Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-01-11
"REMINISCENCES OF THE FvRF.
BY BAILY PEYros.

" &tfA tt1C 6DOtE VIC, WniQAi <ltc 1iQtf
being published in that most inter-
esting and valuable journal. The fol-
lowing will be read with great inter-
est, especially by those who lived in
the golden days of "auld lang syne:
Turf racing was introduced into
Tennessee about the year 1904. The
first race of note, of which we have
any account, was a sweepstake for
three year Odds, mile heats, 500 en-
trance, which came off at Gallatin in
the fall of 1904, and was won by DR..
r. d. Barry's f. Polly Medley, by
Grey Medley, beating Gen. Jackson's
Indian Queen, By imp. Diomed, Jas.
Cryer's Grand Turk, by Grey Med
ley and five others. This race excited
great interest, and was attended by
the first ladies and gentlemen, who
came on horseback from the adjacent
counties. Among others were Gen.
Jackson, Mrs. Jackson and her niece
and namesake, Rachel Hayes, the
greatest belle in the country, Gen
Hall and his beautiful young bride,
Polly, (the daughter of Capt. VIM.
Alexander, of Revolutionary memo
ry), after whom Polly Medley was
named. Mrs. Hall, in the eighty
fourth year of her age, is still living
at the old homestead, near the Castil-
ian Spring, in defending which her
gallant husband, who was as brave a
soldier as ever pulled a trigger in the
pioneer struggle for independence,
had many desperate conflict with
the Indians. This venerable lady re-
tains, in a remarkable degree, the
possession of her mental faculties,
and has a vivid recollection of this
race, (which occurred q few weeks af-
ter her marriage, and many Incl
dents connected with it. When the
horses were brought on the course
Mrs. Jackson said, pointing TO Polly
Medley, "She is too little torun with
the Indian Queen" to which Mrs.
Hall, then in her seventeenth year,
and small of her age), replied,
"Horses are like people, the smallest
are generally the smartest." When
the horses were about to start,
preacher residing in the vicinity
happened to arrive and made inqui-
ries for q stray COW. At the tap of
the drum, Polly Medley took the
track and was soon a considerable
distance ahead OF her competitors.
The preacher, becoming greatly ex-
cited, mounted the fence, and waving
his hat, cried out at the top of his
voice, "Look at Polly Medley!
Look at Polly Medley! Look !
She leaves with an oath a
blue streak behind herw The
enthusiastic divine was arraigned
before his church, tried and suspend
cd for a time. L have heard this an
ecdote related by my father, who
was present at the race and a witness
on the trial.
The race was succeeded by splen-
did ball given by DIR. Barry and his
amiable wife, who were famous for
their hospitality and sumptuOus en-
tertainments. Gen. Jackson, the
most graceful dancer and most court
ly gentleman of his day, opened the
ball with the beautiful bride RS.
HALL as his partner. Mrs. Hall and
Mrs. Barry were sisters, and they and
their families were ever on the most
intimate terms of friendship with
Mrs. Jackson and the General. Grey
Medley was, | believe, the first thor
oughbred stallion brought to Tennes-
see He was bred by Gov. Ben. Will
Jams, of North Carolina, purchased
by Dr. RIB. Barry, father of Hon.
Thomas Barry of Gallatin(, brought
to Tennessee and made his first sea-
sou in the year 1890, at the farm of
DIR. VIM. Donaldson, ten miles north
of Nashville, on the Gallatin road,
Grey Medley was fOaled in 1871, by
imp. Medley, and had a pure ma
ternal pedigree; he was a small
horse, not exceeding fifteen hands
high, and was said to possess fault
less form and great beauty. He was
by imp. Medley, he by Gimcrack, he
by Cripple, and he by the Godol-
phin Arabian. The Arabian blood
of Grey Medley was conspicuous in
the distinguished race horse Mon
sieur Tonson, and his three brothers,
Sir Richard, Sir Henry, and Cham
pion, Brown Dick, CANA and her
numerous descendants. These fami
lies receive several additional strains
of Arabian blood through Pscolet
(sire of the TOnsons), he by imp.
Citizen, he by Pacolet, English he
by Blank, and he by Godolphin; the
second dam English Pacolet was by
the Godolphin. Mary Gray, the dam
of American Pacolet, was by Tippoo
Saib, whose fifth dam was imp. Sell
ma, by GOdolphin.
From 1904 to 1910 Lazarus CotlOn's
or. &. Greyhound, by Taylor's Bel
lair (the best son of imp. Medley,
was greatly distinguished, and con-
sidercd the best race horse in Tennes-
see, especially at three and four mile
heats. He was under fifteen hands
high, but able to carry full weight
and go the distance. In the spEing
of 1906, at Gallatin, he beat Bonn
pard, Gen. JacksOn's Indian Queen,
and Others, four mile heats, at three
heats. About this time, at Harris
Vile, he beat TruXton,. when out OF
condition. mile heats. Major John
Verrell, who then owned TruXton,
came to Tennessee, saw Gen. jack
son and satisfied him that Truxtou
lost the race from being out of eondi-
ton, and the General made a match
on him against Greyhound for 5000,
to be run on the same course, mile
heats. Maj. Verrell was interested
in the match, and trained TruXton,
who won the race, beating his game
little competitor, an aged horse, and
inferior in speed to his large, muscu-
lar, young antagonist. No contest
on the soil of Tennessee has ever
been so exciting or caused so much
betting, considering the means OF
the people, as this race. Hundreds
of horses, and numerous six hundred
and forty acre tracts of land were
staked on the result. The old pio-
neers who were accustomed to quar-
ter racing, and had witnessed the in
domitable game and great success of
Greyhound, bet their horses and
lands upon him with the utmost con-
fdence. When the race was over
there was a general inquiry of, "Will
you carry my saddle home for me pr
or, "DOes your horse carry double ?"
In the fall of 1905, Capt. Joseph
Erwin offered to run his horse Tan
ner, son of imp. Tanner, against
any horse in the world, four mile
heats, for $4,000 a side, the person ac-
cepting the bet to name at the post.
Gen. Jackson accepted the banter,
and trained sixteen horses, TruXton,
and Greyhound among them. He
started the Greyhound, and won the
race at three heats over the Glover
Bottom course
At the same time and place, Gen.
Jackson had match of $1,000 side
in cash notes on TruXton, against
Can't. ErWin'S PlOw Boy, two mile