Rufus Henry Ingram facts for kids

Rufus Henry Ingram (born in 1834) was a leader of a group called Captain Ingram's Partisan Rangers. This group was active in California during the American Civil War in 1864. Ingram was known as a bushwhacker, which was a term for people who fought in small, unofficial groups during the war.

In 1863, Rufus Henry Ingram met George Baker from San Jose, California. Baker had traveled east to join the Confederate Army, which was the army of the Southern states during the Civil War. Baker told Ingram that people in California who supported the Southern cause needed strong leaders. Ingram said he had been with a famous group called Quantrill's Raiders. He became interested in going back to California with Baker to find people who would fight for the Southern states.

Ingram's Group in California

In early 1864, Rufus Henry Ingram arrived in Santa Clara County. He had a special paper from the Confederacy that made him a captain. With the help of Tom Poole, who used to be a law officer in Monterey County, Ingram formed a group. They gathered about fifty local members of the Knights of the Golden Circle. This was a secret group that supported the Southern states. Ingram led them, and they became known as Captain Ingram's Partisan Rangers.

Plans for Funding

Ingram's group needed money to buy supplies. At first, Ingram planned to get funds from San Jose. However, a disagreement happened within his group. This led to their plan being told to the local sheriff, so they had to give up on it.

Soon after, Ingram decided to try and get money from shipments of silver. These shipments were coming from the Comstock Lode, a rich mining area, and heading to Sacramento.

Stagecoach Incident

On June 30, Ingram and a small part of his group stopped two stagecoaches. This happened about eleven miles east of Placerville. They took gold and silver from the stagecoaches. They left a letter saying they were not robbers. Instead, they claimed they were carrying out a military action to raise money for the Confederacy.

Law officers chased Ingram's group. During the chase, there was a shootout with two lawmen at a place called Somerset House. One person from Ingram's group was killed. Tom Poole was hurt and captured. After being chased for two days, the law officers lost track of Ingram's group. A week later, Ingram's men made it back to Santa Clara County. Tom Poole told the law officers everything he knew. The gold and silver were found, and Poole told them who his companions were. Even so, Ingram and his men managed to avoid being caught in Santa Clara County.

Failed Mine Payroll Attempt

On July 15, Ingram tried to get the payroll from the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine. This attempt failed. It ended in a shootout with law officers led by Santa Clara County Sheriff John Hicks Adams. The fight happened about a mile and a half outside San Jose on the Almaden road.

Two of Ingram's men were killed in the shootout, and one was wounded. The sheriff and his deputy were also hurt. After this, Ingram left California and went to Missouri. He was never captured after that time.