I^IEMOIR 



OF AMERICAN ECLIPSE. 



The portrait, accompanying this memoir, of the celebrated 

 racer, " American Eclipse," was engraved by Messrs. Capewell 

 and Kimmell, of this city, from the original painting, made by 

 Mr. Fisher, of Boston, for the late Charles Henry Hall, Esq., of 

 New York, and is acknowledged by all good judges to be an 

 excellent likeness. This horse is now fifteen years old, chestnut, 

 with a star, and the near hind foot white ; is fifteen hands one 

 inch high, and possesses a large share of bone and muscle. 

 Eclipse was foaled at Dosoris, Queens county, Long Island, on 

 the 25th May, 1814, and was reared by the late Gen. Nathaniel 

 Coles, the breeder, in whose possession he remained till the 

 loth March, 1819, when he became the property of Mr, Yan 

 Ranst. His sire was Duroc ; his dam. Miller's Damsel, by- 

 Messenger ; his grandam the English PotSos mare, imported at 

 three years old, in 1795, by William Constable, Esq., of New 

 York. Pot8os sired by the celebrated English Eclipse ; his 

 great grandam by Gimcrack ; Gimcrack by Cripple ; and Crip- 

 ple by the Godolphin Arabian. 



From a memorandum in the handwriting of Gen. Nathaniel 

 Coles, the breeder, it appears that he was reared in the follow- 

 ing manner. The colt was weaned on the lOtli of November. 

 At the commencement of winter, fed with four quarts of shorts, 

 which was increased during the winter to eight quarts per day ; 

 hay, clover dampened. 



Second year, in the spring, turned to grass with no grain. 

 November 10th, put up — ^fed with eight quarts shorts per day ; 

 during winter, shorts increased to ten quarts — hay, the same as 

 first winter. 



Third year, turned to grass, with four quarts shorts per day. 

 September 1st, commenced breaking — feed, eight quarts oats — 



