Background Information on John Salmon (Rip) Ford

By: Judy C. Ware 2017

John Salmon Ford was born in South Carolina on May 26, 1815.  Growing up on a plantation, he first had aspirations of becoming a doctor.  He studied medicine in Shelbyville, Tennessee, around the age of 16, and was briefly married there to Mary Davis.  The union ended in divorce.  John decided to move to Texas in 1836; joining the Texas Army in its’ battle for independence from Mexico.  He served until 1838.  John then settled in San Augustine and practiced medicine for eight years.  A man of many talents, he also studied law and passed the bar exam.  In 1844, he was elected to the Texas House, where he introduced the resolution to accept annexation to the United States.  Shortly after John relocated to Austin in 1845, he purchased the local newspaper and changed the name to the Texas Democrat.  His passion was public service.

It was during the Mexican War that John got his nickname of “Rip.”  He served as a regimental adjutant under Jack Hays, and one of his main duties was to report on men killed in action.  He completed each report with the words "rest in peace" after his signature.  As the number of fatalities increased he abbreviated the phrase to "R.I.P."  Soon the men were calling him "Old Rip."

In 1858, Ford “went to see Governor H. R. Runnels about the Indian menace.  After a lively talk in which they covered the whole area of frontier defense, Ford walked out of the capitol as senior captain of all state troops with orders to get up a company and strike at the Comanche heartland out on the Canadian River.”  He obtained a striking reputation as an Indian fighter. His military experience in this arena enabled him to be a logical choice as a cavalry officer in the Civil War.

John married Addie Smith in Brownsville Presbyterian Church on May 31, 1861. (Ref. 1006) He also commanded an expedition to Brazos Santiago and initiated a trade agreement between Mexico and the Confederacy in 1861.

Although Captain James A. Ware probably knew John Ford well before 1864, it would be in that year that the two men became closely bound.  James had actually written to Headquarters in 1863 giving a strong recommendation for the Confederate officer.  “I would ask that some officer of known ability as a partisan leader with a knowledge of the county and the people with a few such companies from the Confederate service as he might select be sent to operate West of the Nueces and would suggest the names of Colonel John S. Ford who unites in a most imminent degree the qualifications of this command and my own colonel- Colonel A. Buchel - either of whom would be enabled to draw out the whole strength of the people.” (Ref. James A. Ware)

On December 22, 1863, Col. Ford was ordered by General Magruder on a secret expedition to the Rio Grande, naming the troops to go with him.  He called his men the ‘Cavalry of the West’ and their orders were to lead an Expeditionary Force to the Red River in order to protect Texas from Yankee invasion via the coastline.  It would be part of his responsibility to safeguard the cotton that was being traded between Mexico and Texas.  Cotton was the single most important source of revenue for the Confederacy in Texas, and keeping the trade routes open was essential for success.

While Col. Ford was recruiting men for his Red River Campaign he made it clear that the undertaking was to be started under the cloak of secrecy.  He wrote “I shall use every effort to keep the object of the expedition entirely secret, and shall get the editor of the Herald to intimate that it is intended for Indianola.”   (Ref. 3296)   A young officer he trusted to command one of his cavalry units was Captain James Ware.  The two men had great respect for each other and worked well together.  Ford even went so far as to write Headquarters that “supplies of every kind have been forwarded to Captain Ware. I can't do without him.”    

Col. Rip Ford

Colonel Ford worked closely with James until the end of the war and both officers (not knowing the terms of surrender) ended up crossing over to Mexico upon news of end of the war.  Years later, he served as a special sergeant-at-arms when Richard Coke was inaugurated as governor of Texas.  It was Governor Coke who appointed James as a District Judge in the late 1870s.

Col. Rip Ford

In 1887, Ford wanted to write his memoir and James wrote the following recommendation to Judge Falvey as a means of introduction. He was still clearly fond of his former commander.  

May 17, 1887

San Antonio, Texas

Judge T. A. Falvey,

This will be presented to you by Colonel John S. Ford who is a native Texan.  You already know anything that I may say in recommendation is exemplary.  Colonel Ford and myself were soldiers together and I desire on your account and his that you should personally know each other.  Colonel Ford is writing a history of his times that will be a most valuable acquisition to the historic record of the state.

Yours,

 J. A. Ware    (Ref.#3214)

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