Elijah Valentine Dale was born 14 February 1807 in Jackson County, Georgia. As a young man, he floated down the Mississippi River on a raft to Louisiana where he worked on the first railroad in the South. From New Orleans, he landed in Texas at Matagorda 16 February 1836 on the schooner Wm. A. Turner. At the age of 29, Elijah joined General Sam Houston's Texas Army as a private on 23 February 1836. He served under Colonel Edward Burlison in the 1st Regiment of Texas Volunteers and was with Captain William Woods' Company at San Jacinto. On 22 April, after fighting ceased in the Battle of San Jacinto, Elijah was a member of the scouting patrol sent to find Santa Anna. Elijah received an honorable discharged 9 July 1836 signed by William S. Fisher, Secretary of War ( Service Record No. 7826). He was awarded Bounty Warrant No. 3944 that allocated 1,280 acres for his military service. The Secretary of War on 13 November 1845 assigned to Elijah Dale under Donation Certificate No. 1218 for services in "The Battle of San Jacinto" an additional 640 acres of land.

On 23 May 1846, volunteers were called by the United States to fight in a war against Mexico. Elijah enlisted as a private at Brazoria County in Captain Ballow's Company, 1st Regiment of Texas Mounted Rifle Volunteers, commanded by Major General Pickney Henderson and Colonel Jack C. Hays. On 28 July 1846, Elijah Valentine Dale was promoted to Sergeant. After the Mexican War, Elijah made his home in Seguin, Texas. On 7 August 1855, Elijah married Jane Johnson, a school teacher from Mt. Healthy, Ohio, a suburb of present-day Cincinnati. In 1871, they purchased 400 acres on Mill Creek, close to Kingsbury, Texas. This was the site of the Texas Ranger station (known as "Hard Scramble") that was originally built by General Ben McCullough.

Elijah was honored as Grand Marshal in the first "Battle of Flowers" in San Antonio in 1891. Jane (Johnson) died in 1890 and Elijah in 1896. The State of Texas during the 1936 Centennial Celebration erected a monument to Elijah and his wife in the San Geronimo Cemetery of Sequin where both Elijah and his wife are buried. A small plaque was also placed in his honor at the "Hard Scramble" site in 1936.