Edward Franc Jones
Ambrotype,Liljenquist Collection
Born	(1828-06-03)June 3, 1828 Utica, New York
Died	August 14, 1913(1913-08-14) (aged 85) Binghamton, New York
Place of burial	Mount Auburn Cemetery inCambridge, Massachusetts
Allegiance	United States Union
Branch	United States Army Union Army
Rank	Colonel BrevetBrigadier General
Commands	6th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia 26th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Battles / wars	American Civil War

Edward Franc Jones (June 3, 1828 – August 14, 1913) was an American merchant, manufacturer, soldier, author andpolitician fromNew York.

He was born inUtica, New York, the son of Lorenzo B. Jones and Sophronia (Chapman) Jones. He was educated atLeicester, Massachusetts. In 1850, he married Mary A. Tarbell, ofPepperell, Massachusetts.

In 1854, he joined the militia as a lieutenant. In 1861, he joined the6th Massachusetts Militia as a Major, and he was soon named commander with the rank of Colonel. He led the organization on its famedmarch through Baltimore, which sparked the first bloodshed of theAmerican Civil War. His troops traveled onward and helped with the defense of Washington, D.C.

Jones later recruited and commanded the26th Massachusetts Infantry. On February 24, 1866,^[1]PresidentAndrew Johnson nominated Jones for the grade ofbrevetbrigadier general, United States Volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, for meritorious services during the war.^[2] TheU.S. Senate confirmed the award on April 10, 1866.^[3]

In 1862, he married Susan Annie Brown, fromBoston. In 1865, he served in theMassachusetts House of Representatives. Soon afterwards, he moved toBinghamton, New York, where he opened ascale manufacturing plant. He became widely known as "Jones of Binghamton" for his company's advertising, which included theslogan "Jones pays the freight" or "Jones, he pays the freight", to communicate that, unlike his competitors, he would not expect buyers to pay a delivery charge.

Jones served as Binghamton's Police Commissioner, was a Regent of theUniversity of the State of New York, served as President of the State Board of Equalization, and served on the boards of numerous colleges and charities.

He was theLieutenant Governor of New York from 1886 to 1891, elected on theDemocratic ticket with GovernorDavid B. Hill in1885 and1888.

In 1905, he published thenovelRichard Baxter: A Story of New England Life of 1830 to 1840.

Jones continued to operate his business until he lost his sight at the age of 79, after which his scale works was operated by his son.

He died inBinghamton, New York, and was buried atMount Auburn Cemetery inCambridge, Massachusetts. His home at Binghamton, known as theGen. Edward F. Jones House, was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1982.^[4]

Ellis Parker Butler referenced Jones' slogan inThe Adventure of the Lame and the Halt, one of his Perkins of Portland stories. The go-ahead advertising man creates a craze for a vile-tasting tonic water by several means, including the slogan "Perkins Pays the Freight". The slogan itself becomes a national catch-phrase.

• List of American Civil War brevet generals
• List of Massachusetts generals in the American Civil War
• Massachusetts in the American Civil War

• Eicher, John H. andEicher, David J.Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001.ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R.Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue. Gaithersburg, MD: Olde Soldier Books, Inc., 1990.ISBN 1-56013-002-4.
• [1]
• History of the Military Company of the Massachusetts, Now Called, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts: 1637-1888 by Oliver Ayer Roberts (A. Mudge & Son, 1898)
• Broome County in Vintage Postcards by Ed Aswad & Suzanne M. Meredith (Arcadia Publishing, 2000,ISBN 0-7385-0447-5,ISBN 978-0-7385-0447-6, page 14)
• Civil War High Commands by John H. Eicher & John Y. Simon (Stanford University Press, 2001,ISBN 0-8047-3641-3,ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1 ; page 324)

• Media related toEdward F. Jones at Wikimedia Commons

• Lieutenant governors of New York (state)
• 1828 births
• 1913 deaths
• Politicians from Utica, New York
• Union army colonels
• 20th-century American novelists
• Politicians from Binghamton, New York
• Burials at Mount Auburn Cemetery
• People of New York (state) in the American Civil War
• Regents of the University of the State of New York
• 19th-century American novelists
• American male novelists
• 19th-century American male writers
• 19th-century American politicians
• 20th-century American male writers
• Novelists from New York (state)
• Writers from Binghamton, New York
• Writers from Utica, New York
• Military personnel from Utica, New York
• Businesspeople from Utica, New York
• 19th-century American businesspeople

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