Edward Otho Cresap Ord , II Edward Otho Cresap Ord , II ( November 9 , 1858 – April 4 , 1923 ) was a United States Army Major who served with the 22nd Infantry Regiment during the Indian Wars , the Spanish – American War and the Philippine - American War . He helped direct relief work after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . He was a military instructor , an expert linguist and spent time in painting and writing poetry . He was also an inventor who patented a new type of gold pan and different types of rifle and handgun sights . Early life . Young Edward Ord was the eldest male of 15 children ( 13 lived past childhood ) and was born at Benicia Barracks , San Francisco , now part of the Benicia Arsenal , Benicia , California on November 9 , 1858 . His father , the then Captain Edward Otho Cresap Ord ( October 18 , 1818 Maryland – July 22 , 1883 in Havana , Cuba and buried on July 22 , 1898 in Arlington National Cemetery ) , married Mary Mercer Thompson ( January 22 , 1831 Virginia – July 15 , 1894 San Antonio , Texas ) on October 14 , 1854 . His father was a career military officer who was a hero in the American Civil War ( Civil War ) and had served as a major general of Volunteers . After the war , he reverted to being a brigadier general in the Regular Army . On August 2 , 1870 , the family was in San Francisco , California with seven children . Young Edward , the eldest son , lived with servants and was taught by tutors and in public schools . His life in the west was one of which his father was a senior military officer , a decorated Civil War hero and he was “ his father ’ s son . ” His life was privileged compared to others . As he grew up he watched both military officers and men show respect and courtesy to his parents . Later young Edward attended the public school in Omaha , Nebraska . He was appointed to the U . S . Naval Academy in 1876 , but withdrew after his second year . In 1879 he was appointed second lieutenant in the 22nd Infantry Regiment , U . S . Army . By June 1880 Ord ' s parents were in San Antonio , Bexar County , Texas . His father was the Commanding General of the Department of Texas . Ord ' s father retired from the Army on December 6 , 1880 after serving 41 years . General Ord began a second career building the Mexican Southern Railroad from Texas to Mexico City . His family stayed in San Antonio . In 1880 , young Edward was stationed at Fort Mckavett , Menard , Texas . He married Mary Frances Norton ( May 27 , 1857 – June 27 , 1947 ) on November 10 , 1879 in Bexar County . She was the daughter of Charles Gilman and Frances ( Brown ) Norton . They had the following children : In July 1883 , his father died in Havana , Cuba of yellow fever while en route from Vera Cruz , Mexico to New York City . Young Edward was given leave for his father ’ s funeral at Arlington National Cemetery which was attended by many politicians and Army personnel . His brother , Jules Garesche “ Gary ” ( September 9 , 1866 – July 1 , 1898 ) , was a United States Army First Lieutenant who was killed in action after leading the charge of Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th U . S . Cavalry up San Juan Hill . History now records that “ Gary ” Ord was responsible for the " spontaneous " charge that took the San Juan Heights during the Spanish - American War in Cuba on July 1 , 1898 . Military career 1 . Indian Wars . Second Lieutenant Ord of the 22nd Infantry served in the Indian campaigns in Texas in 1880 , and later commanded the Seminole Indian scouts in 1882 to about 1890 . Since 1870 , the U . S . Army invited Black Seminoles to return from Mexico to serve as army scouts for the United States . The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts ( originally a black unit despite the name ) played a lead role in the Texas Indian Wars of the 1870s . The scouts became famous for their tracking abilities and feats of endurance . Four men were awarded the Medal of Honor . They served as advance scouts for the commanding white officers and the all - black units known as the Buffalo Soldier s , with whom they were closely associated . After the close of the Texas Indian Wars , the scouts remained stationed at Fort Clark in Brackettville , Texas . First Lieutenant Ord participated in the feared revolt of the Ghost Dance rs supposedly led by Sitting Bull in mid - December 1891 and took part in patrols in Montana trying to keep the peace through the end of 1892 . This was during the time when Sitting Bull was killed by an Army officer . Spanish – American War . Lieutenant Ord fought at Santiago in Cuba during the Spanish - American War with the 22nd Infantry Regiment from July 3 to July 17 , 1898 . There he was promoted to captain . After the war , Captain Ord remained in Cuba for nine months as interpreter on the staff of General Alexander R . Lawton . There he suffered from a mild case of yellow fever . Philippine - American War . In late 1900 or early 1901 , Captain Ord was sent to the Philippines from Benicia Barracks when the Philippine rebellion broke out . He participated in battle at San Isidro then other battles during the Moro Rebellion on Mindanao and Jolo . Ord , like his father would continue to suffer from yellow fever and its second phase . Unlike his father , he would live but require a long sabbatical from military service . He was forced to retire on October 10 , 1903 due to the physical disabilities of yellow fever contracted in Cuba . Post Military . On April 18 , 1906 , just after the San Francisco earthquake Ord was appointed a Special Police Officer by Mayor Eugene Schmitz and liasioned with Major General Adolphus Greely for relief work . He wrote a long letter to his mother on the 20th regarding Schmitz ' " Shoot - to - Kill " Order and some “ despicable ” behavior of certain soldiers of his former 22nd Regiment from the Presidio who were looting . In 1908 , he was the military instructor at St . Matthew ' s school in San Mateo , California and later at the University of Alabama . During this time period he continued his correspondence with Mexican leader Geronimo Trevino ( 1836 – 1914 ) , mostly about the health of Trevino ' s son Geronimo Trevino y Ord , but also discussing aspects of the Mexican Revolution until his friend ’ s death in 1914 . Military career 2 . In 1915 , Ord was a military aide on the staff of the governor of Arizona . He was also a liaison with Army unit that included his former regiment . He saw service on the Mexican border due to the rise of tension along the border following the Battle of Agua Prieta . This was where Pancho Villa sustained his greatest defeat and his units were disorganized and wandered around northern Mexico foraging for supplies . Desperate for food and fresh horses , Pancho Villa camped his army of an estimated 500 horsemen outside of Columbus , New Mexico on the Mexican side of the border in March 1916 . On March 9 , 1916 , he invaded the United States for supplies and arms which resulted in the Battle of Columbus . Ord had been given the rank of Major and served Arizona well in organizing and arming militia units . No major raids across the border took place in Arizona . As the result of his Arizona service , on June 3 , 1916 , Ord was advanced to the grade of major on the Army retired list . In early 1917 , he returned to full active duty , serving at Big Bend , Texas ; Fort Sill , Oklahoma ; and Tuscaloosa , Alabama . In December 1918 , because of complications of his yellow fever sustained in Cuba , he retired from the Army due to ill health . Later life . In 1920 , Ord was residing in Oakland , California , Alameda County , California . Ord was listed as an expert linguist and possessed exceptional artistic ability , devoting much of his leisure time to producing landscape & seascape paintings . and to writing poetry . Ord was also an inventor who patented a new type of gold pan and different weapon sights . He was a co - owner of several mines in Arizona , California , Mexico and Utah . Papers pertaining to the inventions of E . O . C . Ord II are in the special collections section of the Bancroft Library at the University of California , Berkeley . These include Ord ’ s patents , original drawings and diagrams , advertising material and instructions on use of the " Gold - Pan - Batea " , an improved Gold Pan which recycled water . This led to the formation of the California Gold Pan Company and later of the Household Utilities Manufacturing Company . Papers include correspondence and business papers of mine holdings and interests in and around California , Arizona , Utah and Mexico . There are also three diaries ; 1 ) One by William Ord in 1869 of surveying and prospecting in California and Nevada . 2 ) Two by E . O . C . Ord II , from a prospecting trip to Inyo County , California in 1908 - 1909 and in 1910 to Zero Mine in Arizona . This collection also includes a sketch of Bradshaw Fissure drawn by Ord . Ord was a Roman Catholic by religion . He died at Eagle Rock , Los Angeles , California on April 4 , 1923 .