John Fry, Jr. (1840 – October 6, 1863) was the closing rider on the first westbound

Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pik ...

and later a soldier in the United States Cavalry who was killed in action 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 ...

Early life and The Pony Express

Fry was born in

Bourbon County, Kentucky Bourbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,252. Its county seat is Paris. Bourbon County is part of the Lexington–Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of Ken ...

to John Fry, Sr., the son of a German immigrant, and Susannah "Sally" Fry (nee Humble) in 1840. Sally moved with her son and new husband Benjamin Wells to

Rushville, Missouri Rushville is a village in western Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. The population was 303 at the 2010 census. It is part of the St. Joseph, MO– KS Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Rushville was laid out in 1847. The village ...

around 1857. In the winter of 1860, William H. Russell,

Alexander Majors Alexander Majors (October 4, 1814 – January 13, 1900) was an American businessman, who along with William Hepburn Russell and William B. Waddell founded the Pony Express, based in St. Joseph, Missouri. This was one of the westernmost points ...

, William B. Waddell and Secretary of War

John B. Floyd John Buchanan Floyd (June 1, 1806 – August 26, 1863) was the 31st Governor of Virginia, U.S. Secretary of War, and the Confederate general in the American Civil War who lost the crucial Battle of Fort Donelson. Early family life John Buchan ...

were working to undermine efforts by the Atlantic & Pacific Mail Company's efforts to secure from Congress $10,000,000 for rail mail service between the westernmost rail head in St. Joseph, Missouri and the gold fields of northern California. At the Willard Hotel, Russell's party bet the Atlantic & Pacific's backers $100,000 that men on horseback could make the journey of 1,950 miles in ten days. The bet resulted in

The Pony Express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pike ...

, set to start the next spring, on April 8, 1860. As an adult, "Johnny" Fry weighed 120 pounds and described to be "Tough and wiry, he was as light as a cat." Fry was assigned the last sixty miles using six thoroughbred horses to do it. While there are no photographs of the start of the Pony Express, the old tin-type of Johnny Fry standing next to

Johnson William Richardson Johnson William Richardson (c. 1834–1862) was a Pony Express rider. He was a native of Virginia and at a fairly young age he was shanghaied onto a seagoing freighter where he sailed the icy seas of the North Atlantic. It was a number of years b ...

in a sailor's hat and jacket, with Charlie Cliff and his brother Gus Cliff, pictures the riders hired by Lewis for Russell, Majors, and Waddell. The Pony Express failed as economically untenable in October 1861 due to the arrival of the transcontinental telegraph. The American Civil War was underway and Johnny Fry joined the

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 ...

Army and was killed by

Quantrill's Raiders Quantrill's Raiders were the best-known of the pro-Confederate partisan guerrillas (also known as "bushwhackers") who fought in the American Civil War. Their leader was William Quantrill and they included Jesse James and his brother Frank. Ea ...

in the

Battle of Baxter Springs The Battle of Baxter Springs, more commonly known as the Baxter Springs Massacre, was a minor battle of the American Civil War fought on 6 October 1863, near the present-day town of Baxter Springs, Kansas. In late 1863, Quantrill's Raiders, a l ...

References

External links

Pony Express History on Oregon TrailPony Express History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fry, Johnny 1840 births 1863 deaths People from Bourbon County, Kentucky Pony Express riders Union Army personnel Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War