Extremely rare original daguerreotype of John Coffee Hays (1817-1883). He was appointed as Captain of the Texas Rangers in 1836 by Sam Houston. He was involved in fighting the Comanche Indians at this time. He was jointed by the Tonkawa Indians in 1840 against the Comanches which ended in the battle of Plum Creek. Hays later commanded the First Regiment of Texas Rangers at the battle of Monterrey in the Mexican War and later commanded the second Regiment of Texas Rangers under Winfield Scott into Mexico. He was involved in the battle at Galaxara Pass and the Skirmish at Matamoros and Sequaltepian.
After the Mexican War, Hays was appointed the Indian Agent for the Gila River country in Arizona and New Mexico. He then traveled to California during the 1849 gold rush. He became the Sheriff of San Francisco, California in 1850. He became US surveyor-general for California.
He was the brother of Brig. General Harry Hays, CSA, from New Orleans. However, during the Civil War, Hays retired from military service and became a Democrat delegate in 1876. He died in California on April 21, 1883.
Hays County Texas is named for him.
