Suraner County, Breeding Centre 99 



of the country and every meal was prepared for "com- 

 pany." Elliott accumulated a fortune. His success be- 

 spoke for him a genius for his calling tact, sound judg- 

 ment and fine capacity for detail. All his contemporaries 

 conceded to him first place among Tennessee breeders and 

 turfmen. Top Gallant, Pacolet, Napoleon and Leviathan, 

 in the order named, were Elliott's chief contributions to 

 Sumner's foundation stock prior to 1840, in the male line; 

 in the female line only Black Sophia need be mentioned. 



Rev. Hubbard Saunders came from Virginia to Sum- 

 ner County in 1798 and settled one mile west of the 

 present site of Saundersville. McFerrin's "Methodism in 

 Tennessee" says that Mr. Saunders "lived to an advanced 

 age laboring all the time as a local preacher," and "main- 

 tained a fine reputation as a citizen and minister." On 

 his land was erected a church the progenitor of the 

 present Saunders Chapel and an encampment where, 

 for many years, the Methodists held camp- meetings. 

 "These annual convocations," says McFerrin, "were 

 great blessings and were the nurseries of Methodism in 

 Sumner County." Mr. Saunders' farm was also the 

 nursery of some fine race horses. His main contributions 

 to Sumner County's foundation stock were Wilkes' 

 Wonder, Rosey Clack and Tennessee Oscar. Mr. Saun- 

 ders died in 1829, possessed of numerous slaves, several 

 race horses, many thousands of acres of land in various 

 sections of the country and thirteen children; to each of 

 those living at his death he willed $30 to buy "mourning" 

 to wear after his demise. 



Orville Shelby, a son of David Shelby and grandson of 

 Anthony Bledsoe, was born in Sumner County. He 

 married, for his second wife, a daughter of Gen. James 

 Winchester and moved to Kentucky about 1830. Gen- 

 eral Jo Shelby, of Shelby's Brigade C.S.A., was Orville 



