Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Jack Hays, Texas Ranger
What does it take to be a great leader? Strength and courage, of course. How about being able to think outside the box and approach problems from a new angle? That is something any good leader should be able to do. One such leader was Captain Jack Hays of the Texas Rangers.
John Coffee "Jack" Hays was born in Little Cedar Lick, Tennessee, on January 28, 1817. He was part of a large family that was split up when he was 15, a result of his parents dying of yellow fever. Jack was already an expert horseman, hunter, and marksman when he and two other children were taken in by an uncle in Mississippi.
Young Jack Hays was not happy in his new life and decided to pursue a career as a surveyor. It was on one of his first jobs that he began his other career, fighting Indians. He and his companion ran into a band of unfriendly warriors. It was only with Hays' quick thinking that both men escaped with their lives.
In 1836, Hays had heard about the Alamo and decided to take a good look at a Texas. He joined a Ranger company stationed near San Antonio. Between skirmishes with Mexican raiders, Hays worked as a surveyor, purchased land, and made friends with an Apache chief named Flacco.
Flacco often rode with Hays and taught him about the different fighting styles of other tribes. One of the main tribes was the Comanches. Hays had good reason to be grateful for this information over the following years.
