis over the British army under General Murray...
in 1760, serving under the Chevalier de Levis
Francis de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis
François de Gaston, Chevalier de Lévis , born in Ajac, Aude, was a French noble and a Marshal of France. He served with distinction in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession, and served as a capable second in command to Louis-Joseph de Montcalm in the defense of New...
.
Following the war, Cook returned to Caughnawaga and married Marie-Charlotte. He never fully accepted the British victory, and moved to St. Regis, Canada prior to the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
American Revolution
Although most of the IroquoisIroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
sided with the British during the American Revolution, Louis Cook allied himself with the American colonists. He offered his services to General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
as early as 1775. Cook was with Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
on his expedition into Quebec, and was already known as Colonel Louis. Washington again met with Cook in 1776 and referred to him as "Colonel Louis."
In New York, Louis Cook was present at the Battle of Oriskany
Battle of Oriskany
The Battle of Oriskany, fought on August 6, 1777, was one of the bloodiest battles in the North American theater of the American Revolutionary War and a significant engagement of the Saratoga campaign...
, and participated in the Saratoga Campaign
Saratoga campaign
The Saratoga Campaign was an attempt by Great Britain to gain military control of the strategically important Hudson River valley in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War...
. Cook led a large body of Oneida
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
warriors under General Robert Van Rensselaer
Robert Van Rensselaer
Robert Van Rensselaer was a New York militia officer during the American Revolutionary War.-Life:He was born December 16, 1740, at Fort Crailo in Rensselaer, New York. His father was Johannes Van Rensselaer, and his mother was Angelica Livingston...
. Following the Battle of Klock's Field
Battle of Klock's Field
The Battle of Klock's Field, also called the Battle of Failing's Orchard; and occasionally as the Battle of Nellis Flatts, was an encounter between Albany County, New York militia and a British-supported expedition of Indians and Loyalist led by Lieutenant Colonel Sir John Johnson and Captain...
, Colonel Louis forded a river in pursuit of Sir John Johnson while General Rensselaer delayed. Infuriated, Colonel Louis shook his sword at Rensselaer and accused him of being a Tory
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
.
Colonel Louis was with the Continental Army at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
in the winter of 1777. In spring 1778, Peter Stephen DuPonceau
Peter Stephen DuPonceau
Peter Stephen Du Ponceau or DuPonceau, born Pierre-Étienne Du Ponceau, was a French linguist, philosopher, and jurist...
wrote of his meeting Colonel Cook, dressed in American regimentals, when he overheard Cook singing a French aria. In March of that year, General Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
sent Colonel Louis to destroy British ships at Niagara to prevent another Canadian expedition.
The familiar name "Colonel Louis" became official on June 15, 1779, when he received a commission from Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
as a Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
. This commission was the highest rank awarded to an American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
during the Revolution, and is the only known Continental Army commission given to a man of African descent. Colonel Louis was with Lieutenant-Colonel Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett
Marinus Willett was an American soldier and political leader from New York. He was characterized by historian Mark M. Boatner as "one of the truly outstanding American leaders of the Revolution."...
at the Battle of Johnstown
Battle of Johnstown
The Battle of Johnstown was fought in Johnstown, New York. It was one of the last battles in the American theatre of the American Revolutionary War, with approximately 1400 engaged at Johnstown on October 25, 1781...
in 1781, one of the last North American battles of the American Revolutionary War.
During the war, Colonel Louis Cook became a personal enemy of Captain Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
, a Mohawk who supported the British. When each returned to their homes after the war, their personal conflict divided the Mohawk nation and brought the Seven Nations
Seven Nations of Canada
The Seven Nations of Canada were a historic confederation of Canadian First Nations living in and around the Saint Lawrence River valley beginning in the eighteenth century. They were allied to New France and often included substantial numbers of Roman Catholic converts. During the Seven Years War...
and Iroquois to the brink of war.
Later life
Louis Cook settled in the area of Sterling, New YorkSterling, New York
Sterling is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 3,040 at the 2010 census. The town is named after "Lord Stirling", a general of the Revolutionary War. Sterling is the most northerly town in the county...
following the war, and became an influential advisor to the Oneida tribe
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
because he could speak both French and English. It was while living at Onondaga
Onondaga, New York
Onondaga is a town located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the town had a population of 21,063. The town is named after the native Onondaga tribe, part of the Iroquois Confederacy....
that Cook married Marguerite Thewanihattha. They had several children. Cook convinced the Oneida to lease their lands, using the example of the Mohawk tribe at Kahnawake. The Oneida leased nearly 5 million acres (20,234.3 km²) to Colonel John Livingston for 999 years. Conflicting claims were made on many of the Iroquois lands, and much of the land was lost to the state of New York. The Oneida named Colonel Louis and Peter Otsequette to negotiate with Governor George Clinton
George Clinton (vice president)
George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...
for a return of- or compensation for- their land. Governor Clinton made some minor concessions to the Oneida in the Treaty of Fort Schuyler, but generally outnegotiated the Oneida representatives. Today, Cook is sometimes criticized for negotiating bad land deals for the Oneida.
Despite his shortcomings in the Oneida land negotiations, between 1792 and 1796 the Seven Nations sent Colonel Louis six separate times to represent them in land negotiations with New York state. The negotiations were in response to lands sold by two villages, Grand River and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario under the leadership of Joseph Brant. The Akwesasne
Akwesasne
The Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne is a Mohawk Nation territory that straddles the intersection of international and provincial borders on both banks of the Saint Lawrence River. Most of the land is in what is otherwise the United States...
and Kahnawake denied that the villages had the right to sell the land. Ultimately, New York prevailed, and the division between Cook and Brant was deepened.
By 1789, Cook had settled in the St. Regis area, where he became an influential chief. He argued that the St. Regis Indians and the Seven Nations should remain neutral in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. His earlier service in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
was forgotten. He was detained at Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
until he produced his commission, as well as letters from George Washington. Although too elderly to participate, Cook followed the American army into Canada and was present at the Battle of Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
.
Colonel Louis was involved in a skirmish when he fell from his horse. The injuries proved fatal; he died in the American camp in October 1814. Cook was given a military salute at his funeral, and was buried near Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
.