Edward Otho Cresap Ord II

Edward Otho Cresap Ord II (November 9, 1858 – April 4, 1923) was an American military officer, artist, writer, and inventor. He was a United States Army Major who served with the 22nd Infantry Regiment during the Indian Wars, the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War. He helped direct relief work after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He was a military instructor, an expert linguist and spent time in painting and writing poetry. He was also an inventor who patented a new type of gold pan and different types of rifle and handgun sights.

Early life Ord was the eldest male of 15 children (13 lived past childhood) and was born at Benicia Barracks, California, on November 9, 1858. His father, Edward Otho Cresap Ord, married Mary Mercer Thompson on October 14, 1854. The senior Ord was a career military officer who was a hero in the American Civil War and had served as a major general of Volunteers. After the war, he reverted to brigadier general in the Regular Army.

On August 2, 1870, the family was in San Francisco, California with seven children. Edward, the eldest son, lived with servants and was taught by tutors and in public schools.

First military career

Indian Wars

Second Lieutenant Ord of the 22nd Infantry served in the Indian campaigns in Texas in 1880, and later commanded the Seminole Indian scouts in 1882 to about 1890. Since 1870, the U.S. Army invited Black Seminoles to return from Mexico to serve as army scouts for the United States. The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts (originally a black unit despite the name) played a lead role in the Texas Indian Wars of the 1870s. The scouts became famous for their tracking abilities and feats of endurance. Four men were awarded the Medal of Honor. They served as advance scouts for the commanding white officers and the all-black units known as the Buffalo Soldiers, with whom they were closely associated. After the close of the Texas Indian Wars, the scouts remained stationed at Fort Clark in Brackettville, Texas.

First Lieutenant Ord participated in the feared revolt of the Ghost Dancers supposedly led by Sitting Bull in mid-December 1891 and took part in patrols in Montana trying to keep the peace through the end of 1892. This was during the time when Sitting Bull was killed.

Spanish–American War Lieutenant Ord fought at Santiago in Cuba during the Spanish–American War with the 22nd Infantry Regiment from July 3 to July 17, 1898. There he was promoted to captain. After the war, Captain Ord remained in Cuba for nine months as interpreter on the staff of General Henry Lawton. There he suffered from a mild case of yellow fever.

In 1908, he was the military instructor at St. Matthew's school in San Mateo, California, and later at the University of Alabama.

Second military career In 1915, Ord was a military aide on the staff of the governor of Arizona. He was also a liaison with Army unit that included his former regiment. He saw service on the Mexican border due to the rise of tension along the border following the Battle of Agua Prieta. This was where Pancho Villa sustained his greatest defeat and his units were disorganized and wandered around northern Mexico foraging for supplies. Desperate for food and fresh horses, Pancho Villa camped his army of an estimated 500 horsemen outside of Columbus, New Mexico on the Mexican side of the border in March 1916. On March 9, 1916, he invaded the United States for supplies and arms which resulted in the Battle of Columbus. Ord had been given the rank of Major and served Arizona well in organizing and arming militia units. No major raids across the border took place in Arizona. and to writing poetry.

Ord was a Roman Catholic by religion. He died at Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California on April 4, 1923.