John Baylor

Early life

John R. Baylor was born in Paris, Kentucky, the son of a United States Army surgeon, and lived on various military posts during his youth. He moved to Texas at the age of 18, where he became a prominent citizen, state legislator, Indian agent, and publisher of a local newspaper called, The White Man.

American Civil War

In 1861, after the outbreak of the American Civil War, Baylor organized the 2d Texas Cavalry Regiment (also known as the 2d Texas Mounted Rifles) to drive U.S. forces from the southwest on behalf of the newly formed Confederate States government, and led his cavalrymen into New Mexico Territory.

Governor of Arizona Territory (1861–1862)

Following his victory at the First Battle of Mesilla (July 25, 1861), and the surrender of U.S. forces in the area, Baylor proclaimed himself as the Governor of Arizona Territory, a region encompassing the southern half of contemporary New Mexico and Arizona. He never actually had ever stepped foot in Arizona, but this was of little concern to Baylor or the Confederates. On January 18, 1862, the fledgling territory was formally organized by the Confederate States.

Soon, a disagreement over critical articles in the Mesilla Times led to a fight between Baylor and the editor, Robert P. Kelly, whom he murdered. A member of Baylor's Cabinet, Attorney General Marcus H. MacWillie, officially pardoned him and was later rewarded when Baylor orchestrated MacWillie's election to the 1st Confederate States Congress. At one point, Baylor ordered his cavalry regiment to commit genocide against the Apache, issuing the following order to his men:

There is no indication this order was followed. Nevertheless, when news of it reached Davis, he relieved Baylor as governor and revoked his commission as colonel.

C.S. House of Representatives (1863–1865)

Baylor later was elected to the 2nd Confederate States Congress. He regained his commission as Colonel and was raising a new force to recapture the Arizona Territory when the American Civil War ended.

Later life

After the American Civil War, Baylor lived in San Antonio, Texas. In 1873, he unsuccessfully campaigned for the Democratic party's nomination for Governor of Texas, losing to Richard Coke. In 1876, during the height of the Black Hills War, Baylor offered his services to the U.S. Army against the Lakota Sioux. In 1878, he established a sizable ranch in Uvalde County and prospered. However, he continued to be involved in violent confrontations and reputedly killed a man in a feud over livestock in the 1880s. This killing happened in Uvalde County and involved a man called Gilchrist. Baylor was charged with first degree murder but acquitted on the grounds of self-defense in May 1881. He died at his ranch there on February 6, 1894, aged 71, and was buried in the Church of the Ascension cemetery.