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John Salmon Ford | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ford, during theAmerican Civil War | |
| Member of theTexas Senate | |
| In office January 20, 1852 – November 7, 1853 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Burleson |
| Succeeded by | Elliott McNeil Millican |
| Constituency | 21st district |
| In office April 18, 1876 – August 30, 1879 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph E. Dwyer |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Powers |
| Constituency | 29th district |
| Mayor ofBrownsville | |
| In office 1874 | |
| 12thMayor of Austin | |
| In office 1854–1855 | |
| Preceded by | William P. DeNormandie |
| Succeeded by | John T. Cleveland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1815-05-26)May 26, 1815 |
| Died | November 3, 1897(1897-11-03) (aged 82) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mary Davis |
| Occupation | Military officer, doctor, lawyer, journalist, politician |
| Awards | Hall of Honor |
| Nickname | "Rip" |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Republic of Texas United States of America Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service | Army of the Republic of Texas (1836–1838) United States ArmyTexas Militia  Confederate States Army |
| Rank |  Colonel (CSA)Brigadier General (Militia) |
| Unit | Regiment of Texas Mounted Rifles Texas Rangers |
| Commands | Texas Scout Company (Mexican–American War), 2nd Texas Cavalry Regiment (CSA) |
| Battles/wars | Indian Wars *Antelope Hills Expedition (1859) *Battle of Little Robe Creek (1859) Merchant's War (1851–1852) Mexican–American War First Cortina War *Battle of Rio Grande City (1859) American Civil War *Second Cortina War (1861) *Battle of Palmito Ranch (1865) |
John Salmon Ford (May 26, 1815 – November 3, 1897), also known as "Rip"Ford, was an American military officer and politician. He served as a member of theRepublic of Texas Congress and theTexas Senate. He was also the mayor ofBrownsville andAustin. Ford was aTexas Ranger, aConfederate colonel, a doctor, a lawyer, and a journalist and newspaper owner. He commanded men during theAntelope Hills expedition and later led the Confederate forces in what was arguably the last engagement of theAmerican Civil War, theBattle of Palmito Ranch on May 12–13, 1865. It was a Confederate victory, but as it occurred more than a month afterRobert E. Lee's surrender, it did not affect the war's outcome.
Ford was born inGreenville District, South Carolina, on May 26, 1815, and grew up inLincoln County, Tennessee. His parents were William and Harriet Ford. When he was 16, he moved toShelbyville, Tennessee, to study medicine. He met his wife, Mary Davis; however, the marriage ended in divorce. Ford thenmoved to Texas to fight for independence from Mexico.
Ford arrived in Texas in June 1836, too late to participate in theTexas Revolution. He served in the Texas army until 1838. He opened a medical practice in the east Texas town ofSan Augustine, where he practiced for eight years.[1]: xix He also studied law and passed the bar exam before winning election to the Texas legislature in 1844, advocating annexation by the United States.[1]: xix The following year he moved toAustin where he purchased theTexas National Register, renaming it theTexas Democrat.[1]: 54
When theMexican–American War began, Ford enlisted inJohn Coffee Hays' regiment ofTexas Mounted Rifles. He was promptly appointed a lieutenant and served as an adjutant and medical officer. Ford saw active duty with his regiment in Mexico, commanding a scout company for part of the time.[1]: 60 Ford received the nickname 'Rip' for his peculiar inclusion of "Rest in peace" after each name when composing his company's casualty lists.
In 1849, withRobert Neighbors, Ford explored the country betweenSan Antonio andEl Paso[1]: 113 and published a report and map of the route, which became known as the Ford and Neighbors Trail. Later the same year, he was made captain in theTexas Rangers and was stationed between theNueces River and theRio Grande, where he had numerous fights with Native Americans during 1850 and 1851. In 1850, he captured the war chiefCarne Muerto,[1]: 161 a son ofSanta Anna. After his Ranger unit was disbanded, Ford participated inJose Maria Jesus Carbajal's Merchant's War (1851-1852) as a colonel.[1]: 196
In 1852, Ford was elected to the Texas Senate, bought theSouthwestern American,[1]: 207 and established theState Times in 1853, which he sold in 1857.[1]: 208 and 218 Early in 1858, he accepted a commission as Senior Captain in the state troops[1]: 223 and defeated hostile Native Americans in theBattle of Little Robe Creek on theCanadian River.[1]: 236 Late in 1859, he was sent to the Rio Grande by GovernorHardin Richard Runnels at the head of 53 state troops (Texas Rangers), where he joined operations with CaptainGeorge Stoneman of the2nd Cavalry and Captain Tobin's Texas Rangers againstJuan Cortina in theBattle of Rio Grande City.[1]: 268
In 1861, Ford served as a member of the Secession Convention and initiated a trade agreement between Mexico and theConfederate States of America.[1]: 329 As aConfederate States Army colonel, Ford commanded the Rio Grande Military District.[1]: 325 In early April 1861, Ford commanded troops who defendedZapata County from invaders from Mexico who did not want Texas in the Confederacy in the SecondCortina War.[1]: 324 They had entered Zapata County from Mexico and hanged the county judge. Several invaders were killed, marking the first deaths in defense of the Confederacy, about two weeks before the bloodlessBattle of Fort Sumter.[2] Between 1862 and 1865, Ford ran the Bureau of Conscription of the State,[1]: 332 and engaged in border operations protecting Confederate-Mexican trade. After raising 1,300 troops, "The Cavalry of the West", Ford recapturedFort Brown on July 30, 1864.[1]: 349, 352, 365 His forces attacked U.S. soldiers a few miles above Palmito Ranch on September 9, 1864, forcing them to retreat to Brazos Island on September 12, 1864.[1]: 374 In May 1865, Ford led Confederate forces in theBattle of Palmito Ranch, by some criteria the last battle of theAmerican Civil War.
"Some of the Sixty-Second Colored Regiment were also taken. They had been led to believe that if captured they would either be shot or returned to slavery. They were agreeably surprised when they were paroled and permitted to depart with the white prisoners. Several of the prisoners were from Austin and vicinity. They were assured they would be treated as prisoners of war. There was no disposition to visit upon them a mean spirit of revenge."-Colonel John Salmon Ford, May 1865.[3]
When Ford surrendered his command following the battle at Palmito Ranch, he urged his men to honor their paroles. He insisted that "the negro had a right to vote".[3]
Ford acted as a guide for the U.S. military operating against "cow-thieves and other disturbers of peace and quietude" and was a correspondent for the GalvestonNews.[1]: 411–412 Later, he was assistant editor for the BrownsvilleRanchero and wrote for the BrownsvilleCourier before establishing and publishing the BrownsvilleSentinel.[1]: 434 He died in San Antonio, on November 3, 1897, aged 82.
In 2008, Ford was inducted to theTexas Military Hall of Honor.[4]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by W. P. DeNormandie | Mayor of Austin 1854–1855 | Succeeded by John T. Cleveland |
| Texas Senate | ||
| Preceded by | Texas State Senator from District 21 1852–1853 | Succeeded by Elliott McNeil Millican |
| Preceded by Joseph E. Dwyer | Texas State Senator from District 29 1876–1879 | Succeeded by Stephen Powers |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
