Tennessee Oscar, a Horse without a Rival 267 



eye and windpipe which could not be surpassed. He 

 reminded me of Uncle Berry's answer to my question 

 about the head, limbs and action of Ball's Florizel; he 

 said, "his head was all mouth and nostrils, and he could 

 stand with all his feet in a wash tub." 



Oscar, with greatest ease, won his first race, a sweep- 

 stake, in October, 1817, over the Nashville Course, 2- 

 mile heats, $100 entrance, beating Mr. James Jackson's 

 McShane (by imported Eagle out of his imported mare, 

 Virginia, by imported Dare Devil), and Dr. Butler's 

 splendid filly by Pacolet. The next day he walked over 

 the course for the Club purse. 



In May, 1818, he won, over the same course, a Jockey 

 Club purse, 4-mile heats, beating with ease Gen. Jack- 

 son's Gun Boat, by Pacolet. Gun Boat was withdrawn 

 after the first heat. 



In October, 1818, over same course, he won the Jockey 

 Club purse, 4-mile heats, beating with ease, at 2 heats, 

 Mr. Morton's horse by Potomac and Col. Elliott's (Uncle 

 Berry's) horse by imported Whip. This Whip colt be- 

 longed to Uncle Berry; his history is as follows: 



Uncle Berry volunteered in Capt. John W. Byrrns' 

 light horse company early in the Creek War and served 

 out his term under Gen. Jackson, for which he now is, 

 and has been for about 12 months, in the receipt of a 

 pension of $96 per annum, payable quarterly. He com- 

 menced to receive this pension, under the late act of 

 Congress, in the p5th year of his age. He said to me 

 the other day: "I am sorry the Government don't pay 

 it all at once, for twenty-four dollars won't buy anything, 

 and it is always gone before the next payment arrives." 



When his term of service expired he was about to re- 

 volunteer, but Col. Elliott, who was then in command of 

 a regiment in the army, persuaded him to return home 



