When Jones was a year old, his family moved to Washington, Arkansas (Hempstead County where they owned a large plantation[1] in nearby Lafayette County;[2] Jones attended Washington Academy there and later studied law.

During his childhood, James Black, creator of the famous Bowie knife, lived with the Jones family[1] before moving to Washington, Arkansas.

In 1874, Jones was elected as prosecuting attorney of the Ninth Judicial District.

[4] During his term appropriations were made for the new state capitol building, and a law ordering uniform textbooks in schools was passed.

He was buried with a Confederate States Army uniform with an attached American flag[1] at the Oakland Cemetery in Little Rock.