162 THE MORGAN HORSE 



munications in reference to Black Hawk. I love to think about the 

 splendid horse he was. I have owned and seen a great many good 

 ones, but I do not remember one his equal. As to his dam, she was 

 a mare that even in these times would be looked upon among horse- 

 men as a superior animal, having a fine loin, clean flat legs, long neck, 

 wide between the eyes, ears rather long but well set, and a very intel- 

 ligent, bright-looking countenance. As I remember her, she had no 

 resemblance to pacing form in any particular, having a straight rather 

 than drooping rump. She was, I should judge, about sixteen hands, 

 nice-shaped withers and all black, as you say Seavey describes her. 

 All in all, she was a good one, and I should like to own one now as 

 she was when I knew her. I always understood that she came from 

 Nova Scotia to Durham. In answer to your postscript, will say she 

 was a fine-coated animal, with legs quite free from extra hair, show- 

 ing superior breeding from some source. I 'forgot to mention the 

 stripe in her face, otherwise remember no white about her. Seavey 

 certainly ought to know about that. It is a pleasure to answer your 

 letters, as it brings me back to pleasant recollections of old times. 



Very truly yours, 



A. R. MATHES'. 



"The original charge of John Bellows for the services of Sherman 

 Morgan as obtained by Allen Thomson of Woodstock, Vermont, and 

 lately published by the 'Middlebury Register' is as follows: 

 '1882 May 14. Benjamin Kelly of Durham, Dr. 



To black mare as warrant $14.00 



groom money i .00 



"Underneath this charge at another time, Mr. Bellows inserted 

 the following : ' This mare produced Black Hawk from this service 



Another article in the "American Cultivator", on Black Hawk, 

 Mr. Parlin closes with these words : 



" In strength and beauty of form, elegance of carriage, ease and 

 elasticity of action, and fine, cheerful disposition, combined with great 

 endurance and all the other qualities requisite in a first-class roadster 

 and trotter, Black Hawk far surpassed any other stallion of his day, 

 and has probably never had an equal outside the Morgan family". 

 We add the following letters : 



"STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, June 30, 1885. 



"EDITOR OF THE ' AMERICAN CULTIVATOR'. 



Dear Sir: Yours of the 2/th inst. at hand. I will answer your 

 questions as near as I can, and in order as they were asked. I 

 bought the colt, afterward known as Black Hawk, of a nephew 

 of Ezekiel Twombly. The colt was coming five years old. I kept 



