The New York herald., 1922-01-15
Virginia S Early"F.F.
Raced at Williamsburg
Ancestors Of Light Horse Harry Lee and Gen. Robert
E. Lee Were Patrons of the Turf on First
Racecourse in Colony
by GURNEY c. CUE.

It Is curious fact that the. Oldest of
Virginia racecourses and nearly all the
men and horses who took part In the
contests there in Colonial days seem to
have been unknown to every one who
has undertaken to write the history Of
the American turf.
The. Virginia Gazette announced In
1877 that "On st. Andrews Day there
are TO be horse races and several other
diversions for the entertainment of the
gentlemen and ladies at the Old Field"
And two years later the same newspaper
reported the race won by Col. John Chis-
wells Edgcomb round the mile course
The 'old field" and the mile course"
were at Williamsburg, and, doubtless,
were on the same ground.
j. +. d. Smith. an English traveller
OF some years later. described the course
at Williamsburg as an excellent one.
adjoining the town. and laid out for
two, three or four mile heats. He said
there were meetings every spring and
fall. A few of these can be traced in
the incomplete files Of Virginia's earliest
newspaper. but for the most part the
records and even the traditions of what
occurred there at the interesting period
when the first English race horses were
coming over are lost forever.
Distinguished Horse and Owner.
Among the fragments of turf history
preserved but not heretofore known TO
horsemen are reports of three races at
Williamsburg in which Lees Mark An
tony took part This was the most
distinguished of all American bred sires
Of the eighteenth century" to quote John
II. wallace's American Stud Book. but
none Of his performances have heretofore
come to light. lie ran second TO Colonel
John Tayloe's unidentified horse Hero
for a purse OF f100 at the Williamsburg
on October g., 1866, and in April. 1858,
on the same course won the first heat
from Captain Littlebury Hardyman's
Partner. Colonel Lewis Burwells Remus
and Armistead Lightfoots Molly. The
report says Mark Antony broke down In
the second heat and Partner won the
race. which was at four mile heats. The
breakdown did not end Mark Antony's $
career. however. for In the spring OF
1853, running i'm the name OF Captain
Hardyman, he defeated Colonel Tayloe.s
Nonpareil and Nathaniel Walthoe's 8
Fanny Murray.
The ancestry of Marc Antony and
Hardyman's Partner Is interesting. Both
horses were by Partner. the son OF
Moreton's imported Traveller and Tas-
ker's imported Selma, while Mark An
tony was out OF imported Septina by
OthelIo. sire of the great Selim, also
son Of Selma.
More interesting than the pedigrees or
performances of the horses, however, is
the personality of the men who raced
then, at williamsburg in that early day.
Richard Lee. the owner of Mark Antony,
was not the celebrated Richard Lee OF
"Chantilly," who In the name of Vif-
ginia proposed the original Declaration
OF Independence in Congress at Phila-
deIphia. but his lkinanan, generally
known as Squire Richard Lee. His
brother. Col. Henry Lee. OF "Leesylva-
MIA" owned the bay horse Apollo that
ran at Annapolis In 1772 in great race
with Nancy Bywell, Regulus and Sims
Wildair. Both turfmen were bred to the
sports OF the turf, their mother. Mary
Bland. having been a granddaughter OF
TheodoriclS Bland and also OF William
Randolph OF Turkey Island"
The owner OF Apollo is noted in Vir-
rlnla history as the father of the famous
orator and cavalry leader OF the Revo-
lutionary War. Light Horse Harry
Lee. who was later chosen to de
liver the funeral grafton on Gen.
washington before both houses OF Con-
gress. He, In turn, was the father or
Gen. Robert Il. Lee, the great Confeder-
ate commander of the Army OF Northern
Virginia in the civil war.
OF Old Quarter Horse Family.
Though have not been able TO trace
the relationship there can be little DOUBT
that CAPTAIN I,ittlebury Hardyman.
owner OF Partner in 1853. was de-
scendant OF the John Hardiman who IN
1897 owned the quarter horse Watt
that was matched against Thomas JEFF
ferson Jr's Bonny 70 run race In Hen
rico county. Virginia. Since writing OF
this early quarter race a few weeks ago
I have learned that John Hardiman came
from Bristol. England. and was justice
OF Charles City county In 1899, Burgers
for PRINCE George County In iI10 and
r.ieut Col of militia at the same time.