544 THE HORSE. 



amusement from a disreputable odor which had for many years 

 attached to it. 



During the year 1863 the war caused a great diversion of public 

 attention ; nevertheless, the records of the turf exhibit a goodly 

 amount of excellent work. It was marked by the splendid trot- 

 ting of the horses General Butler, George Wilkes, George M. 

 Patchen, Silas Rich, California Damsel, and by the first appear- 

 ance of a number of the horses that have since become famous. 

 In May, the Hambletonian, Shark, made his mark in a three-mile 

 race with Frank Temple; placing himself in the list with Screw- 

 driver, Dutchman, Lady Suffolk, and all the famous old three- 

 milers of the first generations. He won the race with Frank 

 Temple in two heats ; trotting the first in 7 m. 47f s., and the 

 second in 7 m. 52^ s. 



The great two-mile race, on the Fashion Course, Long Island, 

 between General Butler and George M. Patchen, in which General 

 Butler made the best two-mile time to wagon on record, took place 

 on th 18th of June. General Butler won the first heat in 4 m. 

 56* s. In the second heat, owing to some unfair advantage taken 

 by the driver of General Butler, the judges declared him dis- 

 tanced. Two days after, the same horses met again, when Gene- 

 ral Butler came off victorious ; winning three mile-heats in 2 m. 

 27 s., 2 m. 30 s., and 2 m. 32 s. In the early part of this 

 month June George Wilkes, in harness, beat Rockingham, 

 under the saddle, in three straight mile-heats, the best of which 

 was trotted in 2 m. 24? s. 



In September, George Wilkes and General Butler were pitted 

 against each other again, in a race on the Fashion Course. The 

 year before, George Wilkes had beaten Ethan Allen, and he came 

 to the encounter with the green laurels of his victory over Rock- 

 ingham. It was stipulated that he should go in harness, but this 

 was to him no drawback, while General Butler was privileged to 

 go under the saddle, the style most favorable to an exhibition of 

 all his powers. The day was fine, and the track in excellent con- 

 dition. General Butler appeared in trim to surpass all his pre- 

 vious performances, and perhaps outstrip all his predecessors. 

 George Wilkes did not appear so well, and in the race broke fre- 

 quently, but pushed General Butler out in the last heat in 2 m. 

 23? s. The preceding two heats were won by General Butler, in 

 2 m. 29 s. and 2 m. 28 s. General Butler may therefore be 

 fairly regarded as the first horse upon the trotting turf in 1863; 

 and his great endurance and speed entitle him to be mentioned 

 among the very first of American trotting horses, living or dead. 



The great performance of the gray mare Peerless also took place 

 on Long Island in the summer of this year. She was then, as 

 now, the property of Mr. Robert Bonner, and the performance 



