Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-01-04
Black Hawks of Stephenson County, Ill.

What am about to write may not be or
interest to all of the rearers, but | think
maybe it will be to Mr.. Battell and to the
admirers of the family of horses known
over this vast United States as the Black
Hawks, who descended from Black
Hawk that was owned by David Hill of
Bridport, VT, and who was son OF
Sherman Morgan, son of the noted JUS
tin Morgan, of whom too much cannot
be said or written.
VIII say before opening upon my sub
iect that began corresponding with Mr..
Battell quite number of years ago, or
before the first volume of the Morgan
Register was published, relative to the
early Morgan sires of our county (Ste-
phenson Co., H. as well as adjoining
counties, and sent him in large amount
of Information for the Register, and have
of late been corresponding with him rela-
tive to writing series of letters for pub
LEGATION in this journal (of which this will
be the first), mostly regarding Morgan
horses of note and their descendants.
Other letters following will be 1.-The
Drennon Family" "The Beaumonts,"
"Noted Early Sres of Jo Daviess Co.,
ILL.," Early Horses and Horsemen OF
Onondaga Co., New York.
believe there is hardly a county in
all the states in this vast Union that AT
sometime or other has not had within 1t
bounds stallion of the Black Hawk
blood. Black Hawk derived his name
from Black Hawk, the celebrated Indian
Chief, who was chief of the SaXes aud
FoXs Indians. The Black Hawk war was
fought in 1892 and the first Black Hawk
| horse was foaled in 1888. Stephenson
county was the scene of two skirmishes
of the Black Hawk war in which nine
white men were killed. 1t also had three
distinct branches of the celebrated Hills
Black Hawk, namely, Fetterhoh's Black
Hawk Charlie Ruht's Black Hawk, and
I Black Tiger. Fetterhotf's Black Hawk,
commonly called Charlie, was a dark
bred by David Pyle, Cedaryille. H.,
sired by Daniel Blodgett's Black Hawk
of Beloit. Wis, Il son of Hill's Black
Hawk. Daniel Blodgett brought from
the east 10 Beloit, Wis, about 1852, two
sons of Black Hawk, namely, Keob uk
and Black Hawk, Jr. The latter was
afterward sold for $4,000 and taken over
land to California. The dam of Charlie
was gray mare, pedigree not known,
although it has been said she was of
Gray Eagle blood. More likely she was
Canadian Lion. as there were several
stations of that blood in that locality.
all gray in color, rs were most of their
get. Charlie was sold when young to
Henry Fetterhof1. near RidOtt, III, who
owned him till his death in 1879. He
was horse of considerable speed on the
road, quite fast walker, but some what
mixed gated, inclined to a slow pace, or
single foot, as was his sire. lie proved
himself to be most excellent sire of
good, serviceable horses and fine road
sters, and his mares were excellent
brood-mares to breed from, and were
sought after by breeders of good horses.
The best son of Charlie kept for stock
purposes was Morrison, also known a
Browns French, black horse, foaled 1872,
bred by Joseph Morrison, Ridotf, Ill.
His dam was Nance. black mare, by
Little Douglass. son of Lanker's Can.
adan; grandam by Black George. son
of Heaters Red Lion; great .grandam the
Eastgate mare, "A large bay mare brought
from Pennsylvania, of unknown blood.
Morrison pas sed when a young horse to
G.. j. Brown of Dakota, H., who owned
him several years aud did large bust
ness with him In the stud. He was after
wards sold to j. p. Wolf, who took him
to Lincoln, Neb., in 1885, He was a
horse of considerable speed. Although
never trained, he trotted the track at
Lincoln, Neb., in ~. Was also an ex-
celent sire, his colts also showing some
inclination to pace.
Another son of Charlie was Prince,
better known as the McIIoes Horse, or
Shafler Horse. bay horse, foaled 1877.
He, like his sire, was also bred in the
Pyles family. As to the breeding of his
dam, will say have been unable to trace
her. He was sold when young to John
MclIoes of CedarvlIle, H., and later TO
John Shei fer of the same place, with
whom he died from the effects of some
rascal administering to him dose of
poison. He was a fine horse, although
small, but left good stock.
Still another son of Charlie was Fred,
better known as the Freeman Horse, a
chestnut horse foaled 1856, bred by
Henry Fetterhofi, Ridott, III. His dam
was fine chustnut Morgan mare. He
was sold later on to a Mr. Freeman. near
Rdott, and died his property. Was a
! fine horse, but had rather a bad DISPOSE
ton. He left good stock.
Another son of Charlie was Duke, a
handsome dappe gray horse, foaled
about 1874, bred by Henry Ferterhoff Gas
above); his dam Jennie, a flea bitten
gray, a noted mare and a fast traveller,
bred by William b. Mitchell, also sired
by Charlie grandam Nance, flea bitten
gray mare of note dam of l3 fOals) q,
brought from Pennsylvania by Mr.. Mitch
ell, sired by Col. Potter's Greyhound,
a noted running horse. Duke was fine
horse, being inbred TO Charlie. He was
sold as yearllng to Charles Rosenstiel