William Giles Harding
Encyclopedia
William Giles Harding was an American naturalist and livestock breeder who attained the rank of Brigadier General in the Tennessee State Militia prior to the American Civil War
(1861–1865), and headed the Military and Financial Board of Tennessee at the beginning of the Civil War, until his arrest by Union authorities in 1862.
General Harding inherited his father's farm, the famous Belle Meade Plantation
, known worldwide for breeding thoroughbred horses. The once sprawling horse farm and surrounding properties became the Town of Belle Meade and home of George Peabody College for Teachers and Vanderbilt University
founded in 1873. Today, the upscale neighborhood is a part of greater Nashville.
, a Virginian, who one year earlier (1807) purchased 250 acres (1 km²) near Richland Creek known as "McSpadden's Bend". John Harding's "McSpadden's Bend Farm" became well known in the area for boarding, training and breeding thoroughbred horses. Nashville newspapers carried advertisements for the farm's services as early as 1816.
In 1820, John Harding built a 'federal style' house on the property. He expanded the farm, installed a training track for race horses and continued to board horses, including those of nearby neighbor, former President Andrew Jackson
. John Harding renamed the farm Belle Meade, which became known as the Belle Meade Plantation
. Records from the Tennessee Historical Society (Nashville) indicate that John's son, William Giles Harding, became interested in the horse breeding business early.
. (The Academy relocated from Connecticut to Norwich, Vermont
and later became Norwich University
. In 1831, the old location of the original Academy in Connecticut was occupied by another college, Wesleyan University
.)
John Harding had registered the Belle Meade 'silks' and his first race horse with the Tennessee Jockey Club in 1923, when young William Giles Harding was only 15. "By the time William Giles assumed management of the Belle Meade plantation, he was keenly interested in all aspects of breeding and racing".
After the Civil War, daughter Selene Harding married Confederate States Army General William Hicks Jackson
, commonly known as General "Red" Jackson, the son of Dr. Alexander Jackson and wife Mary W. Hurt Jackson.
At age 45, then Brigadier General Harding (of the Tennessee Militia) began construction of a larger 'Greek revival style' mansion in 1853-54 on the Belle Meade Plantation
which would become the now famous Belle Meade Mansion, listed in the National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP #69000177, inducted 30 December 1969). The Mansion was purchased by the State of Tennessee in 1953 and is managed by the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities (APTA).
While other farms were having horses and livestock confiscated for the Civil War effort, General Harding somehow managed to keep his stallions and breeding stock.
, a West Point graduate (Class of 1856) and Confederate States Army General, on December 15, 1868. The couple moved to Belle Meade Plantation
to co-manage the farm with General Harding.
General Harding and his son-in-law, General "Red" Jackson, reportedly expanded the horse farm to an estimated 5400 acres (21.9 km²). The Harding-Jackson families became world renowned thoroughbred horse breeders, later purchasing a top stallion named Iroquois (horse)
(1878–1899), the first American horse to win the prestigious English Epsom Derby
in 1881 and other European races - becoming the 'Leading Sire' in America in 1892.
General "Red" Jackson had a rather famous brother, Howell Edmunds Jackson
a former U.S. Senator (1881–1886) who was eventually appointed a United States Supreme Court Justice (1893–1895). After the death of Howell's first wife Sophia Malloy of Jackson, Tennessee in 1873, Howell Edmunds Jackson married General Harding's youngest daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harding.
General "Red" Jackson and Selene Harding had a son named William Harding Jackson (Sr) (1874–1903) who later married Anne (Davis) Richardson (1897–1950). Jackson (Sr) died at the young age of 29 on 19 July 1903 due to complications of typhoid fever, but not before fathering his own son, William Harding Jackson
(Jr.) (1901–1971).
"Red" Jackson and Selene Harding also had a daughter named Selene Harding Jackson (1876–1913) who later married William Robert Elliston, and took the name 'Selene Elliston'.
After the near simultaneous deaths of General William H. "Red" Jackson at age 67 (March, 1903) and his son, William H. Jackson (Sr.), William H. Jackson Jr. became an heir to the Estate. General "Red" Jackson's portion of the Belle Meade Estate passed to his son, William H. Jackson, Sr. Then, Jackson, Sr. died just four-months later (July, 1903), leaving his inheritance in Belle Meade to his son, young William H. Jackson, Jr (then two-years old) known to most as "Bill". Bill Jackson inherited Belle Meade along with his aunt, Selene Elliston, and the Catholic Church.
The Belle Meade Plantation
became unmanageable for young Bill Jackson's mother, Anne (Davis) Richardson Jackson. Her father, James B. Richardson, had been named Executor of the Belle Meade Estate. They decided to liquidate the Estate, taking nearly four years to complete the sale.
Young William Harding "Bill" Jackson, Jr, former two-year old heir to Belle Meade, was sent off to school in New England, receiving his B.A. degree from Princeton (1924) and his LL.B. from Harvard Law School (1928). Bill Jackson became the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (7 October 1950 - 3 August 1950) during its formative years under President Harry S. Truman
. He followed Dillon Anderson briefly as U.S. National Security Advisor
to President Dwight D. Eisenhower
in 1956.
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
(1861–1865), and headed the Military and Financial Board of Tennessee at the beginning of the Civil War, until his arrest by Union authorities in 1862.
General Harding inherited his father's farm, the famous Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is an historic plantation mansion whose grounds now function as a museum.-History:...
, known worldwide for breeding thoroughbred horses. The once sprawling horse farm and surrounding properties became the Town of Belle Meade and home of George Peabody College for Teachers and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
founded in 1873. Today, the upscale neighborhood is a part of greater Nashville.
Early life
Harding was born in 1808 near Nashville, Tennessee to John HardingJohn Harding
John Harding may refer to:*John Harding *J. Eugene Harding , U.S. Representative from Ohio*John Harding, 1st Baron Harding of Petherton , British General of World War II and Colonial Governor of Cyprus...
, a Virginian, who one year earlier (1807) purchased 250 acres (1 km²) near Richland Creek known as "McSpadden's Bend". John Harding's "McSpadden's Bend Farm" became well known in the area for boarding, training and breeding thoroughbred horses. Nashville newspapers carried advertisements for the farm's services as early as 1816.
In 1820, John Harding built a 'federal style' house on the property. He expanded the farm, installed a training track for race horses and continued to board horses, including those of nearby neighbor, former President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
. John Harding renamed the farm Belle Meade, which became known as the Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is an historic plantation mansion whose grounds now function as a museum.-History:...
. Records from the Tennessee Historical Society (Nashville) indicate that John's son, William Giles Harding, became interested in the horse breeding business early.
Education
As a young boy, Harding was sent to Connecticut and educated at Partridge's American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy in Middletown, ConnecticutMiddletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
. (The Academy relocated from Connecticut to Norwich, Vermont
Norwich, Vermont
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States, located along the Connecticut River opposite Hanover, New Hampshire. The population was 3,544 at the 2000 census....
and later became Norwich University
Norwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
. In 1831, the old location of the original Academy in Connecticut was occupied by another college, Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
.)
John Harding had registered the Belle Meade 'silks' and his first race horse with the Tennessee Jockey Club in 1923, when young William Giles Harding was only 15. "By the time William Giles assumed management of the Belle Meade plantation, he was keenly interested in all aspects of breeding and racing".
Family history and the Belle Meade estate
Harding had a son he named after his father, 'John', by his first wife, Mary Selena McNairy (who died in 1837). Harding assumed full control of the Belle Meade plantation at age 31 (1839) from his father - which had grown by then, to some 1200 acres (4.9 km²). In 1840, Harding remarried to second wife Elizabeth McGavock and they had two daughters named 'Selene' and 'Mary Elizabeth'.After the Civil War, daughter Selene Harding married Confederate States Army General William Hicks Jackson
William Hicks Jackson
William Hicks "Red" Jackson was a cotton planter, horse breeder, and general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, commonly known as General "Red" Jackson, the son of Dr. Alexander Jackson and wife Mary W. Hurt Jackson.
At age 45, then Brigadier General Harding (of the Tennessee Militia) began construction of a larger 'Greek revival style' mansion in 1853-54 on the Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is an historic plantation mansion whose grounds now function as a museum.-History:...
which would become the now famous Belle Meade Mansion, listed in the National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP #69000177, inducted 30 December 1969). The Mansion was purchased by the State of Tennessee in 1953 and is managed by the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities (APTA).
While other farms were having horses and livestock confiscated for the Civil War effort, General Harding somehow managed to keep his stallions and breeding stock.
Civil War imprisonment (1862)
The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History & Culture summarizes General Harding's imprisonment: "Early in the Civil War, Harding headed the Military and Financial Board of Tennessee, which spent five mllion dollars arming and equipping soldiers for the defense of the South. In 1862, as the result of his activities, Harding was imprisoned by Federal authorities for six months. During his absence, his wife (the former Elizabeth McGavock) managed the plantation under dire circumstances and looked after 'a family of 150 people', mostly slaves."Horse farm
After the Civil War ended in 1865, daughter Selene Harding married William Hicks JacksonWilliam Hicks Jackson
William Hicks "Red" Jackson was a cotton planter, horse breeder, and general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, a West Point graduate (Class of 1856) and Confederate States Army General, on December 15, 1868. The couple moved to Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is an historic plantation mansion whose grounds now function as a museum.-History:...
to co-manage the farm with General Harding.
General Harding and his son-in-law, General "Red" Jackson, reportedly expanded the horse farm to an estimated 5400 acres (21.9 km²). The Harding-Jackson families became world renowned thoroughbred horse breeders, later purchasing a top stallion named Iroquois (horse)
Iroquois (horse)
Iroquois , was the first American-bred Thoroughbred race horse to win the prestigious Epsom Derby at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom, Surrey, England. He then went on to win the St...
(1878–1899), the first American horse to win the prestigious English Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
in 1881 and other European races - becoming the 'Leading Sire' in America in 1892.
General "Red" Jackson had a rather famous brother, Howell Edmunds Jackson
Howell Edmunds Jackson
Howell Edmunds Jackson was an American jurist and politician. He served on the United States Supreme Court, in the U.S. Senate, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Tennessee House of Representatives. He authored notable opinions on the Interstate Commerce Act and the...
a former U.S. Senator (1881–1886) who was eventually appointed a United States Supreme Court Justice (1893–1895). After the death of Howell's first wife Sophia Malloy of Jackson, Tennessee in 1873, Howell Edmunds Jackson married General Harding's youngest daughter, Mary Elizabeth Harding.
Heirs to the estate
General Harding died in 1886 leaving the Belle Meade Estate in equal shares to :- General "Red" Jackson and his wife (Harding's eldest daughter, Selene Harding);
- Selene's half-brother, John Harding; and
- Howell Edmunds JacksonHowell Edmunds JacksonHowell Edmunds Jackson was an American jurist and politician. He served on the United States Supreme Court, in the U.S. Senate, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Tennessee House of Representatives. He authored notable opinions on the Interstate Commerce Act and the...
(8 April 1832 - 8 August 1895) and wife, Mary Elizabeth Harding, General Harding's youngest daughter.
General "Red" Jackson and Selene Harding had a son named William Harding Jackson (Sr) (1874–1903) who later married Anne (Davis) Richardson (1897–1950). Jackson (Sr) died at the young age of 29 on 19 July 1903 due to complications of typhoid fever, but not before fathering his own son, William Harding Jackson
William Harding Jackson
William Harding Jackson was a U.S. civilian administrator, New York lawyer, and investment banker who served as Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Jackson also served briefly under President Dwight D...
(Jr.) (1901–1971).
"Red" Jackson and Selene Harding also had a daughter named Selene Harding Jackson (1876–1913) who later married William Robert Elliston, and took the name 'Selene Elliston'.
After the near simultaneous deaths of General William H. "Red" Jackson at age 67 (March, 1903) and his son, William H. Jackson (Sr.), William H. Jackson Jr. became an heir to the Estate. General "Red" Jackson's portion of the Belle Meade Estate passed to his son, William H. Jackson, Sr. Then, Jackson, Sr. died just four-months later (July, 1903), leaving his inheritance in Belle Meade to his son, young William H. Jackson, Jr (then two-years old) known to most as "Bill". Bill Jackson inherited Belle Meade along with his aunt, Selene Elliston, and the Catholic Church.
The Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation
Belle Meade Plantation, located in Belle Meade, Tennessee, is an historic plantation mansion whose grounds now function as a museum.-History:...
became unmanageable for young Bill Jackson's mother, Anne (Davis) Richardson Jackson. Her father, James B. Richardson, had been named Executor of the Belle Meade Estate. They decided to liquidate the Estate, taking nearly four years to complete the sale.
Young William Harding "Bill" Jackson, Jr, former two-year old heir to Belle Meade, was sent off to school in New England, receiving his B.A. degree from Princeton (1924) and his LL.B. from Harvard Law School (1928). Bill Jackson became the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (7 October 1950 - 3 August 1950) during its formative years under President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
. He followed Dillon Anderson briefly as U.S. National Security Advisor
National Security Advisor
A National Security Advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. He or she is not usually a member of the Cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils....
to President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
in 1956.