My Genealogy Hound

D. M. Cloud, attorney and counselor at law at Benton, and also mayor of that place, was the second oldest of six children born to M. M. and L. J. (Haynes) Cloud, the former of whom came to this State from East Tennessee (to Saline County) in 1842. He walked from below the Arkansas Post on the Arkansas River (where a keel boat had grounded upon which he had taken passage at the mouth of the river, the price paid for passage being a cub bear) to the head waters of Saline now Garland County. There he worked on a farm for one year. He then went to work in a tanyard, continuing for two years, but in 1844 went to Benton and opened a tanyard, also purchasing some land. He was married in 1845 to Miss L. J. Haynes, and made Benton his home until his death, which occurred in 1859. Mr. Cloud took a prominent part in politics, being an earnest Democrat, and was county treasurer and also common school commissioner. He was a member of the Masonic order. His excellent wife still survives him at Benton. D. M. Cloud was educated in the public schools of Benton, and during the war served a while in the Confederate service, beginning when he was fifteen years of age. He was in the battles of Poison Springs, Marks Mill, and many other small skirmishes, and was taken prisoner by the Seventh Missouri, United States Cavalry, being confined at Little Rock, Rock Island, Ill., and New Orleans. Exchanged February 23, 1865, at the mouth of the Red River, he returned to the Southern army, but did no other service of consequence, and was paroled on June 9, 1865, coming thence to his desolated home at Benton. He attended school for a few months, afterward taught and read law, worked on a farm for two or three years, and was then employed as a clerk in a store at Little Rock and other places for some time. Becoming engaged in the grocery business at Mulberry, he thus continued until 1881, when he returned to Benton and resumed the study of the law, being admitted to the bar in September, 1882. He has since practiced his profession in this and adjoining counties, and enjoys about the best and most lucrative practice of any lawyer in Saline County. Mr. Cloud took a very active part in the temperance movement in 1884, and greatly to his efforts are the temperance people indebted for the overthrow of the liquor traffic in this county. He was a candidate, in 1886, for the office of prosecuting attorney of the Seventh judicial circuit, but was defeated by an excellent gentleman, Hon. J. P. Henderson, who was then the incumbent. In 1888 he again became a candidate, but owing to the unsettled condition of the then existing politics withdrew from the canvass in order to take part in saving his party from defeat in his county for the Congressional and State ticket, he being an uncompromising Democrat. Mr. Cloud is a member of Benton Lodge No. 34, A. F. & A. M., and was worshipful master of that lodge in 1888. He was taken into the Masonic order in Magnolia Lodge No. 60, located at Little Rock, Ark., in February, 1872. His marriage was in 1870 to Miss Martha H. Chastain, who was born in Marietta, Ga. She was the daughter of B. L. Chastain, now residing in Comanche County, Kas., engaged in farming. Mr. Cloud has a family of four children: Edward Leon, Charles Madison, Myrle and Bernice. Mr. and Mrs. Cloud are members of the Baptist Church. The former is now serving his town as school director, and is president of the school board. He says that he expects to live out his days in Arkansas, and most likely in Saline County, where he is held in high esteem.