Tuck McCloud

Major Tuck McCloud was a merchant and banker working out of Suicide Bluff in the Delcova Territory. McCloud served in the Saldonian Army from 1526 through 1536, attaining the rank of Major before being discharged. He eventually mustered out at Fort Colton in 1541. McCloud immediately began receiving military contracts due to his connections. He then became involved in land schemes of selling land he didn't actually own to aspiring farmers.
McCloud eventually moved to Suicide Bluff and in 1544 he started "McCloud & Company". By 1548 he had hired J.C. Payson, who by 1549 had become a business partner in a profitable mercantile and banking operation. The business saw success mainly due to there being no competition. McCloud also became influential within law enforcement circles, controlling the local sheriff, Kyle Cotton.
What would become known as the McCloud-Payson faction charged local farmers and ranchers high prices for their goods, making them hated among much of the local population. To counter them, rancher Jonathan Rich and former McCloud-Payson employee Samuel Woods opened a rival business in 1551, called "J. Rich & Co". The Rich-Woods faction had the support of powerful rancher Turk Hayes, and the business enraged Payson. With McCloud's support, Payson hired gunmen to try and goad Rich into a fight, employing several different gangs of gunmen.
The gangs began rustling Rich's herds, or dispersing them, prompting Rich to employ several gunmen of his own, to include Bee Hutton, Joe "Doc" Lawrence, Lucy Coleman, and Dirty Jake Hudson. In early 1553, while Rich was alone, he was shot and killed by John Rose and Sal Darnley, likely under the orders of J.C. Payson. This event sparked the Suicide Bluff range war.
To counter Sheriff Cotton's lack of action on the murder, Woods organized the Suicide Bluff Posse, having them legally deputized, and tasked with the apprehension of the murderers. The Posse captured Rose and Darnley, and executed both men, in addition to fellow Posse member Gus Gordon, a suspected traitor. Later, the Posse killed Sheriff Cotton and Deputy Sarah Farnsworth, with several other killings following that were committed by both the Posse and the gunmen employed by McCloud-Payson.
By this time, however, Tuck McCloud was in poor health, suffering from cancer. He was, by this time, having little to do with the day to day activities of his businesses or the gunmen under his employ. Although he would see the end of the range war, he died in the fall of 1553.
Category:Inhabitants
Category:Merchants
Category:Born in 1506
Category:Died in 1553
Category:Men
Category:Deceased People
Category:No Photo