Robert S. Neighbors

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RIP FORD

Part 12: Robert S. Neighbors

by Bob Heinonen

When the Mexican-American War finally ended, it was back to Austin for John Salmon Ford, now better known as Old Rip Ford. But what next for someone that had already experienced a lot of life? After receiving the accolades given to the returning Texas Rangers, Ford “…resumed the editorship of the Texas Democrat. But in a few months he was tired of newspaper work; he longed for the saddle and the wild life of a volunteer ranger. He told his partner Cronican how he felt, said he wanted to raise a volunteer company with which to patrol the frontier. Cronican said he understood and they sold their paper in January, 1849, to William H. Cushney.”[i]

“Ford, however, failed to get permission from the state to raise a company---there simply was no money for such an enterprise---so he remained in Austin doing little except reading books on tactics and buying new items for his rapidly growing military library.”[ii]

But now, his reputation as a surveyor, adventurer, leader and trustworthy advisor brought him a new opportunity. Gold had been discovered in California and safe routes were needed for the expected migration. The businessmen of Austin saw Austin as a path to California if a surveyed route could be found. Who else would they ask other than Old Rip Ford?

As luck would have it, “General [William Jenkins] Worth acting on order from Washington, D.C., to open communication to the West, also requested [Robert S.] Neighbors to explore a wagon route to El Paso through a “section of country hitherto deemed impassable.” Secretary of War William L. Marcy …ordered General Worth to have examined the country between San Antonio and Santa Fe for a road and to establish a fort in the vicinity of El Paso.”[iii]

“Hearing that Ford was interested in such a project, Neighbors came to Austin, and when the two men shook hands and sat down for coffee at Ford’s small home, they were immediate friends. They were the same age, thirty-four, both over six feet and both with lean, powerful builds and blue eyes. Their personalities, however, were fairly dissimilar. Ford was loquacious and loud (his hands stroking and molding every phrase made his voice seem a bit louder than it really was); he was outgoing, with an electrifying vitality that drove him relentlessly through tasks no matter how difficult. He had wit too, a charming kind of humor that allowed him to poke fun at most anything without arousing a man’s ire or injuring his pride. “The Major,” as all Neighbors’ friends knew him, also had wit: he know more jokes than any man in the state, could tell them for hours, if he had listeners. His was a sarcastic wit: he never smiled while telling his stories, he never smiled at all and wherever he went he stirred people with his stubborn pride, his solemn and determined air. When discussing business the Major was quiet and shrewd. They planned to leave on March 2, 1849, from Barnard’s Trading Post near present-day Waco.”[iv]

In spite of many hardships including facing starvation, Neighbors and Ford made it to El Paso and back in 55 days. Ford experienced a number of things that would change his view on life. The primitive beauty—his friendship with Robert S. Neighbors—and his meeting “face to face with a white woman who was a prisoner to the Comanches. She had sandy hair, rather inclining to red. Her eyes were blue, her face rather fair, but disfigured by long cuts made by a knife on her cheeks. This was supposed by Jim Shaw, and other Indians along with us, to be an indication that she had lost a husband or some very near relative, and the gashes on the cheeks were made as indications of grief. Luckily, Jim Shaw was near the writer [Ford], and told him not to speak to the poor captive as it might cost him his life. There was not expressed penalty for gazing at the unfortunate creature.”[v]

“The writer [Ford] has since that period done some rather rough Indian fighting. When he led a charge against the red men, the woman with auburn hair, slashed cheeks, and countenance of extreme sorrow appeared to lead him. She was before his mind’s eye, and he struck for her and for vengeance.”[vi]

Neighbors and Ford were successful. The route they proposed is still used by modern highways. “Neighbors and Ford estimated the distance from Austin to El Paso to be 598 miles. Modern road maps give the same mileage.”[vii]

Ford met some interesting people during this adventure – one of them was Doc Sullivan.

Next Month - Part 13: Doc Sullivans

Bob Heinonen is the founder of Texas Heroes and has been portraying Rip Ford since 1993.