John Coffee "Jack" Hays (January 28, 1817 – April 21, 1883) was an American

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

. A captain in the Texas Rangers and a military officer of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

, Hays served in several armed conflicts from 1836 to 1848, including against the Comanche Empire in Texas and during the Mexican–American War.

Biography

John Hays was born at Little Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tennessee. His father Harmon A. Hays fought in the War of 1812, naming his son for a relative by marriage, Colonel

John Coffee John R. Coffee (June 2, 1772 – July 7, 1833) was an American planter of Irish descent, and state militia brigadier general in Tennessee. He commanded troops under General Andrew Jackson during the Creek Wars (1813–14) and during the Battle o ...

. In 1836, at the age of 19, Hays migrated to the

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

appointed him as a member of a company of Texas Rangers because he knew the Hays family from his Tennessee years. He met with Houston and delivered a letter of recommendation from then- President Andrew Jackson, his great uncle. Rachel Jackson was Hays' great aunt of the Donelson family, a relative of his mother. In the following years, Hays led the Rangers on a campaign against the

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

in Texas, and succeeded in weakening their power. He rode with a Lipan Chief named Flacco who led the charge into every battle with him. The duo led and inspired the Rangers. In 1840 Tonkawa Chief Placido and 13 scouts joined with the Rangers to track down a large Comanche war party, culminating at the Battle of Plum Creek."John Hays"
Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, Texas Rangers Website Later, Hays commanded the force against the invasion from Mexico of 1842. During the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), Hays commanded the First Regiment of Texas Rangers at the Battle of Monterrey, established six companies along the northern and western frontier of Texas. He then commanded the Second Regiment of Texas Rangers in Winfield Scott's

Mexico City campaign Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. Later, while fighting under Gen. Joseph Lane, who was defending the American line of communications with Vera Cruz, Hays defeated superior numbers of Mexican cavalry at the

Affair at Galaxara Pass Affair at Galaxara Pass, November 24, 1847, was a U.S. Army victory of Gen. Joseph Lane, over the Mexican Army Light Corps, an irregular force under Gen. Joaquín Rea. The Light Corps had been the principal force harassing the U.S. Army line ...

and Mexican guerillas in the

Skirmish at Matamoros The Skirmish at Matamoros on November 23, 1847, was a U.S. victory of Gen. Joseph Lane, over a detachment under Colonel Piedras guarding the depot of the Mexican Army Light Corps that had been harassing the U.S. Army line of communications on the ...

and the

action of Sequalteplan The Action of Sequalteplan, on February 25, 1848, was an American victory by a force under Gen. Joseph Lane that defeated a Mexican guerrilla force under Celedonio Dómeco de Jarauta at Zacualtipan. It was the last American expedition against ...

.Congressional Edition, Volume 537, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1848, pp.86 - 89 General Lane's report of the affairs at Matamoras and Galaxara.
/ref>

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox (May 20, 1824 – December 2, 1890) was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican–American War and also was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Early life and career Wilcox was b ...

History of the Mexican War, Church News Publishing Company, Washington D. C., 1892, pp.532-535
/ref> The Rangers excelled during this conflict, gaining nationwide fame. Hays was the first to use the Navy Colt Paterson five-shot revolver. He expedited Samuel Walker to meet with Samuel Colt which led to the design of the legendary

Colt Walker The Colt Walker, sometimes known as the Walker Colt, is a single-action revolver with a revolving cylinder holding six charges of black powder behind six bullets (typically .44 caliber lead balls). It was designed in 1846 by American firearms i ...

six-shot revolver used in the Old West.

Marriage and family

On April 29, 1847, in the Magnolia Hotel, Hays married Susan Calvert, a descendant of George Calvert, First Baron Baltimore, in Seguin, Texas, where he had his home. The Comanche had great admiration for Hays. Upon the birth of Hays' first son in California, Chief Buffalo Hump sent the Hays family a gift, a golden spoon engraved "Buffalo Hump Jr." When son John Caperton Hays married Anna McMullin in San Francisco, two Texas Ranger legacies were combined. Her father, Captain John McMullin, was one of Hays' closest friends; he had followed him to California. Jack Hays' brother was

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

Brigadier General

Harry T. Hays Harry Thompson Hays (April 14, 1820 – August 21, 1876) was an American Army officer serving in the Mexican–American War and a general who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. Known as the "Louisiana Tigers," his brigad ...

of New Orleans. Their sister Sarah "Sallie" Hays Hammond was the mother of John Hays Hammond.

John Hays Hammond, Jr. John Hays Hammond Jr. (April 13, 1888 – February 12, 1965) was an American inventor known as "The Father of Radio Control". Hammond's pioneering developments in electronic remote control are the foundation for all modern radio remote cont ...

, was an apprentice to Thomas Edison and worked with Nikola Tesla; he was on the board of directors for RCA.

Post–Mexican War years

In 1849, Hays was appointed by the United States government as the US Indian agent for the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...

country in New Mexico and Arizona. The same year the Hays joined the migration to California, leading a party of Forty Niners from New York that traveled in wagons to California from Texas. This party pioneered a shortcut on

Cooke's Wagon Road Cooke's Wagon Road or Cooke's Road was the first wagon road between the Rio Grande and the Colorado River to San Diego, through the Mexican provinces of Nuevo México, Chihuahua, Sonora and Alta California, established by Philip St. George ...

that saved a long journey to the south. That improved route became known as the

Tucson Cutoff The Tucson Cutoff was a significant change in the route of the Southern Emigrant Trail. It became generally known after a party of Forty-Niners led by Colonel John Coffee Hays followed a route suggested to him by a Mexican Army officer as a shorte ...

. Hays was elected sheriff of San Francisco County in 1850, and later became active in politics. In 1853, he was appointed US surveyor-general for California. Hays was one of the earliest residents of the city of

Oakland Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...

. In the following years, he amassed a considerable fortune through real estate and ranching enterprises. In 1860, while in Virginia City, Nevada, on business, he heard the news of the

First Battle of Pyramid Lake The First Battle of Pyramid Lake in 1860 was one of the opening conflicts of the Paiute War in Nevada between the American people and the Northern Paiute, Paiute people, who had resisted the increasing numbers of migrants who traveled the Califor ...

. He commanded a force of volunteer soldiers at the Second Battle of Pyramid Lake.

American Civil War and later years

During the Civil War, Hays retired from military involvement. In 1876, Hays was elected as a delegate to the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

national convention, which nominated

Samuel J. Tilden Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814 – August 4, 1886) was an American politician who served as the 25th Governor of New York and was the Democratic candidate for president in the disputed 1876 United States presidential election. Tilden was ...

for the presidency of the United States.

Death

John Hays died in California on April 21, 1883, and his remains were interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.

Legacy and honors

John C. Hays is the namesake of Hays County, Texas. Hays is etched in his honor, on the side of the Hall of State, Dallas, Texas.

References

Bibliography

* Gwynne, S. C. ''Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History'', New York: Scribner, 2010; * Robinson, Charles, ''The Men Who Wear the Star: The Story of the Texas Rangers'', Modern Library, (2001). . * Swift, Roy, ''Three Roads to Chihuahua: The Great Wagon Roads that Opened the Southwest'', Eakin Press (1988). . * Webb, Walter Prescott, ''The Texas Rangers: A Century of Frontier Justice'', University of Texas Press, (1965, second ed.). * Wilkins, Frederick, ''The Legend Begins: The Texas Rangers, 1823–1845'', State House Press, (1996). . * Wilkins, Frederick, ''Defending the Borders: The Texas Rangers, 1848–1861'', State House Press, (2001). . * Wilkins, Frederick, ''The Law Comes to Texas: The Texas Rangers 1870–1901'', State House Press, (1999). .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hays, John Coffee United States Army colonels Members of the Texas Ranger Division American city founders American folklore American surveyors 1817 births 1883 deaths People from Seguin, Texas Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Oakland, California) California Democrats People from Wilson County, Tennessee People of the American Old West United States Army personnel of the Mexican–American War