James Ford (pirate)
Encyclopedia
James Ford was an American
civic
leader and business
owner in western Kentucky
and southern Illinois
at the turn of the 19th century. Despite his clean public image, as a "Pillar of the Community", he was also, secretly, a river pirate
and the leader of a gang that would come to be known as "Ford's Ferry Gang". His gang was the river equivalent of highway robbers; they would hijack flatboats and Ford's "own river ferry
" for tradable goods from local farms coming down the Ohio River
. At one point, they used the "Cave-in-Rock" as their headquarters, on the Illinois
side of the lower Ohio River, which is about 85 miles below Evansville, Indiana
.
's band of river pirates operated out of Cave-in-Rock, there is no concrete evidence that he was there. Early stories of Ford being the same man as the James Wilson who operated a tavern and brothel out of the cave in the spring of 1799 are likely wrong as, there are later accounts of a James Wilson in the area at the same time James Ford was here.
. Through his first wife's family he secured the rights to the Miles Ferry which soon became known as Ford's Ferry, though, this is not the infamous one he operated later, upriver from Cave-in-Rock, called Ferry Ohio. Through his second marriage, he secured control of the Frazier Salt Works at the Lower Lick (Great Salt Springs) in the Illinois Salines in Gallatin County
, Illinois, during the late 1820s. James Ford was alleged to be a business associate of Illinois salt works operator and illegal slaver, John Hart Crenshaw, involving the kidnapping, enslavement, and sale of free blacks in Illinois and Kentucky.
, Kentucky. This second marriage would provide James with a number of step and half siblings who would provide important ties to his future political and criminal career.
In the late 1790s he married Susan Miles, the daughter of William Miles, brother of the ferry keeper at Miles Ferry which connected the Kentucky and Illinois banks of the Ohio River downriver of Cave-in-Rock near the future location of Rosiclare
, Illinois. She bore James two sons, Philip (Nov. 25, 1800 - Nov. 23, 1831) and William M. (1804 - Nov. 2, 1832), and one daughter, Cassandra (1805-06 - 1863). Susan died sometime in the 1820s and in 1829 Ford married Elizabeth "Betsy" W. (Armstead) Frazier (1790-1800 - 1834-1835), a widow whose husband had died suddenly while staying at Ford's plantation in what was then Livingston County, Kentucky
, and now Crittenden County, Kentucky
. She bore James one son, James N. Ford, Jr., (c. 1830 - October 1844).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
civic
Civics
Civics is the study of rights and duties of citizenship. In other words, it is the study of government with attention to the role of citizens ― as opposed to external factors ― in the operation and oversight of government....
leader and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
owner in western Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and southern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
at the turn of the 19th century. Despite his clean public image, as a "Pillar of the Community", he was also, secretly, a river pirate
River pirate
A river pirate is a type of pirate who operates in a river. The term river pirate has been used to describe many different kinds of pirate groups responsible for attacks all over world.-History:...
and the leader of a gang that would come to be known as "Ford's Ferry Gang". His gang was the river equivalent of highway robbers; they would hijack flatboats and Ford's "own river ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
" for tradable goods from local farms coming down the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. At one point, they used the "Cave-in-Rock" as their headquarters, on the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
side of the lower Ohio River, which is about 85 miles below Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
.
Ohio Valley
Although, James Ford had made it to the Kentucky shore of the Ohio River by the late 1790s when Samuel MasonSamuel Mason
Samuel Mason or Meason was a Revolutionary War militia captain on the frontier, who following the war, became the leader of a gang of river pirates and highwaymen on the lower Ohio River and the Mississippi River in the late 18th and early 19th centuries...
's band of river pirates operated out of Cave-in-Rock, there is no concrete evidence that he was there. Early stories of Ford being the same man as the James Wilson who operated a tavern and brothel out of the cave in the spring of 1799 are likely wrong as, there are later accounts of a James Wilson in the area at the same time James Ford was here.
Criminal associates
- John Harmon
- Pennington Gang (successors after Ford's assassination and distant relatives)
- Isaiah L. Potts or legendary Billy Potts, Sr. of Potts Inn
- Sturdivant GangSturdivant GangThe Sturdivant Gang was a multi-generational group of counterfeiters whose criminal activities took place over a 50 year period from Colonial Connecticut to the Illinois frontier. Although they did not follow the same frontier settlement pattern as most of the "Ancient Colony of Horse-Thieves,...
of counterfeitersCounterfeit moneyCounterfeit money is currency that is produced without the legal sanction of the state or government to resemble some official form of currency closely enough that it may be confused for genuine currency. Producing or using counterfeit money is a form of fraud or forgery. Counterfeiting is probably...
.
Military service
- CaptainCaptain (OF-2)The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
of the Livingston CountyLivingston County, KentuckyLivingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 9,804. Its county seat is Smithland. The county is named for Robert R. Livingston...
CavalryDragoonThe word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
of the 24th RegimentRegimentA regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of Kentucky MilitiaMilitia (United States)The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
from July 1, 1799 to Dec. 15, 1802. - Captain of the Grand Pierre area militia, 4th Regiment of Illinois TerritorialIllinois TerritoryThe Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. The area was earlier known as "Illinois Country" while under...
Militia, Jan. 2, 1810. (This was in the area of what is now roughly the Grand Pierre Creek Watershed near modern-day RosiclareRosiclare, IllinoisRosiclare is a city in Hardin County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,213 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rosiclare is located at ....
, Illinois, one of three militia districts in what is now Hardin County, Illinois). It's quite possible that the fort used by this militia companyCompany (military unit)A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
was the same one used by the Sturdivant GangSturdivant GangThe Sturdivant Gang was a multi-generational group of counterfeiters whose criminal activities took place over a 50 year period from Colonial Connecticut to the Illinois frontier. Although they did not follow the same frontier settlement pattern as most of the "Ancient Colony of Horse-Thieves,...
in the late 1810s and early 1820s. At one point during the gang's occupation of the fort, Ford held the deedDeedA deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
to the land. - Promoted to MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(one of two such positions in the 4th Regiment) on Nov. 28, 1811. James Steele, Sr., succeeded him as captain of the Grand Pierre militia. Steele later became associated with the Sturdivant GangSturdivant GangThe Sturdivant Gang was a multi-generational group of counterfeiters whose criminal activities took place over a 50 year period from Colonial Connecticut to the Illinois frontier. Although they did not follow the same frontier settlement pattern as most of the "Ancient Colony of Horse-Thieves,...
.
Property
James Ford was a substantial land owner and held numerous properties on the Kentucky and Illinois sides of the Ohio River and also, owned many slavesHistory of slavery in Kentucky
The history of slavery in Kentucky dates from the earliest permanent European settlements in the state until the end of the Civil War. Although Kentucky was generally classified as the Upper South or a Border state, rather than the Deep South, enslaved African Americans made up a substantial...
. Through his first wife's family he secured the rights to the Miles Ferry which soon became known as Ford's Ferry, though, this is not the infamous one he operated later, upriver from Cave-in-Rock, called Ferry Ohio. Through his second marriage, he secured control of the Frazier Salt Works at the Lower Lick (Great Salt Springs) in the Illinois Salines in Gallatin County
Gallatin County, Illinois
Gallatin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 5,589, which is a decrease of 13.3% from 6,445 in 2000...
, Illinois, during the late 1820s. James Ford was alleged to be a business associate of Illinois salt works operator and illegal slaver, John Hart Crenshaw, involving the kidnapping, enslavement, and sale of free blacks in Illinois and Kentucky.
Genealogy
James Ford was the son of Philip Ford and Elizabeth Ford, son of John Ford. He had two brothers Philip Jr. and Richard. His father died while he was son and his mother remarried to William Prince who brought the family out to what would become PrincetonPrinceton, Kentucky
Princeton is a city in Caldwell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,329 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Caldwell County.-History:...
, Kentucky. This second marriage would provide James with a number of step and half siblings who would provide important ties to his future political and criminal career.
In the late 1790s he married Susan Miles, the daughter of William Miles, brother of the ferry keeper at Miles Ferry which connected the Kentucky and Illinois banks of the Ohio River downriver of Cave-in-Rock near the future location of Rosiclare
Rosiclare, Illinois
Rosiclare is a city in Hardin County, Illinois, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,213 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rosiclare is located at ....
, Illinois. She bore James two sons, Philip (Nov. 25, 1800 - Nov. 23, 1831) and William M. (1804 - Nov. 2, 1832), and one daughter, Cassandra (1805-06 - 1863). Susan died sometime in the 1820s and in 1829 Ford married Elizabeth "Betsy" W. (Armstead) Frazier (1790-1800 - 1834-1835), a widow whose husband had died suddenly while staying at Ford's plantation in what was then Livingston County, Kentucky
Livingston County, Kentucky
Livingston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 9,804. Its county seat is Smithland. The county is named for Robert R. Livingston...
, and now Crittenden County, Kentucky
Crittenden County, Kentucky
Crittenden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky.It was formed in 1842. As of 2000, the population was 9,384. Its county seat is Marion. The county is named for John J. Crittenden who was Governor of Kentucky 1848-1850...
. She bore James one son, James N. Ford, Jr., (c. 1830 - October 1844).