DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Colonel John Ireland — and friend, this one's got enough in it for two men, which is fitting, because in a way, that's exactly what it is. Seguin, Guadalupe County. This is the hometown of a man who wore two very different sets of spurs across one remarkable life.
On one face of the marker, you've got a soldier. On the other, a governor. Same man — John Ireland, born in Kentucky in 1827, died in 1896 — and the story of Texas is tangled up in every chapter of his.
Let's start at the beginning of the trouble, as Texans often do. It's 1861, and Ireland is a delegate to the Secession Convention. When the shooting starts, he doesn't stay home and wait to see how it plays out.
He joins the army. As a private. Now, keep that in mind — a private — because the man is not going to stay that way long.
The marker singles out what it calls that most brilliant wartime effort: the defense of the 800-mile Texas coast. September of 1862. The Federals come probing at Corpus Christi, and the Texans repulse them.
And in the middle of that fight, John Ireland — infantry officer, mind you, not a sailor, not a naval man by any stretch — captures Fleet Captain Kittredge. Not just the man. His flag.
His arms. All of it. But wait.
The marker's got one more detail that stops you cold. Off Padre Island, Ireland once plunged waist-deep into the water to capture a Federal vessel. An infantry officer.
Waist-deep in the Gulf. Takin' a boat. You can dress it up or dress it down, but there it is.
By the end of the war, this man who joined as a private is in command of the 8th Texas Regiment, defending Galveston. Now flip the marker over, because John Ireland wasn't done. He came to Texas in 1853.
By 1858 he's Mayor of Seguin. He serves as a member of the Constitutional Conventions of 1866 and 1875. He's appointed district judge in 1866 — and then, just a year into it, 1867, Reconstruction authorities remove him.
That kind of thing tends to leave a mark on a man's politics. He comes back as a legislator, serving from 1872 to 1875. Along the way, he picks up a nickname that has some bite to it: Oxcart John.
He earns it by opposing land grants and subsidies to railroads. In a state where railroads were being courted like royalty, that took a certain kind of stubbornness, and Ireland wore it like a badge. He supervises plans to oust Governor E.
J. Davis in what the marker calls a bloodless conflict — the political end of Texas Reconstruction. Then he serves as a judge on the State Supreme Court, 1875 to 1876.
And then, in 1882, John Ireland becomes Governor of Texas, holding that office through 1886. His term is no quiet stretch of paper-signing. The fence-cutting wars are raging — certain landowners had started fencing the open range, and men with wire cutters were answering back.
Ireland calls a special session of the Legislature and fence-cutting is made a felony. He rules that the new state capitol be built of Texas stone. He urges stricter enforcement of criminal laws, economy in government, reducing public land sales.
His term sees the opening of the University of Texas and what the marker describes as the first labor disturbances Texas had ever known. A private who captured a fleet captain. A judge removed and then returned.
A governor who drew a line — in the grass, in the stone, in the law. John Ireland, 1827 to 1896, is buried at the State Cemetery in Austin. But Seguin, Guadalupe County, claims him as its own — and after everything on both faces of that marker, it's hard to argue they don't have the right.
What the marker says
Home Town of Texas Confederate Colonel John Ireland. Delegate to Secession Convention 1861. Joined army as private. Won laurels in that most brilliant wartime effort - the defense of the 800-mile Texas coast in September 1862, repulse of Federals at Corpus Christi. Ireland captured fleet Captain Kittredge, his flag and arms. Though Ireland was an infantry officer he once plunged waist-deep to capture a Federal vessel off Padre Island. At war's end he was in command of the 8th Texas Regiment defending Galveston. A memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy. Erected by the State of Texas 1964. (Reverse) Governor John Ireland 1827-1896 Kentucky-born, came to Texas 1853. Mayor of Seguin 1858. Member Constitutional Conventions 1866, 1875. District judge 1866-67, removed by Reconstruction authorities. Legislator 1872-75. Called "Oxcart John" for opposing land grants subsidies to railroads. Supervised plans to oust Governor E. J. Davis in bloodless conflict marking political end of Texas reconstruction. Judge state supreme court 1875-76. Governor of Texas 1882-86. Fence-cutting wars brought on when certain landowners began fencing the open range prompted him to call special Legislature which made fence-cutting a felony. He ruled that state capitol be of Texas stone. Urged stricter enforcement of criminal laws, economy in government, reducing public land sales. Term was marked by opening of University of Texas and first labor disturbances Texas had known. Buried State Cemetery, Austin. Delegate to Secession Convention 1861. Joined army as private. Won laurels in that most brilliant wartime effort - the defense of the 800-mile Texas Coast. In September, 1862, repulse of Federals at Corpus Christi, Ireland captured Fleet Captain Kittredge, his flag and arms. Though Ireland was an infantry officer he once plunged waist-deep to capture a Federal vessel off Padre Island. At war's end he was in command of the 8th Texas Regiment defending Galveston. BACK: Kentucky-born. Came to Texas 1853. Mayor of Seguin 1858. Member Consititutional Conventions 1866, 1875. District Judge 1866-67, removed by Reconstruction authorities. Legislator 1872-75. Called "Ox-cart John" for opposing land grants, subsidies to railroads. Supervised plans to oust Governor E. J. Davis in bloodless conflict marking political end of Texas' Reconstruction. Judge State Supreme Court 1875-76. Governor of Texas 1882-86. Fence-cutting wars, brought on when certain landowners began fencing the open range prompted him to call special Legislature which made fence-cutting a felony. He ruled that State Capitol be of Texas stone. Urged strict enforcement of criminal laws, economy in government, reducing public land sales. Term was marked by opening of University of Texas and first labor disturbances Texas had known. Buried State Cemetery, Austin.