James Hobart Ford James Hobart Ford ( May 22 , 1829 – January 12 , 1867 ) was a Union general during the American Civil War , notable for his contributions in the Trans - Mississippi Theater of the war . Early life . James Hobart Ford was born in Painesville , Ohio , in 1829 . His uncle was David Tod , U . S . Minister to Brazil and governor of Ohio during the Civil War . Much of Ford ' s early life is unclear , but sometime before 1861 he moved from Ohio to Colorado . He married in May 1850 to Arabella Stambaugh , daughter of John F . Stambaugh and Sara Beaver . They had 4 children , David Tod Ford , James R . Ford , John S . Ford and Sara Stambaugh Ford . Civil War . New Mexico . Ford became involved in the Civil War when Confederate forces invaded New Mexico . Colonel Edward Canby called for reinforcements from the nearby Colorado Territory to help in the defense of New Mexico . The people of Colorado responded quickly and Ford took command of one company raised in Cañon City and was appointed captain on December 21 , 1861 . This company would be known as " Ford ' s Independent Company " even though it received an official designation as Company " A " , 2nd Colorado Volunteer Infantry Regiment . As Ford marched his company towards Fort Union , he absorbed a number of soldiers from the 1st and 4th New Mexico Volunteer Regiments . Upon his arrival at Fort Union , Ford ' s company was reassigned as Company " G " of the 4th New Mexico Volunteer Regiment . It is likely Ford and his men never styled themselves Company G , as they continued to function independently of either regiment . Colonel John P . Slough , another Coloradan , arrived at Fort Union and took command of the Union forces there . Slough planned an advance against the approaching Confederate army , assigning Ford and his company to Maj . John M . Chivington ' s flanking column . In the ensuing Battle of Glorieta Pass , Ford participated in the action near Johnson ' s Ranch , which captured the Confederate supply train . Kansas - Missouri . On November 1 , 1862 , Ford was promoted to major of the 2nd Colorado Infantry . In October 1862 the 2nd Colorado and 3rd Colorado Infantry Regiments were consolidated to form the 2nd Colorado Cavalry and on November 5 , 1863 , Ford was appointed colonel . For much of the war Colonel Ford was stationed in Missouri operating against bushwackers along the Kansas - Missouri border . Price ' s Missouri Raid . In October 1864 , Confederate General Sterling Price led a raid into Missouri . General Samuel R . Curtis , commander of the Department of Kansas , began assembling Union forces to oppose Price . Colonel Ford was placed in command of the 4th Brigade in James G . Blunt ' s 1st Division of Curtis ' newly formed Army of the Border . Ford led his brigade into action at the Battle of Little Blue River . His brigade then held the left flank of the Union Army at the Battle of Westport and was heavily engaged in the fighting along Brush Creek . Blunt used Ford ' s and Colonel Charles R . Jennison ' s brigades to lead the Federal assault . After the Confederate defeat at Westport , Ford took part in the Federal pursuit , fighting in the battles of Mine Creek and Newtonia . Later Service and Death . On December 10 , 1864 , Ford received a brevet promotion to brigadier general of volunteers . He commanded the District of the Upper Arkansas for the remainder of the war conducting operations against Native Americans from Fort Larned . Ford was discharged from the Union army on July 19 , 1865 . Shortly after the end of the war , he returned to Ohio where he died on January 12 , 1867 , in Akron . Ford County , Kansas was named in his honor .