177 



man of the old school, Gen. Cantey. He was one of that gallant band 



" Who fought fior the land their souls adored ; 



For happy homes and altars free. 

 Their only talisman, the sword ; 



Their only spell-word, Liberty ! " 



In private life, too, all who knew him loved him ; his hospitality and 

 courtesy were proverbial, indicating, upon all occasions, the sterling 

 qualities that have ever characterized the country gentleman of the South. 

 This is no place to pay a tribute of respect to his memory as a patriot 

 or citizen, however pleasing such themes may be ; to us pertains the 

 humbler task to speak of him only as a Racer — a Brother of the Turf. 

 He had a stock of horses well bred, and always trained one or two for 

 the Races at Camden and Statesburg, and generally won a purse. If 

 successful, he never put into his own pocket what he won, but gave it to 

 one or other of the Churches in Camden, or to the Orphan Society. He 

 had the prayers of the faithful that he might win ; insiders and out- 

 siders both wished him luck — the latter, on account of their veneration 

 for Gen. Zack. Cantey ; the former, because his winnings were always 

 devoted to charity. 



We come now to the impersonation of Carolina chivalry — the em- 

 bodied spirit of Carolina blood and Carolina honor — one that may be 

 looked upon as the main contributor in our State, for many seasons, to 

 the legitimate end of racing — the improvement of our breed of horses. 

 Who can we mean but Col. Hampton, tar outstripping all his predeces- 

 sors and contemporaries on the Turf, in the ardor of liis zeal, and the ex- 

 tent of his racing establishment. No pilgrim ever knelt at the shrine 

 of My Lady at Loretto, nor ever dipt into the river Jordan with greater 

 devotion than the Colonel visits his stables in the morning to admire 

 the objects of his solicitude, which, by their condition and performances, 

 generally so well repay his attention. The epithet, "delighting in 

 horses," applied by Pindar to Hiero, King of Syracuse, who, on his favo- 

 rite horse Phrenicus, was the winner of the Olympic crown, may be 

 equally well applied to him, for no man can be fonder of fine horses than 

 Col. Hampton. I should like to possess, painted by Troye, the Colonel's 

 likeness on his favorite "Monarch ;" what 



" A combination, and a form indeed," 



to hand down to posterity, 



"To give the world assurance of" 

 12 



