William Hord - Slave Owner and Trader

Col William Hord
BIRTH 5 Aug 1764 Louisa County, Virginia, USA
DEATH 15 May 1825 (aged 60)Rogersville, Hawkins County,

Tennessee, USA
BURIAL New Providence Presbyterian Cemetery, Surgoinsville,

Hawkins County, Tennessee

How did Howard’s Quarter get it’s name? (With many thanks to the
late Randy Bullen and various other sources I have accumulated.
Howard’s Quarter is an area in southeast Claiborne County, between
Springdale and the Hancock County line.
The area was settled in 1811 and originally known as Hord’s Quarter
named for William Hord.

Hord was a slave trader and the area was where slaves were quartered
and eventually auctioned into bondage. The area was located for ease
of access for slave buyers to come up from Knoxville and Chattanooga
by the Clinch River. Slaves would be brought down from Virginia to
Hord’s Quarter to await their fate.
New Canton Plantation and William Hord Church Hill, Hawkins County

William Hord, Member of Tennessee House, 3rd and 4th General
Assemblies, 1799-1803; representing Hawkins County. Born in Louisa
County, Virginia, on August 5, 1764; son of Mordecai and Sarah Carr
Hord. Bought land in Hawkins County in 1791 and moved there in 1796,
building a home at New Canton. Deputy surveyor of Hawkins County,
1797-98. In 1802 he removed to Claiborne County, but returned to
Hawkins in 1813; bought the “Rice” property at New Canton, where
descendants still live. Commissioned a major in Hawkins County militia;
director in State Bank, 1817. Member, Presbyterian Church. Married in
Hawkins County in 1797 to Anne Gibbons, daughter of Thomas and
Anne (Eppes) Gibbons; children–Stanwix, Eldridge, Thomas, Lucretia,
and William Hord. Died in Hawkins County on May 15, 1825; buried in
New Providence Presbyterian Churchyard, Rogersville. Grandfather of
Thomas Eppes Hord and great-grandfather of William Lloyd Moore,
sometime members Tennessee General Assembly.

William Hord was a Revolutionary War Hero, one of the founders of Hawkins County,
and the owner of many slaves. Hord and his family obtained a large parcel of land
between the Clinch River and Newmans Ridge. Hord was the guarantor of a significant
number of the Bonds for the first elected officials of the County. Hord had a large area
of land in the current day Howards Quarter Community. Since the selling of slaves was
illegal in Tennessee, Hord used this area for slave traders to stop over while moving
slaves from Richmond, Virginia to Kentucky. Hord was a resident of the county until
1813 when returned to the Church Hill area in Hawkins County. Hord developed a the
New Canton area and was the Director of State Bank in Rogersville. Some of Hord's sons
moved to Texas and had the largest slave market in Dallas until the Civil War.
Daniel Huff came to Claiborne County around 1801 and obtained a large parcel of land
around the current location of LMU. The Rock Tower on the LMU Campus was built by
Huff and was a windmill used to grind corn. In the 1850 Slave Census shows that Huff
had 35 slaves. In 1860 Huff had 40. Huff died in a riding accident while dining with CSA
Troops at Cumberland Gap in 1862.
Slave ownership totals for Claiborne County:
1850 102 Slave Owners with 480 Slaves
1860 145 Slave Owners with 711 Slaves
The average cost of a slave in 1836 was $584; in 1859 $855.
In 1850 the largest Slave owners were:
Daniel Huff 35
John Bullard 35, large land owner and ferry operator
William Kincaid 30, large land owner; famous for his home still standing located in
Speedwell
Robert Crockett 20, owner Crockett Iron Works in Forge Ridge
James Patterson 18
In 1860 the largest Slave owners were:
Dainel Huff 40
Benjamin Cloud 30
Mary Hunter 30

Hugh Jones 28
Samuel B Day 27, Owned a vast area of land in Little Sycamore
James Patterson 22
Gideon Brooks 21
Andrew Woodson 18
S J Barnard 18
William Hurst 14

William Hord utilized twenty-seven slaves to build a pair of 4,500 sq. ft.
brick homes, a 7500 sq.ft. Grist mill, a general hardware store, and
numerous barns and out buildings. At that time slave holding was not
only legal, but was a worldwide commodity. Black and mulatto slaves
tended the fields raising corn, tobacco, cutting timber, and running
livestock. Water was hand pumped from Hord creek up to a large
cistern above the house which provided a crude form of cool running
water to those inside the mansion. Interestingly, this cool water supply
was used primarily for cooling instead of drinking.

Those servants favored by Mr. Hord held quarters in the basement of
the house. Others who tended to the fields or were involved in milling
operations, lived in small cabins near the mill.
The plantation home is estimated to have more than a million bricks,
each handmade and kiln fired. Even the interior walls are a full 18
inches thick. In response to a challenge from Mr. Hord, the head slave,
thought to be Abraham D, oversaw completion of the house in just over
a year. His reward was a gold coin and first dance at the annual
Christmas party. Interestingly, stories suggest that Abraham chose Mrs.
Hord as his dancing partner. Abrahams signature still remains today,
carved into the old brick wall near the entrance to his quarters.
Abraham’s legend lives long after his passing and he was apparently a
wise and faithful servant.

The plantation is located at 826 West Main Street, Church Hill,
Tennessee

Photo: Grissoms Island on the Clinch River. Formerly known as
Grisham’s Island.
The area was sold by Edward Howell to Hord’s Plantation, which
William Grisham lived and was the overseer.
The Deed dated 15th October 1810, was entered into record on the
12th of January 1811.

William Hord of Hawkins County purchases 20 acres from John Livesay,
lying on the North side of the Holston River. William Hord and Eli
Boykin both operated mills. This deed has conveyances that mention
several Hawkins County names. The following is from
Ancestry.com. North Carolina and Tennessee, U.S., Early Land Records,
1753-1931 [- Name: William Hord Record - Date: 15 May 1818 -
Location: Hawkins, Tennessee - Warrant Number: 5840



I found many other references to William Hord on Ancestry and while
https://tslaindexes.tn.gov/
links to a more detailed explanation. It can be accessed at:
looking Tennessee State Library Archives I found these entries with

One Claiborne County record I found in Newspapers.com regarding Col.
William Hord purchasing land on Mulberry Creek in Hawkins County
follows.



The following is from WikiTree.com and I always find it so very helpful with what appears most of
the time to be factual and cited information.
Much better than anything I might do.

William[1] [2]was born in 1764. He was the son of Mordecai Hord and Sarah Carr. He
passed away in 1825.

William Hord married Anne 'Nancy' Gibbons 1797 Hawkins County, Tennessee. They had
5 known children viz:

1. Stanwix Hord m. Elizabeth Armstrong
2. Eldridge Hord m. Sarah 'Sally' Armstrong and Rachel Morrison
3. Thomas Hord m. Mary Elizabeth McCulloch and Amelia Mildred

Gilmer
4. Lucretia Hord m. Stokeley Donaldson Rowan
5. William Hord 1807-1841 remained unmarried as far as we know.

William Hord is buried at the New Providence Presbyterian Church Cemetery Hawkins
County Tennessee.

Before coming to Hawkins County, Tennessee, William sold to his brothers John and
Stanwix his lands in Henry County, Virginia (1791).

Governor John Sevier's Commission Book, April 2, 1796 - June 16, 1801: William
Hord, William Payne, Joseph McCulloch ,
Samuel Riggs and Thomas Berry commissioned Justices of the Peace in and for the
County of Hawkins, during good behavior,
November 1st 1797. William Hord Commissioned First Major of the regiment of
Hawkins County, during good behavior. November
30th 1798. Vice Joseph McMinn resigned.

William was a member of the State Legislature of Tennessee from Hawkins County,
1799 (Ramsey's "Annals of Tennessee, page 704).

The TS inscription indicates that he was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. He is also
shown as a First Major vice Joseph McMinn, resigned,
November 30, 1798, in the Records of Commissions of Officers, 1796-1815, Part I, Page
18 of the Early Tennessee Settlers and in the index of
the Tennessee Militia, 1796-1811.

HOUSE, 3rd and 4th General Assemblies, 1799-1803; representing Hawkins County. Born
in Louisa County, Virginia, on August 5, 1764; son of
Mordecai and Sarah Carr Hord. Bought land in Hawkins County in 1791 and moved there
in 1796, building a home at New Canton.

Deputy surveyor of Hawkins County , 1797-98. In 1802 he removed to Claiborne County,
but returned to Hawkins in 1813;
bought the "Rice" property at New Canton, where descendants still live. Commissioned
a major in Hawkins County militia;
director in State Bank, 1817 . Member, Presbyterian Church. Married in Hawkins County
in 1797 to Anne Gibbons, daughter of
Thomas and Anne (Eppes ) Gibbons; children--Stanwix, Eldridge, Thomas, Lucretia, and
William Hord. Died in Hawkins County on
May 15, 1825; buried in New Providence Presbyterian Churchyard, Rogersville .
Grandfather of Thomas Eppes Hord and great-grandfather
of William Lloyd Moore, sometime members Tennessee General Assembly. (Source - TN
General Assembly Biographies Hawkins County, Tennessee).

Sources

1. ↑ Hord Family of Virginia pages 74,75 by Rev. Arnold harris Hord
2. ↑ Our Family History and Ancestry Bernethy-Eby-Scribner-Hord