The Horse of America in His Derivation, History, and DevelopmentWallace, John Hankins
History
The Horse of America in His Derivation, History, and Development
Wallace, John Hankins
Horse breeds -- History; Horses -- Breeding -- United States; Horses -- United States -- History
1802, at Cooper’s Ferry, opposite Philadelphia, Pa., but the price of
services is not mentioned.
1803, at Townsend Cock’s, near Oyster Bay, Long Island, at $20 the season.
1804, at the same place and the same price.
1805, at Bishop Underhill’s, in Westchester Co., N. Y., fifteen miles
from Harlem Bridge. Price reduced to $15.
1806, back again at Townsend Cock’s, and the terms fixed at $15 for the
season, and $25 to insure.
1807, again at Bishop Underhill’s on the same terms as before, and this
was the last of his twenty years’ stud services. It will be observed
that the horse is located every year except two, and these locations
are determined, not by tradition or hearsay, but by copies of his
advertisements for each year. In giving the prices charged for his
services I have given the value of the guinea or the pound as five
dollars.
Messenger died January 28, 1808, in the stable of Townsend Cock, on Long
Island, in his twenty-eighth year. This date has been as familiar to all
intelligent horsemen for the last forty years as any prominent event in
the history of the nation. The news of the death of the old patriarch
spread with great rapidity, and soon the whole countryside was gathered
to see the last of the king of horses and to assist at his burial. His
grave was prepared at the foot of a chestnut-tree some distance in front
of the house, and there he was deposited in his holiday clothing. In
response to the consciousness that a hero was there laid away forever
a military organization was extemporized, and volley after volley by
platoons was fired over his grave. Some of the young men and boys who
witnessed and participated in the ceremonies of the occasion were still
living twenty years ago, and as they related the incidents of the
occasion to me, their recollections seemed to be as clear and bright as
though the occurrence had been of yesterday.
CHAPTER XIX.
MESSENGER’S SONS.
Hambletonian (Bishop’s) pedigree not beyond doubt—Cadwallader
R. Colden’s review of it—Ran successfully—Taken to Granville,
N. Y.—Some of his descendants—Mambrino, large and coarse
in appearance—Failure as a runner—Good natural trotter—His
most famous sons were Abdallah, Almack and Mambrino
Paymaster—Winthrop or Maine Messenger and his pedigree and
history—Engineer and the tricks of his owners—Certainly
a son of Messenger—Commander—Bush Messenger, pedigree
and description—Noted as the sire of coach horses and
trotters—Potomac—Tippoo Saib—Sir Solomon—Ogden Messenger, dam
thoroughbred—Mambrino (Grey)—Black Messenger—Whynot, Saratoga,
Nestor, Delight—Mount Holly, Plato, Dover Messenger, Coriander,
Fagdown, Bright Phœbus, Slasher, Shaftsbury, Hotspur,
Hutchinson Messenger and Cooper’s Messenger—Abuse of the name
“Messenger.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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