The New York herald., 1922-01-08
Secretary of n. T. A., Just
Back From Louisiana,
Tells Story.
ROMANCE. OF THE SOUTH
Slave Started Chain of Events
Resulting in Production of
Greatest Trotting Sire.
BY w. III. GOCHER.

mistake made by slave on the
plantation of Gen. Thomas Jefferson
Wells in Rapides Parish Louisiana, in
the spring of 1861 started a chain of
events which resulted in the production
OF Peter the Great. ;07A. AS he is
the wonder sire of the horse world, any
thing in relation to him that is authen-
tic is of interest.
For years it has been known that
there was a doubt in regard to the breed
ing of Peter the Greats dam. This
grew into a well defined rumor when
lie was sold for $4,000. The following
appears in the American Trotting Reg
ister peter the Great. b. h., foaled
1895 by Pilot Medium dam Santos by
Grand Sentinel; second dam Shadow by
Cotoroon (Saddlerville) third dam by
Joe Hooker; fourth dam by Sam john
son."
ID. d. Streeter of Kalamazoo. Mich.
bred Peter the Great. S. A. Browne
Co. of Kalamazoo, Mich. bred Santos.
his dam. Jonathan Hardin, Nashville,
Tenn, man who has never been To-
Gated, is recorded as the breeder of
Shadow
The trail of Peter the Greats pedi-
gree runs from Alexandria, La. to
Clarksville. Tenn. Trenton. KY. Nash
vile, Tenn, and Kalamazoo, Mich. A
gray mare named Bette Wilson. said to
be by thoroughbred Cumberland. a son
Of imported Ambassador. is the tap root
of the family. She was bred by Thomas
Wilson of Clarksville Tenn, and was
sold by his widow to Nicholas Barker.
The latter lived on the Russellville pike,
two and a half miles from the city, on
the Cumberland River.
Lexington's First FOnI.
The next line of the pedigree of Peter
the Great was started at the Metalrle
race track, New Orleans. in April, 1854
That was the month in which L~~omte
defeated Lexington at four mile heats.
Gen Wells owned Lecomte. He also
started Edith at that meeting. She was
by imported Sovereign out of the Glen
coe mare judith whose dam, Fandango.
was a half sister to Reel, the dam OF
Lecomtc.
After Edith had been defeated in twl
races. General Wells bred her to Lex
ington. She was then shipped to Mic.
way. Kentucky, where the Wellswood
broodmares were kept. The follovin
spring Edith foaled bay filly. She was
then mated with Cracker a son Of Bos-
ton. and in 1856 dropped a colt.
Both OF these foals, after being
wcaned, were returned to the Wells
wood plantation in Louisiana. AS
three-year-old the filly was trained un-
Ill an attack of distemper thickened her
wind and made her unfit for racing.
From that date until the war between
the states cast a cloud over the South
this mare was used as "A runabout horse
On the plantation. In the interval her
half brother by Cracker matured. he
was named Milton Relf
In 1861. when the Confederate gov
ernment called for troops. Scott's Lou
isiana Cavalry was organized at Alexan-
dria and Thomas Montfort Wells.
nephew of General Wells, enlisted IN
Company y, of which John r. Williams
was Captain. For mounts General Wells
:. gave Captain Williams the horse Mil
ton Relf. and Montfort Wells his six
year-old half sister. by Lexington The
latter was bred that spring to pacing
horse named Aikenhead through mis-
take made by the slave Ike Dixon. who
had charge of him. She was in foal when
the troops departed for the north al
though neither General Wells nor her
rider was aware of it,
Montfort Wells named this mare
Lady Bess When she became heavy
with foal. the members of the company
asked him to trade her off. He refused
to do so until after the fall of Fort
Donelson. 1t was in February. 1852,
and the snow was deep.
Soldiers Horse Trade.
While retreating Company ID passed
through Clarksvllle and over the Rus
sellvile pike. When il arrived at Joe
Thomass blacksmith shop, which was
located almost opposite the house of
Nicholas Barker. Wells, with others,
stopped TO have the horses shod. Lady
Bess was then too heavy with foal TO
carry a soldier. Wells traded her TO
Joe Thomas for a gelding which was
running In a lot near the blacksmith
shop.
A few weeks later Lady Bess foaled
black colt For the next year this
pair live I'd on the blue grass In the fence
corners along the pike. Thomas KEEP.
the mare TO ride under the saddle and
finally gave her TO his son. T. A.
Thomas. still a resident of Clarksville.
Tho colt was purchased by Samuel
Johnson. a relative by marriage of
Nicholas Barker. He was named Creole
His owner used him under the saddle.
I'm the spring of 1865. when Creole was
a four-year-old. Samuel johnson bred
him 10 the gray mare Bette Wilson
She produced black filly that was
named Dixie. Her sire was destroyed
by fire that fail. She was destined to
become the third dam of Peter the
Great.
Nicholas Bark ar had daughter She
was the wife OF DIR. Greenfield lie
made her present OF Dixie. In 1869. as
a two-year-old. this filly was bred 70
Octoroon. Jr. In 1870 she produced an
other black filly, that In time became
the grandam of Peter the Great
Octoroon, Jr., was owned by Dick
Madison. He was neighbor of Barker
and Thomas and made n business OF
gambling and racing horses. While on
q trip TO Louisville, KY. Madison sat
In a poker game with man from
Lexington. KY. and few others. For
tune failed te smile on tho Lexington
visitor. He los. his bank roll When
~ was gone he put up horse named
Octoroon. II. +. Gill, who was in the
room. heard him say that he was a
champion saddle horse and a clever
trotter. Madison won him.
After the Poker Game.
The following morning Madison and
Gill shipped Octoroon 70 Clarksville
The horse remained in that vicinity for
n number of years. His career termi-
mated when he was accidentally shot
while running out on the farm of Miles
Boone. Madison used Octoroon as a
stock horse and raced him at every op-
portunity. In 1862 or 1853 while at Tren-
ton. KY. he bred him TO q brown mare
owned by DR.. Runyon. She was by
Buck Dickerson's pacing saddle stallion
Joe Brown, n son of Davy Crockett and
out of saddle and running marc
named Kate. which John Lipscomb pur-