SONS OF JUSTIN MORGAN 125 



in the American army, who had perceived this, conceived the idea of 

 running away with the horse, and he obtained consent of his officer 

 to make the attempt. Near the tavern was a ravine with trees. By 

 a sheep path, the boy, who pretended to be going fishing, got near, 

 and, the moment the officer entered the tavern, jumped on the horse 

 and rode for his life. Shots followed, but he had reached the ravine, 

 and came safely within the American lines". Dr. Sargent said that 

 Brutus' stock were nearly all bays or chestnuts ; that Brutus was 

 himself a good runner, and would leave all others at eighty rods ; 

 that he was a horse of uncommon bottom, but was quite old when 

 brought to Pawlet. 



Dr. Sargent, in giving this story, did not connect it with the 

 history of any other horse, knowing nothing about the fact of the 

 Justin Morgan's standing at Lebanon, New Hampshire, in 1793. But 

 it is certain that the bay horse referred to was the original Justin 

 Morgan horse, advertised by Justin Morgan, in the Windsor paper, 

 under the name of Figure, to stand at Lebanon, New Hampshire, in 

 1793 ; and that the story of the horse captured by the drummer boy 

 from the English officer, is but a slightly changed version of the cap- 

 ture of True Briton, or Beautiful Bay. 



In the " History of Shoreham", by the Rev. Mr. Goodhue, ap- 

 pears the following: U A horse named Brutus, of pure English 

 blood, was brought to this country by a British officer in the time of 

 the war of the Revolution. General Timothy F. Chipman became the 

 owner of him at an advanced age, and kept him eight or ten years. 

 He was said to be of the hunting breed, of a red roan color, about 

 fifteen and a half hands high ; in every point well proportioned, and 

 in form and movement was regarded as a perfect model of his race. 

 In activity and gracefulness he was never excelled by any ever kept 

 in this State. With General Chipman mounted on him he would leap 

 almost any fence or ditch, enjoying such feats as a pastime. He left 

 much of his blood here, traces of which the author of this work has 

 frequently seen within the last twenty-five years. To him as a sire 

 we attribute that superiority in the race for which this town was noted 

 at an early day. He was as celebrated at that time for his qualities 

 as Black Hawk is now ". 



The town records of Shoreham show that General Chipman lo- 

 cated in Shoreham in 1783 and died there in 1830, aged sixty-nine. 

 We are strongly inclined to think that these two Brutuses are iden- 

 tical. If so, the horse probably passed from Mr. Chipman to Mr. 

 Marsh. 



