In 1830, John Crane applied to be part of Joseph Vehlein's colony. Reportedly from Virginia and a veteran of the War of 1812, he moved with his wife and seven children to what is now Walker County, Texas, in 1834. There he organized men and joined the Texas Revolution, fighting at the Siege of Bexar in December 1835. The next year he was involved in the Runaway Scrape and served in the Texas Army in John M. Wade's Cavalry Company. After the Texas Revolution, Crane remained in the army. During the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston encouraged settlers to coexist with Native American tribes, but Mirabeau B. Lamar's later administration moved to remove Indians from the land, leading to conflicts known as the Cherokee War. This struggle culminated in the 1839 Battle of the Neches in Henderson and Van Zandt counties after communication broke down between representatives of the Republic and Chief Bowles, or Duwali, of the Cherokee tribe. On July 15, 1839, companies led by Kelsey H. Douglass, Edward Burleson, and Gen. Thomas J. Rusk fought Bowles' forces on what is now known as Battle Creek, and John Crane and Doctor Rogers were both killed. Fighting continued the next day, when Chief Bowles was also killed, and his death led to the eventual expulsion of his people from Texas. Crane and Rogers are believed to be buried in unmarked graves outside Chandler on part of the battlefield, now private property. Although some details of Crane's military service, including his rank, are unknown, he is remembered as a patriot, early settler, and pioneer in the Republic of Texas.