My Genealogy Hound

Col. Hoggatt Clopton, Helena, Ark. A glance at the lives of many representative men, whose names appear in this volume, will reveal sketches of some honored, influential citizens, but none more worthy or deserving of mention than Col. Hoggatt Clopton. This gentleman resides three miles west of Helena, and is the owner of Clopton Hall plantations, among the largest in the county, consisting of 4,500 acres of land, with 1,700 acres under cultivation. He is also a capitalist. Col. Clopton was born near Nashville, Tenn., February 6, 1831, and is the son of John Hoggatt and Matilda C. (Drake) Clopton, the grandson of Anthony Clopton, and the great grandson of Hugh Clopton, of Virginia. The latter, with two brothers, Will and Anthony, left England and came to America, locating in Virginia about 1700. Afterward, Will returned to the land of his birth, and being the eldest of the three brothers, fell heir to Clopton Hall Manor, at Stratford-on-Avon. Anthony Clopton, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native Virginian, and died in De Soto County, Miss., in 1848, when eighty-seven years of age. He was a very successful farmer, and was among the first settlers of Davidson County, Tenn., locating at Nashville when that city was but a small trading point. He moved to Tipton County, Tenn., in 1836, and resided there until 1846, when he broke up housekeeping on account of the death of his wife, whose maiden name was Rhoda Hoggatt, and moved to Marshall County, Miss. Later he moved to De Soto County of the same State, where he passed the closing scenes of his life. He was a Whig, but took very little interest in politics. He was at one time a partner in a race course at Clover Bottom, near Nashville, Tenn., with Gen. Andrew Jackson. John Hoggatt Clopton, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Davidson County, Tenn., on Aug. 31, 1805, and died on July 26, 1855, in Phillips County, Ark. He was married in March, 1830, to Miss Matilda C. Drake, a native of Wilson County, Tenn., born September 15, 1813, and died June 6, 1865. They lived near Nashville, Tenn., until 1839, when they moved near Holly Springs, Marshall County, Miss., where they resided until December, 1851. After this the family moved to Phillips County, Ark. While living at Nashville Mr. Clopton was engaged in raising fine stock, especially racing stock, but also raised blooded stock of all kinds. He was the owner of a great many slaves, but sold his property at Nashville, moved to Mississippi with his slaves, and from that time until his death was occupied as a cotton planter. He was unusually successful, and although starting life with rather limited means, by his superior business ability and great energy was the possessor of a great deal of property at his death. He and wife were worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and on coming to Phillips County were instrumental in the building up of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Helena. He was a Whig in politics. Matilda C. (Drake) Clopton was the daughter of Brittain Drake, a native of North Carolina, whose ancestors were also English, and an old settler of Wilson County, Tenn. He was a farmer, and in his political views was a Whig. There were born to the union of John Hoggatt Clopton and wife, eight sons and two daughters, four of whom are now living: Col. Hoggatt, Jesse P. (a prominent planter and merchant of Phillips County, Ark.), James W. (a successful merchant and planter of Phillips County, now residing in Helena), and William C. (an eminent attorney of New York City, a graduate of the University of Virginia, and also a graduate of the University of Berlin, Germany). The children deceased were named as follows: John Anthony (was born January 23, 1833, and died on July 19, 1854; he was a merchant at Helena, Ark.), Brittain D. Clopton (was born March 9, 1835, and died February 4, 1881, at Columbia, Tenn.), Charles C. (was born March 16, 1837, and died near Memphis, Tenn., December 24, 1854, while on a visit), Jack Hoggatt (was born in October, 1843, and died on May 28, 1855), Matilda L., Helena (died in April, 1858), and Fannie (who was the first of the children to die, her death occurring when but two years of age). Col. Hoggatt Clopton graduated at the University of Mississippi, in 1851, and was elected speaker to represent the Hermean Society at commencement, in which he bore the highest honor as speaker, and soon after turned his attention to planting and merchandising. He started the latter business in 1853, continued one year, and being the eldest son it became his duty to assist his father and family in planting operations. His three brothers, Jesse P., James W. and William C. were in the Confederate army, Jesse P. holding the rank of major, and James W. being in the commissary department on account of a wound received at the battle of Shiloh. William C. was but fourteen years of age when he enlisted. Col. Hoggatt Clopton entered the service in 1862, in Albert W. Johnson’s regiment as lieutenant. After the war he again turned his attention to planting, and although he has experienced many heavy losses, he is now in a prosperous condition, and is one of the representative and substantial citizens of the county. His marriage to Miss Ellen S. Booker took place December 19, 1867. She was born in Columbia, Tenn., and was the daughter of James G. Booker, a Virginian by descent. She was a member of the Episcopal Church, and died in full communion with the same on May 20, 1869. Mr. Clopton has remained single since. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and in politics he affiliates with the Democratic party. He is of purely English origin, and may well be proud of his ancestors, as many of them have been distinguished men. One of them, Sir Hugh Clopton by name, was Lord Mayor of London in the reign of King Henry the Eighth, and lies entombed by the side of Shakespeare, in Stratford Church on Avon. And another ancestor, Capt. John Hoggatt, his great grandfather, commanded a company in the War for Independence, and now lies buried near Nashville, Tenn., with a record of his career written on his monument. He was of English descent, and a native of Virginia, and was a farmer by occupation. Mr. Clopton took an extensive trip all over England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and Continental Europe the past spring, summer and fall, and was at the tomb of Shakespeare and Sir Hugh Clopton. They were contemporaries, and are buried side by side in Stratford Church on (the river) Avon, in Warwick County, England, about 100 miles west of London.