Mary E. Cook

[RJNorton]

I was sent some very interesting material on Mary Cook by a friendly scholar who prefers anonymity. He said I could share it with the forum. Much appreciated!

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"Mary Allen Cook was a young lady of decidedly Southern sympathies who apparently liked to irritate her Washington neighbors by playing Rebel songs on her piano and acting mysteriously when anyone was watching. She lived on Virginia Ave. near Fourth St, with her mother Fanny and two brothers, both of whom served in the Confederate Army. After the assassination, her actions now seemed ominous to neighbor J. L. Henshaw. He reported all he had seen and heard to one William L. Childs who reduced the statement to written form which he delivered to Provost Marshal, Col. H. H. Wells. On April 19, 1865, Mary Cook was arrested and taken to the Old Capitol Prison. In a note to Col. Ingraham on that date, Wells recommended that Mary . . . “be allowed to remain in confinement until she take the oath of allegiance.” Mary apparently refused to sign the oath and remained in prison until May 29, upon which date she was finally released. Mary never signed the required oath of allegiance, substituting instead a promise to appear to answer any charges against her. No charges were ever filed, and Mary Cook remained a Rebel to the end. [Note: I found the Cook family on the 1860 census, which gives her age as 24, suggesting a birth year as 1836.]

I’ve attached copies of several pertinent records concerning her arrest. I never checked up on “William L. Childs” who wrote up Mr. Henshaw’s statement. Neither of their signatures are found on the 3-page document. I think you’ll get a kick out of Mary’s carrying on. She certainly knew which buttons to push to get her neighbors upset – I especially liked the part where she played “secession songs” like “Beauregard’s March” on the piano! I also found amusing Walls's recommendation that Mary “be allowed to remain” in confinement. (How generous of him!) I found absolutely nothing to connect her or her family with the assassination or any of the players."



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Childs-Henshaw report re Fanny and Mary Cook, p1

Childs-Henshaw report re Fanny and Mary Cook, p2

Childs-Henshaw report re Fanny and Mary Cook, p3

Mary Cook's Promise to Appear, May 29, 1865

Order committing Mary Cook to Old Capitol, Apr 19, 1865

Wells to Ingraham note, Apr 19, 1865, re Mary Cook

"Since the handwriting is kind of hard to read, here’s a transcript of what I think Wells wrote in his note:

April 19, 186[5]

Owing to the many indecent expressions of this young lady, Miss Mary Cooke [sic], and her evident disloyalty I would recommend that she would be allowed to remain in confinement until she take the oath of allegiance. Res[pectfully], H. H. Wells, Col & [Provost Major General]"