Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-08-09
THE SIRE OF ETHAN ALLEN.

END OF THE FLYING MORGAN THEORY.
In an interview with Joseph Battell
and myself in the fall of 1855, Harvey
Yale of Middlebury, now 81 years DID,
said:
81 once owned half interest in Fly
ing Morgan. John Daniels lived on Adj
amss farm and raised Flying Morgan
and owned one half of him. Dr..
Russell doctored Daniels family. and he
and | bought the horse in the spring
when he was six years old. l kept him
through the season and in the fall let DR..
Russell have him to 60 over the lake. The
stud season was over; it was in Septem-
Der. This same fall Adams bought Fly
ing Morgan back. making the trade with
Dr. Russell. This was the only time DR..
Russell ever drove him to Ticonderoga.
He hardly ever drove him. 1t was not
the year that Ethan Allen was bred.
knew Ethan Allen well when he was two
years old. | know that Flying Morgan
did not get Ethan Allen. Adams tried to
have me certify that lie might have been
the sire. knew at the time it was not
the right year, and told Adams So" This
interview was published in the REGISTER
of December /, 1855.
Mr.. Yale frequently afterwards re-
CURED to the subject; and in an editorial
article in the horse department of the
REGISTER of May TO- 1889, the substance
of his iterated statement is thus referred
to: 'ln the case of Flying Morgan the
testimony of Mr.. Yale, part owner Of the
horse with DIR. Russell. who kept him for
service the season after they bought him,
has not been overthrown. Mr.. Yale
states positively that it was in 1919, the
year Ethan Allen was foaled, when he
and DR.. Russell bought the horse; Flying
Morgan being at the time six years old
In the same article it was stated that Mr..
j. b. Douglas of East Constable, y. Y.
had furnished the information that he
gave his note to ID. i. Sessions of East
Middlebury, for sucking colt by FLYING
Morgan in the summer of 1850, and pro
duced the note, being pretty conclusive
evidence that the horse was doing stud
service at Middlebury, or at the Adams
farm in the edge of Bristol, about six
miles from Middlebury, in the season OF
1919.
1t will be remembered that the stud
books of Black Hawk show that the dan
OF Ethan Allen was bred to him July o.
1918, and June ~, 1919. This evidence
with which all other reliable testimony
corresponds, establishes the fact that
Ethan was foaled on or about the 18th OF
June, 1919, and it is otherwise abundant
Iy established that he was a colt only a
lew days old when the mare was returned
to Bridport. Now, Messrs. Thomson
Weir d Co., the authors and supporter,
OF the claim that Flying Morgan was the
sire of Ethan, do not pretend to DENY
that the dam was served by Black Hawk
as above stated, at precisely the right
time to have gotten this famous foal, but
they claim that in the August after this
service, DIR. W. p. Russell of Middleburv
then owner of Flying Morgan, drove
that horse to Ticonderoga and left him
over night at the stable of j. W. Hol.
comb, owner of the dam, and that FLYING
Morgan was there surreptitiously given
access to the mare. The fact that the
time OF foaling is exactly right to sup.
port the Black Hawk claim, and a month
out OF the way in that of Flying Morgan
troubles these gentlemen some; but Mr.
Thomson naiyely explains that they
would not have pitched upon the month
OF August for the alleged trip but for the
fact that they were cruelty deceived by
statement Of Holcomb in his challenge
to Rose of Washington. that his colt
"would be four in Julys" whereby they
were led to suppose that he was the re-