DESCENDANTS OF SHERMAN MORGAN 348-2 



Morgan. He was an exceedingly well proportioned horse of rather light 

 build. He was a much finer horse than Berry's colt, very active, with clean 

 head and rangy neck." 



E. V. G. VanRaun, lawyer, formerly of Brooklyn, but born at Pompton 

 Plains, said : " A man by the name of Coburn owned the old American 

 Star. Nick Smalley, who lived near Pine Brook, had the care of the horse ; 

 brought him here and put up at Squire Berry's. He was sorrel with star, 

 not over 15 hands, a nice, square-built horse. I think Coburn was a boss 

 carpenter. I have lived here thirty-five years and in Brooklyn fourteen. 

 I saw Smalley riding the Coburn horse in Brooklyn. I think he was a 

 good-blooded horse by his looks. He was a very nice-looking horse ; the 

 only objection to raising stock from him was, he was small. He appeared 

 to be six or seven years old when I saw him and probably came here the 

 same season." 



Mr. Kaisted, Little Falls, N. J., said: "Nick Smalley lived at Pine 

 Brook when he took care of a horse of a gentleman that lived in New York. 

 Smalley stood the horse at Bloomfield and Pine Brook. He was here two 

 seasons ; a young horse when he came here, not over six or eight. The last 

 I saw the horse was in New York, I think the year after he was here ; Nick 

 Smalley had him at the races. He was not gelded then. He was not of 

 very great size, but a very nice-made horse, as nice as you ever saw, sorrel 

 with star ; very active, splendid neck ; you wouldn't see a better made horse. 

 I don't know that they ever ran him ; they used to lead him ; never rode 

 him, or drove him. Everybody used him the first year he was here ; not so 

 many the next." 



Peter J. Zeliff, Singac, N. J., said ; "John Ricker raised a colt from old 

 Star that he refused $500 for." 



John H. Wallace, for many years Editor of the "American Trotting 

 Register," said of Seely's American Star, in his "Monthly" of February, 

 1890 : " On one point only does there seem to be a common ground upon 

 which those that know the horse best have been able to stand, and that is 

 that he was got by a Canadian horse." We have before had occasion to 

 speak of the fact that the Morgan in these times, especially in New York, 

 or to the South, was often called Canadian. 



The pamphlet furnished us by Henry K. Berry, Paterson, N. J., says : 

 " Ira Coburn, New York, owned the horse American Star. He was a sorrel 

 horse with star, 15 hands, as round as a rope, with a good set of limbs, 

 pleasant disposition, and could trot very fast." This book also says that 

 he was gelded the latter part of the season of 1836. 



Henry K. Berry writes us : "I have sent you all the information my 

 book gives me. I suppose this is what you wanted. I know this to be the 

 American Star, for I had a colt out of the same horse, one year older than 

 the Seely or Berry Star. This Berry was my cousin, and many times he 

 came to my place. He has been dead many years." 



