Rufus Henry Ingram (1834–unknown) was a

bushwhacker Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there were large areas of contested land and few governmental resources to control these tra ...

who led Captain Ingram's Partisan Rangers that operated in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

in 1864.

Background

In 1863, Rufus Henry Ingram met George Baker from

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

, who had just come east to join the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighti ...

. Baker complained because the secessionists in California had no experienced leaders. Ingram claimed to have been with

Quantrill's Raiders Quantrill's Raiders were the best-known of the pro- Confederate partisan guerrillas (also known as "bushwhackers") who fought in the American Civil War. Their leader was William Quantrill and they included Jesse James and his brother Frank. ...

during the

Lawrence Massacre The Lawrence Massacre, also known as Quantrill's Raid, was an attack during the American Civil War (186165) by Quantrill's Raiders, a Confederate guerrilla group led by William Quantrill, on the Unionist town of Lawrence, Kansas, killing a ...

and became interested in going back with Baker to recruit soldiers for the Southern cause. In early 1864, Rufus Henry Ingram arrived in

Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring San Benito County together f ...

with a Confederate commission as captain and with a former undersheriff of

Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas. Monter ...

, Tom Poole, organized about fifty local

Knights of the Golden Circle The Knights of the Golden Circle (KGC) was a secret society founded in 1854 by American George W. L. Bickley, the objective of which was to create a new country, known as the Golden Circle ( es, Círculo Dorado), where slavery would be legal. Th ...

and commanded them in what became known as Captain Ingram's Partisan Rangers. Finding difficulty in raising funds to purchase supplies for his unit, Ingram first planned a raid on San Jose to rob its banks and stores in the manner of Quantrill's raid on Lawrence. A quarrel within the band, however, led to the exposure of the plan to the local sheriff and it was abandoned. Soon after, Ingram decided to rob shipments of silver from the

Comstock Lode The Comstock Lode is a lode of silver ore located under the eastern slope of Mount Davidson (Nevada), Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range in Virginia City, Nevada (then western Utah Territory), which was the first major discovery of s ...

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

. On June 30, Ingram, along with a small detachment, robbed two

stagecoach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

es eleven miles east of Placerville of their gold and silver, leaving a letter explaining they were not bandits but carrying out a military operation to raise funds for the

Confederacy Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

. During the pursuit of his fleeing band, the posse had a gunfight with two lawmen at the Somerset House. One of the posse was killed, while Poole was wounded and left to be captured. After a two-day chase the Placerville posse lost their trail and they got to Santa Clara County a week later. Tom Poole gave a complete confession, the bullion was recovered and he exposed his companions' identities. Regardless, they evaded the search for them in Santa Clara County.

Disappearance

On July 15, an attempt by Ingram to rob the

New Almaden , settlement_type = Neighborhood of San Jose , nickname = , motto = , image_skyline = , image_flag = , image_seal = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = , mapsize1 = , map_caption1 = , pushpin_map = United States Sa ...

Quicksilver Mine payroll failed, ending in a shootout with the posse of

Sheriff

John Hicks Adams John Hicks Adams (1820–1878) was an American 49er of the California Gold Rush and sheriff of Santa Clara County between 1864 and 1870, and again between 1871 and 1875. He was also Deputy United States Marshal for the Arizona Territory 1878, ...

a mile and a half outside San Jose on the Almaden road. Two of Ingram's men were killed, while one of his men was wounded. The sheriff and his deputy were also wounded in the shootout. Ingram fled California for

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

and was never captured afterwards. Philip L. Fradkin, Stagecoach: Wells Fargo and the American West, Simon & Schuser, New York, 2002. pg.72-74
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ingram, Rufus Henry 1834 births Bushwhackers California in the American Civil War Confederate States Army officers Fugitives Gunslingers of the American Old West Irregular forces of the American Civil War Outlaws of the American Old West People from Santa Clara County, California Year of death missing

Background

Disappearance

See also

References