Thomas Jefferson Durant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 8, 1817, the son of John Waldo Durant and Sarah Heyliger. Around 1831, Durant moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was a lawyer, a prominent supporter of the Democratic Party, a district attorney, and a state senator. He briefly served in the Confederate Army until the Union capture of New Orleans, though he supported the Union cause; he initially worked with Benjamin Butler and Nathaniel Banks to establish a loyal Louisiana government, serving as attorney general. He resigned around early 1864, expressing his opposition to the military government. In 1866, Durant moved to Washington, D.C., where he continued his legal career, often arguing in front of the United States Supreme Court. In 1867, he declined an offer of the governorship of Louisiana. Thomas J. Durant died on February 3, 1882.
Charles West Hornor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1813, the son of Joseph Potts Hornor and Jane West. He later lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he founded a legal firm with Thomas J. Durant. From 1848-1850, Hornor remained in Louisiana while Durant lived in Washington, D.C. After the Civil War, Hornor returned to Philadelphia and then moved to Washington, D.C., where he and Durant reestablished their partnership. Charles W. Hornor died in Philadelphia on July 8, 1905.
From the guide to the Durant-Hornor correspondence, 1848-1850, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)
