The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-01-30


obtained said horse or NV father. ]
know very well that Mr.. John Goss
never obtained said horse of my father
in any way whatever. My father
owned said horse TO the day of his
dea'h, and in the settlement of my
fathers estate said horse passed into
the hands of William Rice, then living
in Woodstock, VT, since deceased.
JUSTIN MORGAN.
"My father, Justin Morgan, brought
said horse, or rather SAID colt, into Ran
dolph, VT, in the summer or autumn of
1875. Said colt was only two years old
when my father brought him to Ran
dolph, and never had been handled in
any way, not even to be led by halter.
My father went to Springfield, Mass,
the place of his nativity, and the place
from which he removed to Randolph, in
the spring or summer Of l79j, after
money that was due him at that place,
and, instead of getting money,
as he expected, he got two colts one 1t
| three-year-Old gclding colt, which he
led, the other two-year-old stud colt,
which followed all the way from Spring
field to Randolph, having been. as my
father said, always kept with and much
attached to the colt he led. Said two
year-old colt was the same that has
since been known all over New England
by the name Of the Morgan horse.
"My father broke sad colt himself.
and, as | have before remarked, owned
and kept him to the time of his decease.
which took place in March, 1898, and
said horse was five years old tho spring
my father died, Soon after my fathers
decease, he passed from my fathers es-
tate into the possession of William Rice
of Woodstock, Vt. cannot state posi-
lively that my father purchased said colt
III Springfield, Mass, but | am very
confident that he purchased him in that
town, or in the immediate vicinity on
the Connecticut river, and / know that
my father always while he lived called
him Dutch horse"
The town records show that the au-
thor of the above letter was born in
Springfield, Mass. March 10. 1856,
where his father, Justin Morgan. ut
that time lived. In the spring of 1888,
Mr.. Morgan sold his place in Spring
field, and moved to Randolph, Vt. The
events related by Mr.. Morgan in the
above letter must have occurred before
he was nine years of age, at most, and
must have been given entirely from
memory, unaided by memorandum of
any KIND, rs none OF the papers or books
of his father, Justin Morgan, were pre-
served, not even the Bible containing
the family record: hence it is not sur
prlsing that the statement, which has
proved mainly correct, contained some
errors rs to dates, especially when it is
considered that he WAS four years young
er than Stearns was ut the time the
events TRANSFERRED mentioned III his afl-
davit, which, although doubtless unin-
territorial, was full of mistakes.
In a letter written and published five
years later, Mr.. Morgan, speaking of the
original Morgan horse, says II have
"A perfect recollection of the horse when
my father owned him and afterwards,
and have always lived where his stock
was well-known, and well remember that
my father always spoke of him as a
horse of the best blood
About the same tune that the affidavit
of Stearns was brought to the attention
OF Mr.. JUSTIN Morgan, it also came to
the notice Of John Morgan, then living
III Luna. n. Y, and drew from him a
reply,the substance of which WAS that he
Presided III Springfield, Mass, near Mr..
Justin Morgan, Sr, previous to the re-
moyal of the removal of the latter to
Vermont, and that the -year-old stud
which he took with him to that State
was SlIed by a horse owned by Sealv
Norton of East Hartford, CT. called the
True Briton or Beautiful Bay, sire of
Justin Morgon. He was kept ut Spring.
field one season by the said Justin Nor
gan, and two years after | kept him two
seasons.
This horse, True Bnton, was said to
have been raised by Gen. De Lancv,
commander of the refugee troops on
Long Island, and ridden by him during
the Revolution. 1t was said that one
Smith stole the horse from the general
at Kings Bridge, while the general was
III the tavern, ran him across the bridge,
took HIM to the American army near
/ White Plains, and sold INN to Joseph
! Ward of Connecticut for $500. 1t wa,
also said then that he was sired by the
noted imported horse called the Travel
Ter, said TO have been kept in New Jcr.
sey. Ward was merchant and kept the
horse three or four Years, using him
both to saddle aud carriage, after which
he sold him to Norton, who kept him fol
mares while he lived His stock was all
bright bays some inchuing to sorrel.
have always understood that Morgan
| kept the colt for a stud at Randolph, Vt.
and that he was very celebrated for his
stock
1t will be noticed that Mr.. John Nor
gan made several positive and important
assertions in the above statement. The
first is that he lived near Justin Morgan
Sr, previous to his removal to Vermont
The second, that the two-year-old stud
taken by Morgan to Vermont was by
True Briton. The third, that justin
Morgan kept True Briton one season a
Springfield. The fourth, that two year,
after being kept by Justin Morgan, Tru,
Briton was kept by himself (John Nor
gam two seasons. The statement o
John Morgan, given in such straight