| Judge Silas P.
Vaught is a man who has steadily and surely made his way
to the front in the profession of law, and he possesses
in a more than ordinary degree the natural attrihutes
essential to a successful career at the bar and in public.
He was born in Jackson County, Ala., in 1831, being a
son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (McAnally) Vaught, the former
born in Bledsoe, and the latter in Franklin Counties,
Tenn., their union taking place in Jackson County, Ala.,
whither they were taken by their parents when young. In
1846 they emigrated to Montgomery County, Ark, and on
a woodland farm in this region they found a home and on
it spent the remainder of their lives, dying in 1867 and
1878, respectively, both having been members of the Methodist
Church for a great many years. Mr. Vaught was a successful
tiller of the soil and stock-raiser, and was a soldier
in the Seminole War. He belonged to New Hope Lodge of
the A. F. & A. M. at Caddo Gap, and as a man and citizen
was all that could be desired, for he was industrious,
enterprising, charitable and honest. His father, John
Vaught, was born in East Tennessee, but was an early emigrant
to Alabama, and there died in 1841, a farmer. His wife,
Nancy Hatfield, died in 1844. The great-grandfather of
Judge Silas P. Vaught, William Vaught, was of German extraction
and spent nearly all his life in what is now the District
of Columbia, and served during the Revolutionary War.
Capt. Jesse McAually, the mother's father, was a Tennesseean,
but in an early day removed to Jackson County, Ala., where
he died from the effects of a wound received in the battle
of Horse Shoe Bend, some ten years after the battle. He
was a captain in one of the Indian wars, and by calling,
was a farmer. Judge Silas P. Vaught was the eldest of
five children born to his parents, those living besides
himself being C. B., of the Indian Territory, and J. T.,
of Crawford County, Ark. The Judge was reared on a farm
and educated in the common schools, and after removing
to Montgomery County, Ark., with his parents he was married
in 1857 to Lucinda, daughter of John and Esther (Tweedle)
Vaught, the former of whom was born in Indiana, but in
1817 came with his father, William Tweedle, to this county,
settling on the farm on which the subject of this sketch
is now living, seventy-three years ago. Here he spent
the rest of his life, dying in 1858. His wife was born
in Tenneessee, but came with her parents to Clark County,
Ark., where she passed from life in 1849. Mrs. Vaught
died in 1874, having borne eight children, seven of whom
are living. Mr. Vaught was married a second time in 1879,
his wife being Elizabeth J., daughter of John T. and Elizabeth
Petty, who came from Alabama to Montgomery County, Ark.,
in 1855, but for six years have lived in Polk County.
Mrs. Vaught was born in Calhoun County, Ala., and has
become the mother of two sons and one daughter. Since
[p.493] his marriage Judge Vaught has lived on his present
farm of 1,120 acres, about 480 aeres of which he has himself
cleared. In July, 1861, he joined Company E, Second Arkansas
Infantry, the first fight in which he participuted being
Wilson's Creek, then Pea Ridge, and was afterward at the
evacuation of Corinth. He was then at Richmond, Ky., Perryville,
Murfreesboro, Chickamauga and Resaca. While a member of
the Trans-Mississippi Department, he fought at Pine Bluff,
Mark's Mill, Jenkins' Ferry and surrendered at Marshall,
Tex., in June, 1865, after almost four years of hard service.
He went out as a private, but served as first lientenant
the most of the time. He was never captured, and was but
slightly wounded. In 1868 he was licensed to practice
law, and has since successfully devoted his attention
to that profession, being, in 1886, elected to the position
of county and probate judge, in which capacity he served
with distinction for four years, when he declined re-election.
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