The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-03-20

-. Is. OOuaru. then OF IlCDnuerOga,
aud B. II. Baldwin of Whitehall, N.
Y, for the details ot the way the Fly
ing Morgan story started; and as be-
lieve it has never been given to the
public before, it will be found to pos
sess no inconsiderable amount of inter-
est. The history is here given as relat-
ed by all eye witness of the whole af-
fair. In the spring of 1852, in the bar
room of S. Il. Woodlands hotel in Ii
conderoga, quite number of the vii
layers being present, Mr.. Joel Hol-
comb came in and said he was go
ing to write letter to II. NJ. Adams
of Burlington, VT, the owner of Fly
ing Morgan, and was going to have
some fun with him, and going TO the
desk in the room he wrote substantial
ly as follows:
"'I don't know but | have made all
the reputation for David Hill and old
Black Hawk that | care to. | am will
ling to have the credit go where it be-
longs, and desire to let Yourself and
the public know that my colt, Ethan
Allen, is the get of your horse Flying
Morgan and he appended his sigma
ture. There he says, you will see
this in all the Vermont papers next
week; won't Uncle David Hill be
mad" What exclaimed some of
| his neighbors, after hearing the above
read, you won't put your name to
such falsehood as that? It's shame
Well, well, said Hocomb, q will add
a postscript and going to the desk
saving, Il will leave good wide space
between signature and postscript so he
can tear it Off he wrote below his
signature, Flying Morgan never COW
cred the dam of Ethan Allen, never
smelled of her and never saw her; con-
sequently Ethan Allen is not by Fly
ing Morgan, but he can beat Flying
Morgan or any other stallion in the
State of Vermont and folding it up he
directed it to r. NJ. Adams, Burling-
ton.
Every man in Ticonderoga knew
as well a. Mr.. HOlcomb how Ethan
Allen was bred, aud this letter Great
ed much Indignation; but Holcomb
was reckless man, who cared for
nothing more than a good joke, and
the more it hurt any one's feelings the
better it suited him. This is the origin
of the story as written down BY Mr..
Baker, at the dictation of Mr.. Wood
ard, April %, 1875, and have implicit
confidence in its substantial accura-
cy."
Receiving such letter from the
breeder and owner of Ethan Allen, and
notingI the resemblance in color be-
tween the two animals, no doubt Mr..
Adams, the owner of Flying Morgan,
honestly believed that Ethan Allen was
a son of his stallion, and from that time
to the present he has maintained that
such was the case, urging as the strong
est proof of his claim that the color of
Ethan Allen was like that of Flying
Morgan, while most of Black Hawk s
get were black.
During the season previous to that
in which Ethan Allen was foaled, Fly
ing Morgan was owned by DR.. Russell
as before mentioned, and early in the
autumn of that season, while on fish.
ing excursion in the vicinity of I'll
conderoga, n. Y, DR.. Russell left
Flying Morgan part of a day at tic
stable of Joel Holcomb, who then
kept hotel. This fact being
made public, strengthened the be
lief that Ethan Allen might be a sou O
that horse. In 1860. Mr.. II. NJ. Adams
| lne OWueT Vi EiylnS hOISaH' puUIleuc'
a pamphlet giving a description and
history of his horse, claiming HIM to be
the sire of Ethan Allen, and Offering il
proof the copy of letter from Hol
comb, the owner aud breeder of Ethan
Allen, also an extract from lettel
written by DR.. W. p. Russell to Mr.
Persons, evidently in reply 10 some
: inquiry concerning the breeding o
Ethan Allen. The following quota
ton from this pamphlet, containing
the statemente of the above-named par
ties, is prefaced by Introductory re
marks by Mr.. Adams:
" 1t is to be understood that Flyins
, Morgan was kept in said Holcom b
barn, where the mother OF Ethan Al
len was kept. Now AS we have no
} published the proof to show the noteC
Ethan son of this horse, only refer
ring men to J. W. Holcomb and DIR
Russell tor the evidence, and lest som'
should doubt, and if they want to se'
the documents, why here they are
per copy:
,npy nE I "a unI CnMp'l 1 E1TER