DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and friend, this one's worth every mile of road between you and wherever you're headed. Major John B. Jones.
The name doesn't boom like thunder the way some frontier legends do. But give it a minute. It earns its weight.
He was born in South Carolina, came to the Republic of Texas in 1839, and got his schooling at Old Baylor and Rutersville — two institutions where, and I want you to sit with this for a second, students had to defend the school from Indian attacks. Not metaphorically. Actually defend it.
That was just part of the curriculum, apparently. You wonder if that shaped a man. You wonder.
When the Civil War came, 1861 to 1865, Jones served with Terry's Texas Rangers and Speight's Texas Infantry Battalion. He came out of that war with the kind of seasoning that doesn't wash off. Then, May 1, 1874, Governor Richard Coke appointed him to organize and field the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers.
The duty laid out before him was staggering — stop Indian depredations, shut down bandit raids coming in from Mexico, and bring some order to a Texas that federal Reconstruction had left raw and lawless at the edges. What did he do? Right away, at once, he put six Ranger companies at frontier posts stretching a hundred miles apart.
And in the first six months alone, those companies patrolled twenty-two thousand, two hundred and fifty miles. Just let that number roll across the land in your mind. He defeated Indians in numerous engagements, sending them back to their reservations.
He broke up rustling. And then come the names — the famous and violent outbreaks that read like a catalog of Texas at its most combustible. The Mason County War.
The Horrell-Higgins feud. The Kimble County trouble. The El Paso Salt War.
One by one, Jones brought them to an end. In 1878 he brought to justice the Sam Bass gang — train and bank robbers who'd made themselves quite a reputation. In January of 1879 he became adjutant general of Texas.
And then in 1880 and 1881 he directed the tracking down and quieting of Victorio's Apache Indian bands. The marker calls him a famed defender of the frontier. Says he instilled ideals of excellence into the Texas Rangers.
When you look at what he did, that's not flattery. That's arithmetic. He's buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.
And somewhere out there, the frontier he held together is now the Texas you're driving through. Think about that next time the road opens up wide in front of you.
What the marker says
Famed defender of the frontier. Instilled ideals of excellence into Texas Rangers. Born in South Carolina. Came to Republic of Texas 1839. Educated at Old Baylor and Rutersville, where students had to defend school from Indian attacks. In Civil War, 1861-65, served with Terry's Texas Rangers and Speight's Texas Infantry Battalion. Was appointed May 1, 1874, by Governor Richard Coke to organized and field the Frontier Battalion, Texas Rangers. Duty was to stop Indian depredations, bandit raids from Mexico,and lawlessness that resulted from federal Reconstruction. At once put six Ranger companies at frontier post 100 miles apart. In first six months patrolled 22,250 miles. Defeated Indians in numerous engagements, sending them back to their reservations. Broke up rustling. Brought end to famous and violent outbreaks, including Mason County War, Horrell-Higgins feud, Kimble County trouble, El Paso Salt War. In 1878 brought to justice San Bass gang of train and bank robbers. Became adjutant general of Texas, January 1879. In 1880-81 directed tracking down and quieting of Victorio's Apache Indian bands. Buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin. (1964)