His parents Henry and Nancy (Robertson) Jones were of Welsh descent and moved to the area that became
Travis County, Texas when John was four years old. The family later moved to the future
Matagorda County and then
Navarro County where they were planters and stockmen. Jones was a slaveholder. At the beginning of the
Civil War, Jones enlisted and served in the
Eighth Texas Cavalry regiment (better known as "
Terry's Texas Rangers") under the command of Benjamin Franklin Terry. He was later promoted to the rank of major. After the war, he moved briefly to
Mexico with the purpose of locating and founding an exile colony for former Confederate supporters, but he returned to Texas after the attempt failed. In 1874, and after a short incursion in politics, he accepted the offer of commanding a newly formed branch of the Texas Rangers, named the "Frontier Battalion." This force had the special task of stopping the numerous
Indian raids and enforcing the law within the territory of the State. In the following years, Jones engaged in battle with the
Comanche, the
Kiowa and the
Apache on several occasions, and the Frontier Battalion under his command was instrumental in ending the Indian incursions and raids over the settlers' homesteads. His force also played a major role in pursuing and capturing many criminals and outlaws, such as noted bank robber
Sam Bass in 1878. Jones was an active
Mason, and in 1879 he achieved the position of Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of
Austin. He died in Austin on July 19, 1881, while still in command of the Frontier Battalion, which continued to be operational until 1901. == In Pop Culture ==