156 THE MORGAN HORSE 



ten hundred pounds. His compact, symmetrical and muscular 

 form, and nervous, elastic style of action, give unmistakable evidence 

 of the speed and endurance he has shown upon the turf and road ; 

 and although twenty-three years old, his eye has lost none of its 

 brightness, his health is still excellent, and his movements are still 

 graceful and energetic. One of the chief excellencies of Black Hawk, 

 and one which he possesses in a remarkable degree, is the uniform- 

 ity with which he stamps upon his offspring his own distinguishing 

 characteristics. Few colts were-sired by him previous to 1844, when 

 he became the property of David Hill, and since that time he has 

 been constantly kept at that gentleman's stable, in Bridport, Vermont ". 



In the fall of 1885 Mr. S. W. Parlin of Boston, Massachusetts, 

 made a very through examination into the history of Black Hawk 

 and his dam, the substance of which appeared shortly after in the 

 "American Cultivator", as follows: 



''Wishing to learn something definite concerning the man who 

 bought Black Hawk from the estate after the death of Ezekial 

 Twombly, and thinking that an interview with Wingate Twombly 

 might open some trail that would, if followed up, give more 

 light upon the early history of Black Hawk than had appeared in any 

 account of that distinguished animal yet published, the writer visited 

 the extensive farm of Mr. Charles H. Hayes, which is located in Ports- 

 mouth, New Hampshire, about two and a half miles from the station. 

 Fortunately, the proprietor was at home, and from him it was learned 

 that Mr. Wingate Twombly was living in a house on a part of Mr. 

 Hayes' estate, and, although well advanced in years, his memory of 

 facts which occurred in his younger days was tolerably clear, and 

 that he would undoubtedly be glad to give any information in his 

 power concerning the early history of Black Hawk. 



"Mr. Hayes also suggested that Mr. Shadrack Seavey, an intel- 

 ligent, wide-awake, well-to-do farmer, whose statements could be im- 

 plicitly relied upon, was living in the adjoining town of Greenland, and 

 might be able to give some information concerning the horse in ques- 

 tion, as he was a grandson of Ezekiel Twombly and was living at his 

 grandfather's at the latter's death. Following the direction of Mr. 

 Hayes, Wingate Twombly was soon found, and although suffering 

 somewhat from rheumatism, was up about the house, and quite as 

 nimble as most men who have passed the line of four-score years. 

 Making known at once the object of the visit, the following informa- 

 tion was elicited from the old cr e ntleman, who stated that he was a 



o 



son of Ezekiel Twombly, and was born in Durham, New Hampshire, 



