John R. Baylor (born John Robert Baylor; July 27, 1822 – February 6, 1894) was a US Indian agent, publisher and editor, politician, and a senior
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
of the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
.
[Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor]
#1362, The Texas Collection After being dismissed as Indian agent, he became one of the founding editors of ''The White Man'', a newspaper in North Texas, and a strong critic of Governor
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 ...
.
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 th ...
, Baylor led Texas Confederate forces into New Mexico, and declared himself the 1st Governor of the
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
. He was confirmed by
Confederate President
The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confe ...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
. In an altercation, Baylor killed an editor of a rival newspaper. Davis disapproved of orders Baylor gave to his regiment to exterminate the
Apache
The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...
in his territory, and removed him from office as governor, stripping him of his Texas commission.
[Baylor-Carrington Family Papers #170, The Texas Collection]
Later Baylor recovered, settling in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
. He was elected to state government as a legislator and became a rancher. In 1881 he killed another man in an argument, when he was about 59, but was acquitted at trial. He died years later at his ranch.
Early life
John R. Baylor was born in
Paris, Kentucky
Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...
in 1822, the son of a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
surgeon
In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
and his wife. He had a brother, George Wythe Baylor, who followed their father into military service, later achieving the rank of colonel. The boys grew up with their family on the various military posts where their father was posted as an assistant surgeon in the Seventh Infantry.
Their uncle,
R.E.B. Baylor, became an associate judge on the Texas Supreme Court and co-founder of
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...
. A great-uncle was Col.
George R. Baylor, who had served in the American Revolution.
Move to Texas
John Baylor moved to
Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,435. Its county seat is La Grange. The county was created in 1837 and organized the next year.
History
Fayette County was established ...
at the age of 18, and made his life there.
In 1840 he joined a Texas volunteer army to fight against the
Comanche Indians
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 Law ...
. In 1844 he married Emily Hanna in
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Harrison County, Texas, Harrison County and a cultural and educational center of the Ark-La-Tex region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population of M ...
, and the couple had seven sons and three daughters.
His brother George also ended up in Texas.
While living as a rancher in Texas Baylor decided to try his hand at politics, and was elected to the Texas state legislature in 1851, serving from 1852 to 1854.
In 1853 he was admitted to the bar.
He was appointed as the agent to the Comanches in 1855, and held that position until his dismissal in 1857.
After his dismissal, he began to travel around the state condemning the Comanches and addressing anti-Indian meetings.
During this time he edited an anti-Indian newspaper, ''The White Man'', and organized a vigilante force of around 1,000 men to campaign against the Comanches.
John Baylor was appointed as a US
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government.
Background
The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...
in
Jack County
Jack County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 8,472. Its county seat is Jacksboro. The county was created in 1856 and organized the next year. It is named for P ...
, serving from 1856 to March 1857, when he was dismissed. He became a critic of Governor
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 ...
, saying he was not doing enough to defend settlers in North Texas from 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 ...
and
Lipan Apache
Lipan Apache are a band of Apache, a Southern Athabaskan Indigenous people, who have lived in the Southwest and Southern Plains for centuries. At the time of European and African contact, they lived in New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and ...
.
He was elected to the state legislature, and, by 1860, became a co-founding publisher and editor of a local newspaper called ''The White Man,'' which advocated the expulsion of Indians from North Texas. Based in
Jacksboro, it had the advantage of being in a town that was a stop on the
Butterfield Overland Mail Route, and was estimated to reach 1,000 readers.
American Civil War
After Texas's secession from the Union, Baylor was commissioned as a
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 1 ...
lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in command of the 2nd Texas Cavalry Regiment (also known as the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles).
His force pushed to the
southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
into
New Mexico Territory
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
and occupied
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in New Mexico and Texas, with its headquarters in El Paso, Texas. Named in honor of William Wallace Smith Bliss, LTC William Bliss (1815–1853), a mathematics professor who was the son-in-law of President ...
.
Governor of Arizona Territory (1861–1862)
Following his victory at the
First Battle of Mesilla
The First Battle of Mesilla, was fought on July 25, 1861 at Mesilla in New Mexico Territory, in present-day Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
It was an engagement between Confederate and Union forces during the American Civil War. The battle resul ...
(July 25, 1861), and the surrender of U.S. forces in the area, Baylor proclaimed himself as the Governor of
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...
, a region encompassing the southern half of contemporary
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
and
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. His position was confirmed by the Confederate Congress, and he was promoted to
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 of ...
in 1861.
On January 18, 1862, the fledgling territory was formally organized by the Confederate States.
Soon, a disagreement over critical articles in the ''Mesilla Times'' led to a fight between Baylor and the editor, Robert P. Kelly, whom he killed. Attorney General
Marcus H. MacWillie, a member of Baylor's state cabinet, officially pardoned him for the homicide. MacWillie was later rewarded when Baylor orchestrated the former AG's election to the
1st Confederate States Congress
The 1st Confederate States Congress, consisting of the Confederate States Senate and the Confederate States House of Representatives, met from February 18, 1862, to February 17, 1864, during the first two years of Jefferson Davis's presidency, a ...
.
Baylor became known for ordering his cavalry regiment to exterminate the Apache, with whom the encroaching settlers were in conflict. He issued the following order to his men:
When news of this order reached
Confederate President
The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confe ...
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...
, he relieved Baylor as governor and revoked his commission as
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 of ...
.
Davis's March 23, 1863 note to the Secretary of War was:
C.S. House of Representatives (1863–1865)
Baylor later was elected to the
2nd Confederate States Congress
The 2nd Confederate States Congress, consisting of the Confederate States Senate and the Confederate States House of Representatives, met from May 2, 1864, to March 18, 1865, during the last year of Jefferson Davis's presidency, at the Virginia S ...
, serving from 1863 to 1865, representing Texas. He regained his commission as colonel and was raising a new force to recapture the Arizona Territory when the American Civil War ended two weeks later.
Later life
In the postwar years, Baylor settled in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, Texas. In 1873, he unsuccessfully campaigned for 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 ...
's nomination for
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...
, losing to
Richard Coke
Richard Coke (March 18, 1829May 14, 1897) was an American lawyer and statesman from Waco, Texas. He was the 15th governor of Texas from 1874 to 1876 and was a US Senator from 1877 to 1895. His governorship is notable for reestablishing local ...
.
In 1876, during the height of the
Black Hills War
The Great Sioux War of 1876, also known as the Black Hills War, was a series of battles and negotiations that occurred in 1876 and 1877 in an alliance of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne against the United States. The cause of the war was the ...
, Baylor offered his services to the U.S. Army against the
Lakota Sioux.
In 1878, he established a sizable ranch in
Uvalde County and prospered, but he continued to be involved in violent confrontations and reputedly killed a man in the early 1880s in a feud over livestock. This killing happened in Uvalde County; the victim was named Gilchrist. Baylor was never charged for the crime.
He died at his ranch on February 6, 1894, aged 71. He was buried in the Church of the Ascension cemetery.
Notes
References
* Allardice, Bruce S., ''Confederate Colonels'', University of Missouri Press, 2008.
* Allardice, Bruce S., ''More Generals in Gray'', Louisiana State University Press, 1995, .
* Katheder, Thomas, ''The Baylors of Newmarket: The Decline and Fall of a Virginia Planter Family.'' New York and Bloomington, Ind., 2009.
* Thompson, Jerry Don, ''Colonel John Robert Baylor: Texas Indian Fighter and Confederate Soldier.'' Hillsboro, Texas: Hill Junior College Press, 1971.
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
*
John R. Baylorat
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baylor, John R.
1822 births
1894 deaths
19th-century American politicians
American Civil War prisoners of war
Burials in Texas
Cavalry commanders
Confederate States Army officers
Governors of Arizona Territory
Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from Texas
Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives
Military personnel from Kentucky
People from Paris, Kentucky
People acquitted of murder
People of Texas in the American Civil War