My Genealogy Hound

Judge Horace P. Vaughan. On this page of the history of Prairie County, Ark., is found the life record of a man, whose career through life has been as honest in the honesty of manhood, as worthy so far as duty, well and faithfully performed goes, and as untarnished by reproach as that of any man mentioned in the history of the community. He was born in Mecklenburg County, Va., August 25, 1825, and is a son of Pleasant and Mourning E. (Dance) Vaughan, who were also Virginians. The father for a number of years was a teacher by profession, being also engaged in farming. He reared his family, consisting of a son and two daughters, in Mecklenburg County, and there died in 1883, his wife’s death having occurred in 1844. Although not favored with very good educational advantages in his youth Judge Horace P. Vaughan possesses a brilliant and cultured mind and his knowledge of books and the world has been mostly acquired since reaching years of maturity. At the early age of thirteen years he began clerking and followed this occupation off and on until he came west in 1852, arriving at Somerville, Tenn., in August of that year. He followed his old occupation of clerking in that place for three years and in 1855 came to Arkansas, settling at Des Arc, where he formed a partnership with another gentleman and was engaged in the mercantile business up to the opening of the war. He was then appointed by the military board as secretary of that organization, and this position retained until the close of the war, being also paymaster-general of the State troops and private secretary to the Governor. After the close of the war he settled in Des Arc again, took up the study of law, and in 1867 was admitted to the bar and practiced his profession successfully until 1878. Before commencing the practice of law and since giving up the work he has been engaged in farming and at one time he owned a considerable quantity of valuable lands and town property, but reverses have swept much of his property away. Mr. Vaughan was elected and held the office of magistrate for a number of years, and has been mayor of the town and county judge one term, and to the excellent natural abilities possessed by Judge Vaughan are added the wisdom and experience of a useful and well-spent life and there was no reason to view his official career with disapproval when he retired from the bench. He was married in Prairie County, Nov. 4, 1856, to Mattie E. Brock, a native of Mississippi, and a daughter of Caleb and Mary F. (Jones) Brock, who were among the first families to come to this region. Mrs. Vaughan died February 5, 1873, leaving five children: D’Arcy, Emmet, Victor, Percy and Rezzie. Victor died January 24, 1883, aged seventeen years. Judge Vaughan’s second union took place in May, 1873, his wife being Mrs. Mary J. (Cox) Mizill, was born in Phillips County, Ark., and by her he is the father of five children: Blanche, Mabel, Bertha, Alzie and Horace Cox. Judge Vaughan belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and his wife to the Missionary Baptist Church. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.