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James M. Cloud[1, 2]

Male 1816 -


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  • Name James M. Cloud 
    Born 1812 OR 1816  Twiggs county, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Census Jun 24, 1860  Travis, Austin county, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Census Jul 06, 1870  Bellville, Austin county, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    Died
    Notes 
    • In the spring of 1842 he served as a "frontier soldier" west of the Colorado and from Austin County "when the Western Frontier of Texas was invaded by the Mexicans, under General Vasquez".
      Notarized July 29, 1854, Austin County, Texas.
    Person ID I1166  mykindred
    Last Modified Aug 5, 2022 

    Father Jeremiah "Jerry" Cloud,   b. circa 1784, Twiggs county, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Mar 14, 1861, Austin county, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 77 years) 
    Mother Elizabeth M. Wilkins (?),   b. Between 1784 and 1790, Georgia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. circa 1873, Austin county, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 89 years) 
    Married circa 1800 
    • Marriage date deduced from his obituary of March, 1861 which says he was married to Elizabeth for 60 years.
    Notes 
    • -
      Jeremiah was a farmer and, it is believed, was born in what is now Twiggs County, GA (or Wilkes or Wilkinson County??), Twiggs county not yet being formed.  (Beth L. Austin blaustin-at-worldnet.att.net> wrote March 30, 1999 that Wilkes County GA was called St. Paul Parish before it was made a county.)  He is listed on the 1830, Montgomery AL, census as between 40 and 49 years.  The ages he gave on the 1850 and 1860 censuses from Austin County, TX indicate he was born in 1786 though the year of 1784 is specified in his obituary. Moved from GA to Alabama about 1812 and is listed on the 1830 Montgomery County Alabama census.  (Montgomery County was created December 6, 1816, by the Mississippi Territory General Assembly and was named in honor of Major Lemuel Putnam Montgomery who was killed in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814.)
      Certificates No. 11336 and No. 11337, both dated November 14th 1833, and both for 80.1 acres in Montgomery county to Jeremiah Cloud of Montgomery County Alabama.  Also, Certificate No. 1665, dated April 5th 1837 for forty acres.  Are these our Jeremiah?
      -
      On October 21, 1998, Geraldine Talley wrote:
      "I discovered a book, "YOUNGBLOOD-ARMSTRONG AND ALLIED FAMILIES", by Frances Youngblood and Floelle Youngblood Bonner (her sister) ... The authors state several times the names of Jeremiah and Elizabeth Cloud as being FORMERLY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.  I learned that many living in Georgia at the beginning of the 1812 War fled to other states. Could it be we have been looking in the wrong place for "our" Texas Jeremiah?  How about Spartanburg Co.-- that's where the McDades came from and they appear to have been close friends."
      -
      1830, Montgomery County AL census
      ===============================
      Jeremiah CLOUD
      males in house:
      under 5 = 1 (F.M.-1)
      over 10 and under 15 = 1 (Alex-10)
      over 15 and under 20 = 2 (J.C. at 15/16 and James M. at 18/19)
      over 40 and under 50 (Jeremiah at 46)
      females in house:
      under 5 = 1 (Elizabeth or Elcena ?)
      over 30 and under 39 = 1 (wife Elizabeth at 39 ?)
      -
      William and H.G.W. are married and gone.  Assumption that Mary is already married and gone, leaving the other two girls at home.  On 1870 census, Elizabeth is listed as being 80 so it's conceivable she was 39 at this census.
      He must have moved to the Republic of Texas prior to October of 1837, as he received a 2nd class Headright grant from the Republic and he was in Austin Colony by 1838.  In a newspaper interview, his granddaughter, Mary Rogers, at 95 years of age, said that he brought thirty slaves with him and was awarded land for each child and each slave he brought.
      Youngblood-Armstrong says: "James Cloud moved to Austin Co. Texas, going overland, by horseback.  Other men in the Mt. Meigs neighborhood went at the same time.  Later, Jennie took their children and slaves by boat from Montgomery to New Orleans and thence to Hempstead, which at that time was in Austin county, now Waller county."
      Jeremiah acquired 155 acres of land in Austin County 4-26-1838 (deed #95) and 19 acres of land in Austin County 4-2-1838 (deed #117) from James Stephenson in the James Stephenson Survey.  He received one section (640 acres) of "Headright" land from the Republic of Texas in Bosque County, Texas.
      -
      1836 -1837 REPUBLIC OF TEXAS,  2ND CLASS CERTIFICATES
      original grantee; JEREMIAH CLOUD.
      located in; HAMILTON.
      certificate number; 37.
      quality; 640 ACRES
      land district; MILAM
      file number; 313
      -
      'Texas used Land to Lure Immigrants.  When the Republic of Texas was created in 1836, there was no money to use as funding.  However, there was an abundance of land. The legislature of the Republic of Texas, as Spain and Mexico had previously done, used land as a carrot stick to entice immigration from Europe and the United States.  Texas also used land for payment of debt and to repay soldiers for their services in the revolution.
      A total of 36,876,492 acres were granted as Headright grants to settlers in the Republic of Texas.  First Class headright certificates were granted to those who arrived in  Texas prior to March 4, 1836. Married heads of families were granted a league and a labor or 4,605.5 acres.  Single men, aged 17 years or older, were granted one third of a league or 1,476.1 acres.
      Those who arrived in Texas after March 4, 1836, but before Oct. 1, 1837 were granted second-class certificates.  Married men received 1, 280 acres and single men 640 acres.  Those arriving after October 1837, but before January 1, 1840 were granted third-class certificates.  Those arriving between Jan. 1, 1840 and Jan 1, 1842 were granted fourth -class certificates. With both third and fourth class certificates, married men received 640 acres and single men 320 acres.
      An act of Dec. 21, 1837 provided a donation of 640 acres to all people who had engaged in the Battle of San Jacinto, those who were wounded prior to San Jacinto, and those who were detailed to guard the baggage at Harrisburg.  The same act provided bounty warrants to those who participated in the siege of Bexar, the Goliad campaigns of 1835 and 1836, and the Battle of the Alamo, or to their heirs.  By and act of 1879, certificates for an additional 640 acres were granted under stringent restrictions to indigent veterans of the Texas Revolution."
      -
      Jeremiah arrived after Texas' battle for Independence, but the Military Bounty and Donation Land Grants of Texas list a J.W. Cloud.  Could this be our Jeremiah?  These land grants were awarded for service to the Republic between 1835 and 1846.  There are two Cloud surnames in the "NAME INDEX TO BOUNTY LAND GRANTS OF TEXAS 1835-1888", Thomas Lloyd Miller, Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, 1967; http://www.mindspring.com/~dmaxey/rep_bd.htm
      Cloud, Daniel W. (Heirs) (see Don also) (he died in the siege of the Alamo).
      Cloud, J. W.
      -
      Daniel Cloud died at the Battle of the Alamo and some assume the J.W. Cloud is our Jeremiah.
      -
      The following were on the 1840 tax rolls of Austin County:
      CLOUD, Clark
      CLOUD, Jackson
      CLOUD, James M.
      CLOUD, Jeremiah
      -
      1850 Austin Cty TX census, October 3, 1850, p ?89
      lines 7-12, HH 16
      James CLOUD, 34, M, farmer, 800, GA
      Jane CLOUD, 38, F, GA
      Joseph FRANCIS, 31, M, farmer, TN
      Mary FRANCIS, 20, F, AL
      George CLOUD, 11, M ( b. 1839), TX
      FRANCIS, Susan, 4, F (b. 1846), MO
      -
      HH 17
      Jeremiah CLOUD, 68, M, 2000, GA
      Elizabeth CLOUD, 66, GA
      Marion CLOUD, 21, labourer, AL
      -
      HH 18
      John C. CLOUD, 31, M, farmer, GA
      Mary CLOUD, 32, F, GA
      Mary ?J?? CLOUD, 11, TX
      Marion CLOUD, 8, TX
      John CLOUD, 5, TX
      Margarette CLOUD, 2, TX
      -
      HH 20
      Miller FRANCIS, 40, farmer, 5950, TN
      Nancy FRANCIS, 30?, Ohio
      Marguerette FRANCIS, 10, TX
      James FRANCIS, 6, TX
      Lidia Ann FRANCIS, 4, TX
      Elizabeth FRANCIS, 65, VA
      Elizabeth F. ?US?, 22, TN
      Mary McKEY, 21, LA
      John AHRENT?, 14, Germany
      -
      HH 22
      James FRANCIS, 45, county clerk, TN
      Claracy FRANCIS, 42, TN-
      Listed in the 1850 Austin County, Texas Census, p. 89, as Jeremiah, b. Georgia, aged 64 (Lura says it looks like 68) with real estate valued at $2000.
      -
      In the 1860 census of Austin County, Travis Pct, p. 226 of June 24, he's listed as Jerry Cloud, aged 74, b. GA, real estate valued at $20,000, personal value $11,410.  Elizabeth, aged 72.  Francis Marion (age 29) is living with his parents.  Two grandchildren living with them (Elizabeth Gates, 12, and Nancy Gates, 10, both b. TX), though it is not known why -- perhaps their parents had died.  F.M.'s age seems to indicate he was born after the 1830 census.  (Jeremiah and Elizabeth's ages are 4 years less than they should be if the 1850 census is correct.  F.M.'s age is 2 years less.  Why?)
      -
      1860 census, TX, Austin, Travis, p. 43, June 24
      enumerated by "Jerry Cloud"
      -- HH 329/329
      Joseph FRANCIS, 41, M, farmer, $5620, $7400, TN
      Mary J, FRANCIS (wife), 28, F, AL
      Jane FRANCIS (child), 7, F, TX
      Charles C FRANCIS (child), 6, M, TX
      Jo(?) W FRANCIS (child), 4, M, TX
      M.W. FRANCIS (child), 1, F, TX
      Gundy GONZLES, 45, M, laborer, Mexico
      --
      -- 330/330
      Jas M CLOUD, 47, M, farmer, $1625, $6750, GA
      Jane CLOUD (wife), 46, F, GA
      H.G.W. CLOUD Jr, 20, M, laborer, TX
      Martha WISE, 37, F, seamstress, NC
      Martha MURPHY, 15, F, student, AL
      -
      -- HH 335/335
      Jerry CLOUD, 74, M, farmer, $20000, $11410, GA
      E CLOUD (wife), 72, F, GA
      F.M. CLOUD, 29, M, farmer, $1800, AL
      Elizabeth GATES, 12, F, TX
      Nancy GATES, 10, F, TX
      --
      -- HH 336/336
      A.J. CLOUD, 40, M, farmer, $900, AL
      Nancy CLOUD (wife), 35, F, AL
      James CLOUD (child), 16, M, wagoner, TX
      Paralee CLOUD (child, 14, F, TX
      Jasper CLOUD (child), 12, M, TX
      --
      -- HH 337/337
      Alex CLOUD, 27, M, farmer, $4235, AL
      Jane CLOUD (wife), 24, F, AL
      Thos C CLOUD (child), 4, M, TX
      Mary C CLOUD (child), 2, F, TX
      -
      The graves of Jeremiah, Elizabeth, and F.M. (who was later killed in a gunfight) are reportedly on their estate on Caney Creek, now private property, near Buckhorn in Northeast Austin County, Texas, but they have not been found.
      His obituary appeared in the April 6, 1861 Hempstead Courier, page 3 (top right) and reads as follows:
      -
      "  Died, On Caney creek in this county, on the
      14th ult., MR. JEREMIAH CLOUD, Sr., In the
      77th year of his age.
      "  Mr. C. was born in Twiggs Co.,
      Georgia, in 1784; emigrated to Mont-
      gomery Co. Alabama in 1816, when he
      removed to this State, in which he
      lived up to the time of his death, shar-
      ing her joys and sorrows.
      "  He leaves behind him what the best
      of us aspire to, an unsullied reputation;
      besides a numerous family, consisting
      of his first and only wife, who was the
      partner of his days for sixty years,
      six children, thirty four grand-children,
      and twenty-six great grand children;
      all of whom must be often reminded
      of his absence, and feel the want of
      his experienced counsel."
      -
      1870 census, Austin, Bellville, p 63, July 12
      -- HH 461
      FRANCES, Joseph, 37, M, W, farmer, $1810, $2120, TN
      FRANCES, Mary Jane, 39, F, W, AL (Mary Jane Josephine CLOUD)
      FRANCES, Jane, 17, F, TX
      FRANCES, Joseph, 13, M. TX
      FRANCES, Mary E, 11, F. TX
      FRANCES, ohn W, 8, M. TX
      FRANCES, James, 2, M, TX
      MURFIN, Marthe, 28, F, W, domestic servant, AL
      FRANCIS, Thomas, 20, M, M, farm laborer, TX
      FRANCIS, Maria, 14, F, M, domestic servant, TX
      -- HH 462
      CLOUD, Frank M, 35, M, W, farmer, $1086, $350, AL
      -- HH 463
      CLOUD, Elizabeth, 80, F, W, housekeeping, GA
      CLOUD, James J, 2, M, W, TX
      -
      Here are the estimated birth dates for Jeremiah and Elizabeth based on the 1850 and 1860 censuses and on his obituary:
      -
      source    1850  1860  1870  obit
      Jeremiah  1782  1786  dcd  1784
      Elizabeth 1784  1788  1790
      -
      It would seem that neither Jeremiah nor Elizabeth were certain of their exact birth dates.
      The book "Youngblood-Armstrong & Allied Families", p. 302, says:
      -
      "Jeremiah Cloud, Sr., died 3/14/1861. His only surviving sons, H.G.W. (Wash) Cloud and Francis M. Cloud applied for administration papers on his estate. H.G.W. Cloud stated that his mother was the one by law to administer, but that she was extremely old, over seventy. Elizabeth, the mother, felt that H.G.W. should not administer, because of his total blindness and also the distance from her, as 'he lived on the opposite side of the river.' (Vol. 2, p. 60, Ct. Rec. Austin, Tex.)"
      -
      Consequently, his youngest son, F.M. (Francis Marion) Cloud, and his widow were named executor and executrix of his estate.  The problem with the Youngblood book statement is that another son was still alive -- John Clark Cloud, who died in 1868.  There were several lawsuits filed against F.M. Cloud by other members of the family, the litigation lasting about twenty years.  (There is an "Elizina" mentioned in the probate records of Jeremiah -- suspect this is Elcena.)
      The probate records entered on 10-26-1861 in Austin County reflect a large estate.  Among the items listed are 600+ acres of land in Austin County, 100 acres of land in Washington County, 960 acres of land in Bosque County, 320 acres of land in Bexar County, 28 horses, 47 head of cattle, 7 slaves, and farming equipment and crops.
      The following from the probate papers on his estate:
      Taxes on Bosque Co, February 15, 1864
      640 acres granted to Jerry Cloud Bosque Co.
      320 acres granted to James M. Cloud in Taylor Co.
      640 acres granted to A. J. Cloud in Bosque Co.
      $10 paid for the year of 1863 plus $3.20 of the county War Tax on Bosque Co. lands
      Certificate of Redemption:  Land granted to A. J. Cloud of 640 acres; class claim of 3 Abstract 116 Situated in Bosque Co.; Tax $8.25 repurchased land by F. M. Cloud--redeemed land 29 October, 1869 Land sold for taxes to State of Texas (there were 2 original receipts)
      In the Probate Minutes M, p.70, January 22, 1862, Elizabeth Cloud is allowed to sell the land in Bosque Co: 320  and 640 acres.
      Regarding the slave family (or families) owned by Jeremiah and Elizabeth Cloud:
      John Cloud Neal wrote to Tom Cloud on Feb. 4, 2003: "The slaves Daniel, Betsey, Clarrisy and 2 Children, Lynn and Joe (I believe John meant these two children were Betsey's, ed.) were rented out to Jeremiah's other children, I believe. After 1865 there were freed and Daniel stayed in Hempstead, and the others moved to Bellville, Sealy and other places." .... "Daniel Cloud, my GGgrandfather was born in North Carolina and had children born in Tennessee. I believe he may have come to Jeremiah's family after the death of William Cloud 1841 in Tennessee. Daniel was about the same age as Jeremiah and older than HGW Cloud, whom he was with until he was freed. .... Daniel was born about 1812 +/- a year or two, in North Carolina."
      Geraldine Talley wrote to Tom Cloud November 26, 2002:
      ... as a child I visited my Grandmother Addie and Great Grandmother Russ in the summertime in Bellville.. There were two Black men who worked for her.  As I remember they were Amos Cloud and Walter Cloud. My Grandmother Addie (daughter to Great Grandmother Russ) always promised to take me up to the woods where the Blacks lived. For some reason we never went, but I do remenber the two I mentioned. They came to the house on horseback. They helped with the cattle and herd of sheep she had and may have ploughed some of the fields. She raised a number of crops--cotton, corn, peanuts, watermelon.
      Was Daniel sold after Jeremiah's death in 1861, possibly by Francis Marion Cloud? F.M. seems to have gotten rid of everything he could. If I remember correctly there were 7 slaves that Jeremiah brought to Texas. Does Daniel know the names of any of the other slaves? Somtimes slaves were given to daughters when they married or more correctly to the new husband for her, since she could own nothing in her own right. Charles McDade gave Jennie, his daughter, or more correctly to his new son-in-law, a slave when she married James M. Cloud. Also, I found in the same probate records in Montgomery, AL that one was given to Mary (Polly) Mc Dade when she married H.G.W.  The index showed the transaction but it was not in the records.  Slaves were also considered chattel property and as such sales were recorded in the probate records. That might be a lead for him.  There is still a lot of information in the Bellville Co. records, perhaps Brenham and Hempstead as well.G.
      -
      In the probate of Jeremiah Cloud's estate:
      October 18, 1861 appraisal:
      Seperate Property
      1st Negro Woman Clarissa 59 yrs old apprsd at              450.00
      2nd  "  Man Daniel 47 yrs old Apprsd at                    800.00
      3rd  "  Woman Betsey & her children 41 yrs old Apprsd at  1350.00
      6th  "  Man Linn 37 yrs old apprsd at                    1100.00
      7    "  Man Joseph 43 yrs old apprsd at                  1200.00
      -
      record of January 31, 1862:
      Estate of Jeremiah Cloud decd.  I  F M Cloud one of the administrators of said estate do swear that after legal notice given I caused to be hired out at for the year 1862 public outcry to the highest bidder on the 4th day of this present month, January, at the late residence of said decd the following slaves belonging to said estate - the hiring made on a credit till the 1st day of January 1863.  Said slaves were bid off by the persons & for the sums following to wit:
      1  Betsey & her two children Louise & Mary bid off by James M Cloud at $100.00
      2  Joe bid off by James M Cloud at                                      190.00
      3  Linn bid off by N Cochrane for James M Cloud                        200.00
      4  Clarissa bid off by  "      "    "      "                          100.00
      5  Daniel bid off by  "      "    Dr Bartley                        $200.00
      $800.00
      Some of the descendants of the slave family or families owned by Jeremiah and Elizabeth Cloud still live in Austin county, Texas and the others live in California and other places.  This researcher would like to know who was "old Tuck" referred to in the record of the 1830 Cloud-Pratt reunion (and remembered by some of the family still living in 1998).
      [5]
    Family ID F443  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Virginia Jane "Jennie" McDade,   b. circa 1815,   d. Bef 1874  (Age ~ 58 years) 
    Married circa 1830 
    Notes 
    • Youngblood-Armstrong says: "James Cloud moved to Austin Co. Texas, going overland, by horseback.  Other men in the Mt. Meigs neighborhood went at the same time.  Later, Jennie took their children and slaves by boat from Montgomery to New Orleans and thence to Hempstead, which at that time was in Austin county, now Waller county."  In the administration of Jennie's father's estate, 1840 in Alabama, is the statement that she and her husband were non-residents, proving that they had moved from Alabama to Texas prior to that date.
      The name of only one child is known (Mary, who married Joseph Francis).  In the settlement of Jennie's mother's estate (Adeline] in 1874, Mary is listed as an heir, residing in Texas, and the daughter of Jennie Cloud, deceased.
      Youngblood-Armstrong and Allied Families, p. 304
      -
      In BELLVILLE: THE FOUNDERS AND THEIR LEGACY by Isabel Frizzell (note the name -- James' eldest brother married Margaret Frizzle.) there is this statement on p. 10, "Four other original purchasers, all farmers, appear to have been settled in the Piney-Cochran area before the town of Bellville was founded.  One of these, James M. Cloud, bought Lot 3 in Block F.  Cloud was listed in the 1850 census as a 38-year old farmer who came from Georgia."
      -
      1860 census, TX, Austin cty, Travis pct, p. 43, June 24
      enumerated by "Jerry Cloud"
      -- HH 329/329
      Joseph FRANCIS, 41, M, farmer, $5620, $7400, TN
      Mary J. FRANCIS (wife), 28, F, AL
      Jane FRANCIS (child), 7, F, TX
      Charles C Francis (child), 6, M, TX
      Jo(?) W FRANCIS(child), 4, M, TX
      M.W. FRANCIS(child), 1, F, TX
      Gundy GONZLES, 45, M, laborer, Mexico
      --
      -- 330/330
      Jas M CLOUD, 47, M, farmer, $1625, $6750, GA
      Jane CLOUD(wife), 46, F, GA
      H.G.W. CLOUD Jr, 20, M, laborer, TX
      Martha WISE, 37, F, seamstress, NC
      Martha MURPHY, 15, F, student, AL
      -
      1870 census, TX, Austin, Bellville, p. 53, July 6
      -- HH 385
      CLOUD, James, 57, M, W, GA
      CLOUD, Jane, 55, F, W, GA
      CLOUD, Henry, 19, M, B, TX
      CLOUD, George, 19, M, B, LA
      CLOUD, John, 11, M, B, TX
      CLOUD, Rebecca, 12, F, B, TX
      -- HH 386
      CLOUD, Joseph, 54, M, B, AL
      CLOUD, Caroline, 53, F, B, MD
      CLOUD, William, 19, M, B, TX
      CLOUD, Margaret, 11, F, B, TX
      CLOUD, Maria, 11, F, B, TX
      -- HH 387
      CLOUD, Elizabeth, 35, F, B, TX
      CLOUD, Mary, 10, F, B, TX
      -
    Children 
     1. Mary Jane Josephine Cloud,   b. 1832, Alabama, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. circa 1892, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 60 years)
     2. Henry George Washington Cloud, Jr.,   b. circa 1840, Texas, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Y
    Family ID F89  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Sources 
    1. [S823] Youngblood-Armstrong & Allied Families, pp. 297, 300, 301, 302, 304.

    2. [S1082] Francis, James, email to Tom Cloud of July 26, 2005.

    3. [S136] 1860 US federal census, 1860 census, TX, Austin cty, Travis pct, p. 43, June 24.

    4. [S1125] 1870 Mortality Schedule, 1870 census, TX, Austin, Bellville, p. 53, July 6.

    5. [S823] Youngblood-Armstrong & Allied Families.