John Ward (1848 - 1911)

Born 1848 in Arkansas, United States

Husband of Julia (Wilson) Ward — married 4 Jul 1870 in Piedras Negras, Coahuila de Zaragosa, Mexico

Died 24 May 1911 at about age 63 in Texas, United States

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Biography

John Ward is Notable.

John was Seminole.

John Ward was awarded the Medal of Honor.

John Ward (1847-1911), was an African-American Seminole Native by birth who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Texas-Indian Wars.

Background

Most Americans associate the Seminole Indians with the State of Florida, and the association is accurate. But while the fate of the Seminoles was about the same as the rest of the Indigenous Native Americans-- they too were eventually forced onto southwestern reservations--before that their history follows a slightly different path because their land was claimed by the Spanish crown. In 1542, Spain abolished slavery of Indigenous Peoples of the New World. However, Spain continued to allow enslavement of Africans and the Moors, their enemy. During the 17th and 18th centuries in the New World, many enslaved Africans and their descendants ran away to or were captured and enslaved by and eventually assimilated into Indigenous Native American tribes such as the Muscogee, or Creek and Seminole.

Early Life

John Ward migrated from Arkansas Indian Territory to Mexico.

John Ward migrated from Mexico to Texas.

In 1849 and 1850 some of these African-American Seminoles (also called Maroon Seminoles) migrated from wherever they'd been displaced to Mexico, where slavery of all races had been legally abolished since 1811, to escape the threat of American slave hunters. The Mexican government gave them land in exchange for service as scouts for the Mexican Army. ^{[citation needed]} John Ward, an infant born in Arkansas c.1848,^[1] was among them. He grew up in Mexico, learned to scout, and married Julia Wilson there in 1870. He and his family later moved to Texas.

Known children:

1. Tony Ward (1879-1959)
2. Phyllis Ward (1880-1936)

Military Service

The incident for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor occurred in Texas.

On April 5, 1875, an attack on a stagecoach prompted Lieutenant John Lapham Bullis (1841–1911) to take three African American Seminole scouts, Private Pompey Factor (1849–1928), Sergeant John Ward, and Trumpeter Isaac Payne, in pursuit of the attackers. Bullis' choice to take only three scouts instead of a larger group of soldiers surprised his superiors. However, Bullis had served for some time with the Black Seminole scouts and knew their value as frontiersmen. The four men tracked the attackers across West Texas until they were spotted crossing the Pecos River at Eagle Nest Crossing on April 26, 1875. Though outnumbered by ten to one, the four men decided the element of surprise was in their favor and attacked, hoping to stampede the Indigenous Native Americans' herd of horses and capture them while dismounted. After 45 minutes of intense fighting, Bullis ordered a retreat, but was thrown from his horse as the others mounted. The three scouts rescued Bullis and made a difficult and narrow escape to the Devil's River.^[1]

Bullis recommended all three scouts for the Medal of Honor, which Sergeant Ward was issued on May 28, 1875.^[2][3]

He died in 1911 and is buried in the Seminole Negro Indian Scout Cemetery at Brackettville, Texas.^[4][1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Art Leatherwood, "John Ward (1848-1911),Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association, 1996, citing sources:
   • George Allen Collection, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
   • Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863–1973 (Washington: GPO, 1973).
   • Kenneth Wiggins Porter, "The Seminole Negro-Indian Scouts, 1870–1881," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 55 (January 1952).
   • Frost Woodhull, "The Seminole Indian Scouts on the Border," Frontier Times, December 1937.
2. ↑ Texas Medal of Honor recipients Website (Wayback Machine link)
3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "John L. Bullis," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_L._Bullis&oldid=845940254 (accessed November 8, 2019).
4. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
   Find A Grave: Memorial #18146 (accessed 7 April 2023)
   Memorial page for John Ward Famous memorial (1847-24 May 1911), citing Seminole Indian Scout Cemetery, Brackettville, Kinney County, Texas, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

See also:

• Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Web Site
• "Above and Beyond: The Medal of Honor in Texas." Capitol Visitors Center, State Preservation Board of Texas; Gwaltney, William.
• "Footprints Along the Border: Story of the Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts." Fort Laramie National Historic Site, Link on Wayback Machine.
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients, 1863–1973 (Washington: GPO, 1973).
• Kenneth Wiggins Porter, "The Seminole Negro-Indian Scouts, 1870–1881," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 55 (January 1952).
• Frost Woodhull, "The Seminole Indian Scouts on the Border," Frontier Times, December 1937.
• Neal, Charles M., Jr. Valor. Across the Lone Star: The Congressional Medal of Honor in Frontier Texas. Texas A&M University Press: 2002.
• "Seminole- Negro Indian Scouts." Fort Davis National Historic Site, National Park Service,
• Wittich, Katrina. "The Wild West of the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts: or The Killing of Adam Paine, Medal of Honor Winner." Link on Wayback Machine.
• USCIS Website
• Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Website
• Texas Medal of Honor Recipients (Wayback Machine link)
• Fort Laramie
• Wikidata: Item Q6262984, en:Wikipedia