John Salmon Ford

John Salmon Ford (May 26, 1815 – November 3, 1897), also known as "Rip" Ford, was an American military officer and politician. He served as a member of the Republic of Texas Congress and the Texas Senate. He was also the mayor of Brownsville and Austin. Ford was a Texas Ranger, a Confederate colonel, a doctor, a lawyer, and a journalist and newspaper owner. He commanded men during the Antelope Hills expedition and later led the Confederate forces in what was arguably the last engagement of the American Civil War, the Battle of Palmito Ranch on May 12–13, 1865. It was a Confederate victory, but as it occurred more than a month after Robert E. Lee's surrender, it did not affect the war's outcome.

Early life Ford was born in Greenville District, South Carolina, on May 26, 1815, and grew up in Lincoln County, Tennessee. His parents were William and Harriet Ford. When he was 16, he moved to Shelbyville, Tennessee, to study medicine. He met his wife, Mary Davis; however, the marriage ended in divorce. Ford then moved to Texas to fight for independence from Mexico.

Texas Ford arrived in Texas in June 1836, too late to participate in the Texas Revolution. He served in the Texas army until 1838. He opened a medical practice in the east Texas town of San Augustine, where he practiced for eight years. He also studied law and passed the bar exam before winning election to the Texas legislature in 1844, advocating annexation by the United States. Between 1862 and 1865, Ford ran the Bureau of Conscription of the State,

When Ford surrendered his command following the battle at Palmito Ranch, he urged his men to honor their paroles. He insisted that "the negro had a right to vote".