September 27, 1838 - Lawrence Sullivan Ross
His career traced a consistent arc of frontier violence and Confederate military command — from leading Texas Rangers against Comanche encampments to commanding forces in 135 Civil War engagements. The 1860 Battle of Pease River, which he led, resulted in the forcible recapture of Cynthia Ann Parker, who had lived among the Comanche for over two decades and did not wish to return. He later governed Texas and presided over what became Texas A&M University, a trajectory that illustrates how figures responsible for significant harm often moved fluidly into positions of institutional authority.
From Wikipedia
Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross (September 27, 1838 – January 3, 1898) was the 19th governor of Texas, a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War, and the 4th president of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now called Texas A&M University.
Ross was raised in the Republic of Texas, which was later annexed to the United States. Much of his childhood was spent on the frontier, where his family founded the town of Waco. Ross attended Baylor University (then located in Independence, Texas) and Florence Wesleyan University in Florence, Alabama. On one of his summer breaks, he suffered severe injuries while fighting Comanches. After graduation, Ross joined the Texas Rangers, and in 1860, led Texas Rangers in the Battle of Pease River, where federal troops recaptured Cynthia Ann Parker, who had been captured by the Comanches as a child in 1836.
When Texas seceded from the United States and joined the Confederacy, Ross joined the Confederate States Army. He participated in 135 battles and skirmishes and became one of the youngest Confederate generals.
- Last updated on .