James Hobart Ford (May 22, 1829 – January 12, 1867) was a

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

and brevet

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, notable for his contributions in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the war.

Early life

James Hobart Ford was born in Painesville, Ohio, in 1829. His uncle was

David Tod David Tod (February 21, 1805 – November 13, 1868) was an American politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Ohio. As the 25th governor of Ohio, Tod gained recognition for his forceful and energetic leadership during the American Civi ...

, U.S. Minister to Brazil and governor of Ohio during the Civil War. Much of Ford's early life is unclear, but sometime before 1861 he moved from Ohio to Colorado. He married in May 1850 to Arabella Stambaugh, daughter of John F. Stambaugh and Sara Beaver. They had 4 children, David Tod Ford, James R. Ford, John S. Ford and Sara Stambaugh Ford.

Civil War

New Mexico

Ford became involved in the Civil War when Confederate forces invaded New Mexico. Colonel

Edward Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Department of New Mexico, defeating the Confederate Gen ...

called for reinforcements from the nearby Colorado Territory to help in the defense of New Mexico. The people of Colorado responded quicklyAlberts, p. 13. and Ford took command of one company raised in

Cañon City A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cu ...

and was appointed captain on December 21, 1861. This company would be known as "Ford's Independent Company" even though it received an official designation as Company "A", 2nd Colorado Volunteer Infantry Regiment. As Ford marched his company towards Fort Union, he absorbed a number of soldiers from the 1st and 4th New Mexico Volunteer Regiments. Upon his arrival at Fort Union, Ford's company was reassigned as Company "G" of the 4th New Mexico Volunteer Regiment. It is likely Ford and his men never styled themselves Company G, as they continued to function independently of either regiment. Colonel John P. Slough, another Coloradan, arrived at Fort Union and took command of the Union forces there. Slough planned an advance against the approaching Confederate army, assigning Ford and his company to Maj. John M. Chivington's flanking column. In the ensuing

Battle of Glorieta Pass The Battle of Glorieta Pass (March 26–28, 1862) in the northern New Mexico Territory, was the decisive battle of the New Mexico campaign during the American Civil War. Dubbed the " Gettysburg of the West" by some authors (a term described ...

, Ford participated in the action near Johnson's Ranch, which captured the Confederate supply train.

Kansas-Missouri

On November 1, 1862, Ford was promoted to major of the 2nd Colorado Infantry. In October 1862 the 2nd Colorado and 3rd Colorado Infantry Regiments were consolidated to form the 2nd Colorado Cavalry and on November 5, 1863, Ford was appointed colonel. For much of the war Colonel Ford was stationed in Missouri operating against

bushwackers Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there were large areas of contested land and few governmental resources to control these tra ...

along the Kansas-Missouri border.

Price's Missouri raid

In October 1864, Confederate General

Sterling Price Major-General Sterling "Old Pap" Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western and Trans-Mississippi theaters of the American Civil War. Prior to ...

led a raid into Missouri. General Samuel R. Curtis, commander of the Department of Kansas, began assembling Union forces to oppose Price. Colonel Ford was placed in command of the 4th Brigade in James G. Blunt's 1st Division of Curtis' newly formed

Army of the Border The Army of the Border was a Union army during the American Civil War. It was created from units in the Department of Kansas to oppose Sterling Price's Raid in 1864. Samuel R. Curtis was in command of the army throughout its duration. Major Gener ...

. Ford led his brigade into action at the

Battle of Little Blue River The Battle of Little Blue River was fought on October 21, 1864, as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War. Major General (CSA), Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army led an army into Missouri in September 1864 ...

. His brigade then held the left flank of the Union Army at the

Battle of Westport The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West", was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeate ...

and was heavily engaged in the fighting along Brush Creek. Blunt used Ford's and Colonel Charles R. Jennison's brigades to lead the Federal assault. After the Confederate defeat at Westport, Ford took part in the Federal pursuit, fighting in the battles of

Mine Creek Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging *Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun Mi ...

and Newtonia.

Later service and death

On December 12, 1864,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

nominated Ford for appointment to the grade of brevet

of volunteers, to rank from December 10, 1864, and the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

confirmed the appointment on February 14, 1865. He commanded the District of the Upper Arkansas for the remainder of the war conducting operations against Native Americans from Fort Larned. Ford was discharged from the Union army on July 19, 1865. Shortly after the end of the war, he returned to Ohio where he died on January 12, 1867, in Akron.

Ford County, Kansas Ford County (county code FO) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 34,287. Its county seat and most populous city is Dodge City. The county is named in honor of Colonel James Hobart Ford. G ...

was named in his honor.

Notes

References

*Alberts, Don E., & Frazer, Donald S. ''Battle of Glorieta'', Texas A&M University Press, July 2000, *Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . *Monnett, Howard N. ''Action Before Westport'', University Press of Colorado, 1995, {{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, James Hobart 1829 births 1867 deaths Union Army colonels Union Army generals People of Colorado in the American Civil War People of Ohio in the American Civil War