John B. Jones

Who was John B. Jones?

John B. Jones was a Confederate army officer and Texas Ranger captain. Born in Fairfield, South Carolina, his family moved to the Republic of Texas in 1838.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Jones enlisted and served in the Eighth Texas Cavalry regiment under the command of Benjamin Franklin Terry. He was later promoted to the rank of major.

After the war, he moved briefly to Mexico with the purpose of locating and founding an exile colony for former Confederate supporters, but he returned to Texas after the attempt failed. In 1874, and after a short incursion in politics, he accepted the offer of commanding a newly formed branch of the Texas Rangers, named the “Frontier Battalion.” This force had the special task of stopping the numerous Indian raids and enforcing the law within the territory of the State.

In the following years, Jones engaged in battle with the Comanche, the Kiowa and the Apache on several occasions, and the Frontier Battalion under his command was instrumental in ending the Indian incursions and raids over the settlers’ homesteads.