The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-11-24

t1lbtOTy dluiOSl Etpt-sscu itoSiif
frightened horse almost added a
ties unscarred, conquered England,
who have been lost in this manner
in times of stress. William the Con-
querer passed through a dozen bat
ties unscarred, conquered ngland,
humbled Scotland, hridled Wales,
tanned the Danes-and died by fall
ing from his horse. AS the king
rode down the steep street. Of Man
ties, which he had given to the
flames" Green wrote "his horse
stumbled among the embers and
William was flung heavily against
his saddle. He was borne home to
Rouen to die. The sound of the
minister bell woke hiu at dawn as
he lay in the convent or st. Gervais,
overlooking the city it was Il
hour of prime-and stretching out
his hands in prayer the king passed
quietly away. Death itself took its
color from the savage solitude of his
life. Priests and mobiles fed as the
last breath left him and the conquer
or's body lay naked and lonely on
the floor"
1t was more than 600 years be-
fore another British kings horse
was responsible for the death OF his
master, but the loss then was that
OF William lII.--one CT the greatest
losses England ever sustained. "On
the twentieth of February 1702)."
so Macaulay tells it, william was
ambling ON a favorite horse, named
Sorrel. through the park of Hamp-
ton Court. He urged his horse TO
strike into gallop Just at the spot
where q mole had been at work.
Sorrel stumbled on the mole-hill and
and went down on his knees. The
king fell Off and boke his collarbone.
The bone was set and he returned to
Kensington in his coach. The jolt
ing of tho rough roads of that time
made II necessary to reduce the frac-
ture again. To a young and vigor-
GUS man such an accident would
have been a trifle. But the frame OF
William was not in condition to
bear even the slightest shock"
These we're the only two monarchs
lost to England by falling from
their horses, but there was time In
the reign of George III. when he
barely escaped similar fate under
the most dramatic circumstances.
George, who was one OF the few
kings since the days of Queen Anne
who ever ventured into the field. had
the typical Hanoverian disposition
until he was in battle. Then he was
transformed. At the battle OF Det-
tingen, June "a. 1743. he personally
Commanded his army, and In the Joy
OF battle, insisted on riding in front
OF his army under fire to encourage
the troops The cheers of the men
and the roar OF the French artillery
frightened his steed, which suddenly
wheeled and headed for the French
lines at a wild gallop. For mo-
ment the Kings stan stood aghast
at the prospect OF their monarch
being killed or captured by the enc
my, but hfppily, in the line Of the
Kings wild charger there happened
TO be a British cavalry detachment.
One OF their officers, at the risk OF
his neck. caught the horse and saved
the King. The latter. according to
the stories OF the day. was displeas-
ed rather than otherwise, that some
one else had stopped the horse
which he thought. as good rider,
he should have controlled.
Palmerston tells of that fatal ac-
cident to Sir Robert Pell on Consti-
tuition Hill on June 80. 1850. and
says that Sir Robert fell of the horse
and in some unaccountable way
pulled the horse down on him. But
poor horsemanship is not always re-
sponsible. Gen. Lees superb riding
did not save him from injury when
IN ona oecaafon hfa horeo cforfad