Obituary for John "Old Jack" Acord 1796-1898 
                        
Written by O. S. Riffe in June 1898
Died: May 31, 1898

Aged, according to the lowest traditional count was 102 years. The date of 
his birth is not known. It was not kept by himself, as he knew neither 
figures nor letters. He once told me that he was born on April 15. If the 
traditional account is correct he was born April 15, 1796. Born in Monroe 
County, now Summers on or near Indian Creek. Married a Miss Harper and 
raised 8 children, 4 of whom are now living; Hiram, Floyd, Robert and 
Henderson. Floyd and Hiram moved to Guyan when quite young. Afterward, moved
to Raleigh County where he remained till death. He lived in more places and 
made more improvements than perhaps, any man that ever lived in this county.
He made the first improvement on the Crab Orchard; now known as the Calfee 
place; the Fitzpatrick, and Sesler places; the Covey farms on the Guyan Mt. 
and the first improvements on Slem's Fork; has lived at many other places. 
Worked in Ohio cutting cord-wood near Hanging Rock Furnace, made salt at the
Kanawha Salt works when they used kettles to boil in. Followed the deer
and bear as long as there were any and then put in much of his time in the 
woods accompanied only by his coon-dog. He killed the last panther that was 
known to have been killed in this county. This was done in the Winding Gulf 
near where Thomas Meadows now lives. He gave it a death wound with a spear 
that had been used in the head of a cane and afterward shot it. The panther 
measured 9 feet in length. this was sometime in the 1850's. When the Civil 
War broke out he was the first among the rebel bushwhackers and was given 
the title of 'Major'; afterwards went into the army under his old friend and
hunting companion John B. Floyd and served for some time there. He opposed 
negro equality to the day of his death. He was many times pilot in retracing 
old surveys in the country; and sanged as long as his eyesight was 
sufficient for the business. His wife died many years ago, since which time 
he has lived with his son Hiram at whose house he died. He has been helpless
for several years. Some four or five years ago he made a profession of faith 
in Christ, but was never baptized. His jokes and witty sayings will long be 
remembered by the people of this county. His father was Dutch and his mother 
English. Strictly honest in all business transactions, and hated a thief or 
a liar with unrelenting hatred and would resent an injury with a vim that 
made him feared and dreaded by all evil doers. Thus has passed away the 
oldest citizen of the county and perhaps the oldest person in the country. 
He had been a resident for nearly 70 years and had sanged here near 90 years 
ago.

Submitted by Cathy Acord Criddle <ccriddle@netphase.net>

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