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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, April 21, 2013, is the 130th anniversary of the |
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death of the legendary Texas Ranger John Coffee "Jack" Hays, and |
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this occasion provides a fitting opportunity to celebrate his |
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extraordinary life and career; and |
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WHEREAS, Jack Hays was born on January 28, 1817, in Little |
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Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tennessee, to Harmon and Elizabeth Hays; |
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his father had fought alongside Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston in |
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the War of 1812, and with the outbreak of the Texas Revolution, |
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young Jack Hays decided to join the Texians' cause; by June 1836, he |
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had enlisted with the troops under General Thomas Jefferson Rusk, |
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and while serving in the Texas Army, he helped to bury the remains |
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of victims of the Goliad Massacre; subsequently, Sam Houston |
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advised him to join a company of Texas Rangers under the command of |
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Erastus "Deaf" Smith, and in 1837 Hays participated in a cavalry |
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engagement near Laredo, earning the rank of sergeant; and |
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WHEREAS, For the next several years, Hays worked as the |
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deputy surveyor of the Bexar District, and during that time, he made |
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a study of the Indian techniques of warfare to better protect the |
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surveying parties under his authority; he became an exceptional |
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tracker and was able to follow signs in the dry terrain of West |
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Texas that no one else could see; and |
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WHEREAS, It was in the early 1840s, first as a captain and |
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then as a major, that Jack Hays earned his reputation as one of the |
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greatest Texas Rangers in history; in the bitter struggle between |
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the Rangers and the Comanche, Hays proved to be a fierce fighter and |
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a gifted leader, using the Comanches' own techniques of concealment |
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and surprise against them; he pioneered the use of the new Colt |
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revolver in fights with the Indians, and though he and his men were |
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often outnumbered, he never lost a battle; and |
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WHEREAS, In one famous engagement along the Nueces River, |
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Hays and 14 of his men boldly charged a force of 200 Comanche |
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warriors, chasing them for three miles; in another noted encounter, |
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Hays and his men were attacked in the Hill Country and Hays became |
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separated from the rest of his group; he retreated to the top of |
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nearby Enchanted Rock, where he used a hollow on the summit as a |
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fortification and single-handedly fought off repeated charges by |
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the Indians with a rifle and two pistols until his men were able to |
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rescue him; and |
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WHEREAS, During the Mexican-American War, Hays led the First |
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Regiment of the Texas Mounted Riflemen at the rank of colonel, |
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scouting for the army of General Zachary Taylor and taking part in |
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the siege of Monterrey; regarded as a perfect gentleman by the young |
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ladies of San Antonio, he married Susan Calvert in 1847 at the |
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Magnolia Hotel in Seguin, and they later became the parents of three |
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sons and three daughters; in 1849, he was appointed as the Indian |
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agent for Gila River territory in New Mexico and Arizona, and the |
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following year he and his wife emigrated to California, where he |
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went on to serve as the sheriff of San Francisco County and as U.S. |
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surveyor general, helped to found the city of Oakland, and became |
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successful in real estate and ranching; he died on April 21, 1883, |
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and is buried in California; and |
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WHEREAS, Slender of build, with a clear, high voice, Jack |
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Hays may not have fit the traditional image of a hero, but in the |
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field he was a natural leader and a brilliant guerrilla warrior, |
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self-possessed, rational, and cool-headed, keenly aware of his |
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surroundings and an expert judge of the capabilities of his men; he |
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personally trained such other renowned Rangers as Ben McCulloch and |
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Sam Walker, and his example of calm authority in command and |
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decisiveness in action has inspired generations of Texas peace |
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officers; the right man in the right place at the right time, Jack |
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Hays is one of the most vividly colorful figures in the history of |
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our state, and his name and achievements will be remembered for as |
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long as the stars shine over Texas; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Jack Hays on the 130th |
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anniversary of his death and commemorate his enduring legacy of |
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courage and determination. |
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Isaac |
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Stickland |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1752 was adopted by the House on May |
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8, 2013, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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