Ford, John Salmon

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John Salmon "Rip" Ford (1815-1897) was a physician; soldier and military commander in the Mexican War and Civil War; elected official in the Texas Senate and House of Representatives; and editor of the Texas Democrat and the Brownsville Sentinel.

From the description of Ford, John Salmon "Rip," papers, circa 1836-1896. (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 319168288

Born near Greenville, South Carolina, on May 26, 1815. Came to Texas in June 1836 and served as a lieutenant in Jack Hays' Rangers. Practiced medicine in San Augustine and served in the Texas Congress. Moved to Austin in 1845 and edited the TEXAS DEMOCRAT. Blazed the first road from San Antonio to El Paso with Robert S. Neighbors in 1849. Fought in Mexican War and received nickname "Rip" after sending out R.I.P. death notices. Served in Texas Senate and with Rangers, raided Chief Iron Jacket's camp in the Antelope Hills in 1858. Served in the Secession Convention in 1861 and became a Confederate officer. Won the last Civil War land battle at Palmetto Ranch in 1865. Edited BROWNSVILLE SENTINAL in 1868. Leader in restoration of Democratic party rule in Texas during 1870s. Superintendent of State School for the Deaf and also in Senate. Spent last years writing his memoirs. Died Nov. 3, 1897, in San Antonio.

From the description of Papers, 1863-1865. (Texas Tech University). WorldCat record id: 26067784

John Salmon (Rip) Ford, born in 1815, was a soldier and political figure in the Texas Republic and the state. Over the course of his military career he fought in the Texas Revolution from 1836 to 1838, served as a captain in the Texas Rangers from 1850 to 1851, and was a colonel of the Second Texas Cavalry from 1862 to 1865 during the Civil War. Politically he was active both nationally and locally, serving as a United States congressman in 1844 and as a Texas state senator in 1852 and again from 1876 to 1879. Ford also edited newspapers in Brownsville and Austin, was a superintendent of what would become the Texas School for the Deaf, and a charter member of the Texas State Historical Association. He died in 1897.

Source: The Handbook of Texas Online, John Salmon (Rip) Ford, accessed August 2011.

From the guide to the John Salmon Ford papers, 1838, 1844, 1858-1866, 1869-1876, 1883-1896, undated, bulk 1861-1865, (Texas State Archives)

John Salmon “Rip” Ford (1815-1897) was born near Greenville, South Carolina on May 26, 1815. Raised in Tennessee, Ford moved to Texas in 1836. He served in the Texas army until 1838 and practiced medicine in San Augustine. In 1844, Ford was elected to the House of the Ninth Congress of the Republic of Texas, where he presented the resolution to accept annexation to the United States. Ford moved to Austin in 1845 and became editor of the Texas Democrat . During the Mexican War, he served as regimental adjutant under John Coffee Hays. In 1849, he explored a route later known as the Ford and Neighbors Trail and became a captain in the Texas Rangers. In 1852, Ford was elected to the Texas Senate. He returned to military service in 1858, and commanded many operations and explorations, including leading Confederate forces in the battle of Palmito Ranch, the last battle of the Civil War. Ford relocated to Brownsville in 1868, where he edited the Brownsville Sentinel and served as mayor in 1874. He was a delegate of the State Constitutional Convention in 1875 and served in the Texas Senate from 1876 to 1879. He was appointed superintendent of the Deaf and Dumb School in 1879. Ford died in San Antonio on November 3, 1897.

Creator’s Sketch prepared from information contained in the Handbook of Texas Online .

From the guide to the John Salmon “Rip” Ford Papers, circa 1836-1896, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn DeShields, James T., 1861-1948. Papers, 1863-1940. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
referencedIn Truitt, James W., 1845-1922. Truitt, James W., Papers, 1806-1918 (bulk 1840-1887) University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Truitt, James W. Papers, 1806-1918 (bulk 1840-1887) Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Hays John Coffee Collection 1932; 1933; 70-107; 73-054., 1817-1916 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf Texas. Secretary of State. Secretary of State boundary records, 1837-1843. 1858-1860, 1873-1877, 1882, 1885-1887, 1911, undated. Texas State Library & Archives Commission
referencedIn James B. Wells Papers, 1837-1926 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Lucie Clift Price Papers, 1838-1983 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Texas Association of the Mexican War Veterans. Veterans of the Mexican War Association records, 1874-1886 University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Sharp, W. G. W. G. Sharp Collection, 1817-1923 University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Hays, John Coffee. Hays John Coffee Collection, 1817-1916 University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Biography -- Ford, John Salmon. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
creatorOf John Salmon Ford papers, 1838, 1844, 1858-1866, 1869-1876, 1883-1896, undated, bulk 1861-1865 Texas State Archives
referencedIn Inventory of the J. F. Rowley Diary Ragan MSS 00118 ., 1863-1865 Cushing Memorial Library,
referencedIn Military Operations in Texas Collection 81-171., 1862-1864 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf Ford, John Salmon. Ford, John Salmon "Rip," papers, circa 1836-1896. University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Ferguson (Henry Noel) Photograph Collection 86-268., 1847, 1889, 1931-1968, 1980 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn DeShields, James T., 1861-1948. James T. DeShields papers [manuscript], 1815-1944. Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library
referencedIn Blake (Robert Bruce) Papers, 1690-1959, 1969-1970 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn U.S. Army Department of the Gulf. Military Operations in Texas Collection, 1862-1864 University of Texas Libraries
creatorOf Ford, John Salmon. Papers, 1863-1865. Texas Tech University Libraries, Academic Library
referencedIn Huling, Thomas Byers. Huling, Thomas Byers, Papers, 1826, 1831-1881, 1901 University of Texas Libraries
referencedIn Huling, Thomas Byers, Papers, 1826, 1831-1881, 1901 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Veterans of the Mexican War Association records, 1874-1886 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf John Salmon “Rip” Ford Papers, circa 1836-1896 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn W. G. Sharp Collection 67-6., 1817-1923 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Secretary of State boundary records, 1837-1843, 1858-1860, 1873-1877, 1882, 1885-1887, 1911, undated Texas State Archives
creatorOf Ford, John Salmon. Runaway slaves - various. Texas A&M University, Evans Library & Annex; Main campus library complex
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Benavides, Santos, 1823-1891 person
associatedWith Blake, Robert Bruce, 1877-1955 person
associatedWith DeShields, James T., 1861-1948. person
associatedWith Dix, John J., 1826-1910 person
associatedWith Ferguson (Henry Noel) person
associatedWith Ford family. family
associatedWith Hays, John Coffee person
associatedWith Hays, John Coffee person
associatedWith Huling, Thomas Byers person
associatedWith Huling, Thomas Byers person
associatedWith Murrah, Pendleton, 1824-1865 person
associatedWith Price, Lucie Clift, 1900-1983 person
associatedWith Rowley, J. F. person
associatedWith Sharp, W. G. person
associatedWith Sharp, W. G. person
associatedWith Texas Association of the Mexican War Veterans corporateBody
associatedWith Texas. Secretary of State. corporateBody
associatedWith Truitt, James W., 1845-1922 person
associatedWith U.S. Army Department of the Gulf corporateBody
associatedWith Wells, James B., 1850-1923 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Confederate States of America-Army-Texas Cavalry Regiment, 2nd.
Texas
Shreveport (La.).
Houston (Tex.).
Texas-History-19th Century.
Confederate States of America-Army-Military life-History-Sources.
Texas-History-Civil War, 1860-1865.
San Antonio (Tex.).
Texas
Texas-History-Republic, 1836-1846.
Matamoros (Tamaulipas, Mexico).
Texas-History-Revolution, 1835-1836.
Brownsville (Tex.).
Texas Rangers-History-19th Century.
Galveston (Tex.).
Subject
Military history
Journalism
Journalism
Soldiers
Soldiers
Texas
Texas
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1815-05-26

Death 1897-11-03

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