] .■)4 HAMBLETONIAl^. 



being the mare Amazonia, of very high breeding and well-developed 

 trotting qualities, and one that gave to her son much of the form and 

 quality for which he and many of his descendants are so much distin- 

 guished. The maternal ancestry of Hambletonian were bred and 

 owned by the Seely family for three generations prior to his birth. 

 His dam was by imported Bellfounder; his 2d dam by Hambletonian, 

 son of imported Messenger; and his 3d dam, called Silvertail, has- 

 been generally reported to have been by imported Messenger, although 

 I have information, entitled to credit, that she was by a son of imported 

 Messenger, owned by a member of the Seely family, and, I believe, a. 

 brother of Mr. Jonas Seely, Sr., who bred Silvertail. 



As all information with regard to these animals, now so intimately 

 connected with the fame of Hambletonian, is eagerly sought by all 

 interested readers, I herewith insert part of two letters already given 

 to the public; the first addressed to myself by Dr. Townsend Seely^ 

 of Kendall county, Illinois, a man above eighty years of age, of most 

 agreeable address, an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and held in 

 the highest esteem in the community in which he lived for over thirty 

 years past. At my request he penned, in his own way, the following: 



About the year 1800, my father traded with George Deanmand, and got a 

 mare called Jin Black, with large, bald face and two white feet. She was 

 large, with strong, clean limbs. Wliy father came to get her was, because she 

 was so spirited and balky that Deanmand could not make her work ; but father 

 bi-oke her to be kind in every way, but had to get an extra strong set of iron 

 traces (the only ones used at that time) to prevent her breaking them every 

 day, and then had no trouble with her. I have ridden her many a day before 

 oxen, to plow among stumps and stones. From the character of Jin you may- 

 infer that Silvertail had a good start on the dam's side. She was sired by 

 Messenger, and when foaled was a light grey — the only grey colt I ever saw 

 foaled. When she shed her coat she was the exact color and marks of her 

 dam, with the exception of a tuft of hair at the root of her tail, which was 

 white — hence her name. One Eye was a foal of Silvertail. She was a bright 

 bay, with a ewe neck, and carried her head very high ; was a splendid mare, 

 and at twenty years old would move off with all the vigor of youth. I think 

 her sire was Hambletonian, but the record will inform you. I may say that 

 the whole breed of horses were noted for large, clean limbs and joints, and I 

 am persuaded that none of them ever had spavin or windgalls. Many of the 

 colts of the al)ove-named mares went to New York, for extra prices, for coach 

 and buggy horses ; one called Crabstick — so called because he could not be 

 broken to ride, for all my brothers owned him at different times (six of them), 

 but none of them could ride him safely. He was very kind in harness, and so 

 fast that his owner spent a great deal of money to get a mate for him that 

 could trot with him, but did not succeed, as I have been informed. 



