Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-03-26
HISTORY OF VERMONT BLACK
HAWK
From the American Cultivator.

the death of Ezekiel Twombly, and think
ing that an interview with Wingate
Twombly might open some trail that
would if followed up give more light up
on the early history of Black Hawk than
had appeared in any account of that dis
tinguished animal yet published, the
writer visited the extensive farm of Mr.
Charles II. Hayes (more Familiarity known
as Hiram), which is located in Ports
mouth. y. H.. about ID miles from the
station. Fortunately the proprietor was
at home, and from him it was learned
that Mr.. Wingate Twombly was living
in house on part of Mr.. Hayes estate,
and, although well advanced in years.
his memory of facts which occurred in
his younger days was tolerably clear,
and that he would undoubtedly be glad
to give any information in his power
concerning the early history of Black
Hawk.
Mr.. Hayes also suggested that Mr..
Shadrack Seavey, an intelligent, wide
awake. well-tO-dO farmer. whose state
ments could be implicitly relied upon.
was living in the adjoining town of
Greenland, and might be able to give
some information concerning the horse
in question. aS he was a grandson of
Ezekiel Twombly and was living at his
grandfather's at the lattcrs death. Fol
lowing the direction of Mr.. Hayes. Win
gate Twombly was soon found. and al
though suffering somewhat from rheu-
matism, was up about the house, and
quite aS nimble as most men who have
passed the line of fourScorc years. Max
ing known at once the object of the visit.
the following information was elected
from the old gentleman, who stated that
he was a son of Ezekiel Twombly. and
was born in Durham. y. H.. Oct. |. 1906.
He had four brothers. named James.
Isaac. stephen and Shadrack, all of
whom have been dead for years. He
(Wingate) lived at home with his parents
several years after he was of age. In
1882 his father. Ezekiel Twombly. traded
an eight-year-old mare with Benjamin
Kelly, who then kept hotel in Durham.
for Il large black mare, agreeing to give
Kelly Il load of hay in case the black
mare, which Mr. Kelly stated had been
bred to Sherman Morgan, should prove
in foal.
This mare he describes a. being large.
handsome animal, with wide nOstrils.
good-siZed head and ears (thc latter well
set and "always carried upright, as
straight a. Il stick'). neck of good length
and well cut up under the iOwls. strong
back, good loin, hips of good width,
rather straight and very smoothly turned,
handsome Group and good legs. which
were clean. fiat and free from hair. She
was we'll shaped, but not what would be
called snug built. Her color was black.
with white strip in her face about the
width of three fingers, extending from
the middle of the forehead To the nose
This strip was the only white about hel
excepting few hairs growing in places
where she had been CALLED by the har-
ness. She had no white feet, and there
were no white hairs mixed through hcl
coat. After shedding her coat in the
Spring she was as black as iet-one Of
the blacklist he ever saw.
She stood about sixteen hands in height
weighed 100 pounds, was as square
trotter as ever wore harness, never paced
a step while he knew her. and was very
fast for those times. Before trading
with Mr.. Twombly, Kelly drove the mar,
measured mile on the turnpike in three
minutes to gig when carrying Blacl
Hawk. She was IA mare of good courage
great endurance and excellent wind
lie once drove her ten miles coming home
from muster over very muddy roads Will
five in "A heavy wagon. The distance
was travelled in IA very short time, bu
the mares courage was aS good the las
rod as when she started. In traveln.
she carried her head fairly well up, or
little higher than her body. Was by NJ
means IA low-headed animal.
Although free driver, needing N
whip, she was very neutrality-suspicious.,
animal, and safe for any one to use OF
the road. Mrs. Twombly frequentf
drove her alone after that lady was eigh
ty years old. Mr.. Kelly, from whom hi
father had the mare, claimed he got he
of a pedler, who represented that h
brought her from Nova Scotia, and stat
ed that her dam was imported. She wa
about eight years old when Mr.. Twon
bly, got her. He always said she was tn
best animal he ever drove. So good wa
her wind that after the most severe eXeT
ton she never pulled, but would fill he
lungs once, give IA long breath and the
breathe naturally.
In the Spring of 1893 this mare droI
ped very small, inferior-looking coli