The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-03-04
agricultural department.
CONDUCTED BY ALBERT CHAPMAN.
Horse papers-iII.
JUSTIN MoRaAN AND MS SrocK.

| know | am stepping on disputed ter
fitory when take up the pen for the
purpose of giving the true and correct
pedigree OF one OF the most remarkable
horses ever bred in this country know
this ground 10 have long since been
fought, all over, aud that to this day
many are divided in their opinions as to
his true origin. But after having beat
the ground all over myself am convDc-
ed beyond doubt that Justin Morgan
was foaled in 1893; bred by Justin Nor
gun at or near Springfield, Mass sired
by True Briton or Beautiful Bay The was
known by both names) then owned by
Sealy Norton OF East Hartford, Conn,
and kept at that time by John Morgan at
West Springfield, Mass. True Briton
was sired by imported Traveller. Justin
Morgaps dam was close, compact, me-
dun sized, light bay mare Of the Will
dair breed She had prominent chest,
u heavy name and bushy tail, with con-
siderable long hair on the legs She was
very smooth, handsome traveller She
was sired by Diamond, and he by Will
dair or Church Horse, by imported Will
dair Imported by Delaney of Long Is
land and afterwards taken back to Eng
land The dam Of Wildair or Church
Horse was the imported mare Widair
owned by Capt Samuel Burt Of Spring
field, Mass.
Thus you see that history proves this
most wonderful horse, that many call a
scrub and others a Canadian, to be a
very high-bred animal To say the least
he was sired by thoroughbred and came
from half-ored mare. He was about
IA hands high, and weighed about $50
pounds color dark bay, with black
legs, name and tail. He had no white
hairs on him. His head was good-not
extremely small, but lean and body the
face straight, forehead broad, ears small
and very fine, bu. set rather wide apart /;
eyes medium size, very dark and promi-
ncnt, with a spirited, but pleasant ex-
preston, and showed 10 white around the
edge Of the lid. His nostrils were very
large, the muzzlc small, and the lips close
and firm. His oack was very short, the
shoulder blade and hip bones being very
long and oblique, and the Joins exceed.
ingly broad and muscular lis body
was rather long, round and deep, close
ribbed up, chest deep and wide, with the
breast bone projecting good deal in
front. His legs were short, close joint
ed, thin, but very wide, hard and free
from meat, with muscles that were re-
markably large for horse of his size !;
and this superabundancc Of muscle ex-
hibited itself at every step. His hair
was short, and at almost all seasons soft
and glossy. He had a little long hair
about the fetlocks, on the back side Of the
legs; the rest of the limbs were entirely
free from it, lis feet were rather small,
but well shaped, and he was in every re.
spect perfectly sound and free from all
bemish. He was very fast walker in
trottng, his gait was low and smooth, and
his steps short and nervous. He was
sure-footed, and his proud, bold and fear
less style OF movement, and rigorous, un-
firing action. have perhaps never been
surpassed. lie was natural parade
horse, and was perfectly kind and pleas
ant in all harness, and ooe of the best
saddle horses Of his day lie could out
dr.w any horse Of his WEIGHT, and at
short distances was very feet runner
| have been explicit in my description
Of this horse, both in appearance and dis
position, from the fact that | esteem him
as one Of the most remarkable horses ev-
er bred in this country. Aud | doubt
whether any horse can be instanced IN
this o: any other country that has 50
strikipgly impressed upon his descend
ants,to the sixth and seventh generations
his own striking and valuable character.
istics; and think ! may safely assert
that the stock Of no horse ever bred il
this country has proved so generally and
largely profitable to the breeders of it
The raising Of the Morgan horses ha,
made the fortunes Of hundreds of indi
viduals, and added hundreds Of thous
ands if not millions OF dollars to tn,
wealth Of Vermont and New Hampshire
Justin Morgan died in the winter Of S2l
the property Of Levi Bean, near Chelsep
Village, VI, aged 30 years 1t is sup.
posed that kick received from another
horse, and the want of proper care, accel
Grated his death (perhaps by years., az
he was sound as colt up to the time o.
the accident which caused the same.
One of Justin Morgans best colts wa,
Sherman, ioalcd in 1909, the property o
James Sherman Of Lyndon Vt. dam ;
beautiful chestnut mare from Rhode. Is
land some say thoroughbred, and SOM
call her Spanish mare OF the history
of this mare, there arc conflicting opin
ions. but that she was a beautiful, high
bred mare, none pretend 10 deny. Cher
man was bright chestnut, about Is 81
hands high, and weighed 925 lbs. Iii
off hind leg was white from the foot hal
way to the hook, and he had a small
white stripe in the face (taking his colo
from his dam, who had three white fee
and stripe in the face) His head wa
lean aud well shaped, ears small and fine
eyes inclined to be small, but fall prom
inent and lively; his legs had some lon
hairs on the back side, but were broad
fiat and snewy. lie had a capital ches
with the breast-bone very prominent; tn
shoulders were large and well placed hip
long and deep, oins broad and muscr
lar. back short and Little swayed Shcl
mau, like his sire, worked hard, and LEI
some valuable stock. He died at Lar
caster, N. H., Jan. 9th, 1885, being .
yours old. and sound and well up to th
time of his death.
One of Sherman's best colts was Blac
Hawk. ioaled in 1888 land sired by Shcl
man at the age Of % years.) Ills dan
was beautiful black mare raised in Ne
Brunswick aud said to be half thorough
bred, which was undoubtedly the cas-
Black Hawk was n little under | 5 hauC
Hill