Just to reiterate, much of the events of Jack Hay's life are poorly known. The most comprehensive source might be Jihn Caperton, ten years or so his junior, his deputy and life long friend. Caperton wrote the book "The Life and Adventures of John C. Hayes, the Texas Ranger" but thirty to forty years after the fact, in 1879, in dome novel format to boot.
Books out of print though and I cannot find it, I am guessing this is where the tale of Jack Hays running on foot for two days with a bunch of Delawares in pursuit of Comanches comes from.
What we do know is that Jack Came from priviledged circles in Tennessee, spent much time at his Uncle Andy Jackson's estate "The Hermitage", and was known to Sam Houston when he first arrived in the state in 1837, age nineteen.
No surprise that, probably from Caperton's book, Jack is described as something as an adventurous sort back East, having had altercations with the local Creek Indians back East.
Likely spending some time in their company too as it becomes apparent that, in his first couple of years in Texas, Hays readily associated with and learned from Indian Scouts, both Delaware and Lipan.
Upon his arrival, Hays visited Sam Houston, who promptly assigned him to Erastus "Deaf" Smith's company of rangers. Not a careless or unthinking appointment to be sure, for Deaf Smith (pronounced "Deef" at the time) became a pivotal figure in the War for Independence the year before.
But that's gist for the next post.
Birdwatcher
