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William Claude Jones ( – March 3, 1884) was an American politician, poet, fabulist, and "pursuer of nubile females". Among his accomplishments, he was a member of the Missouri and Arizona Territorial legislatures, United States Attorney for New Mexico Territory, and a member of the Hawaiian privy council. ==Missouri== Details of Jones' birth are uncertain but he appears to have been born around 1815, possibly near Mobile, Alabama. During his lifetime, Jones is known to have given five different locations for his birth including a claim, made while he was living in the New Mexico Territory, that he had been born to an American consul in Catalonia, Spain. There is, however, no record of a U.S. diplomat stationed at any Spanish speaking post around the time of Jones' birth. Details of his education are equally unclear but it is known that he was a highly literate writer. In addition to English, Jones was also fluent and literate in Spanish. During the Second Seminole War, Jones enlisted as a private in a six-month company from northwestern Missouri. He would later claim that he served with a courtesy rank of lieutenant as a commissary officer. His claim was substantiated by an act of the 33rd Congress (S.B. 250) dated July 27, 1854. His service during the war led to his introduction to politics. Beginning in late-1838, Jones served as clerk for a legislative committee established by the Missouri General Assembly designed to look into improper use of troops from the state during the war. After completion of this task, Jones began practicing law in Carrollton, Missouri. He also became a colonel in the local militia, seeing limited service related to the aftermath of the 1838 Mormon War. Jones advanced quickly within the Missouri Democratic party. He became an editor for the Missouri Revised Statutes, secretary for the Missouri State Senate, had a seat on the board of curators for the University of Missouri, and was vice president and legal council for the State Historical Society of Missouri. The 1844 U.S. presidential election also saw him become an elector. While living in Carrollton, Jones met and married Sarah Freeman. The union produced three children: Bennington, Laura, and Claude (died in infancy). In 1846, Jones moved his family to southwestern Missouri. There he became one of the incorporators for Neosho and won election to a four-year term in the Missouri State Senate. About this time, the nearby Neosho River served as Jones' muse as he penned a poem dealing with two Indian lovers. Jones was not content with his position however and wrote to the President asking for appointment to a federal position. Toward this end he was willing to accept any available position, writing "it matters not" as to the type or location of the appointment. In mid-1847, Jones took his family to Van Buren and Fort Smith, Arkansas where he practiced law for a time. From there he visited Texas, passing through Nacogdoches and Corpus Christi. During this time the Missouri legislature was out of session. When Jones returned to Missouri for the beginning of the next session, he discovered that his seat had been declared vacant and a replacement had been elected. Jones challenged the ruling and won back his seat after several days of hearings. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「W. Claude Jones」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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