FIEST FRENCH HORSES IN AJIERIC.V 123 



cover the real foundation of the popularity of the 

 French horse of heavy draft in the western states. 



Louis Napoleon made several spring seasons in 

 Tazewell county and fall seasons at the Hodgson 

 farm in La Salle. In 1864 he was moved by the Dil- 

 lons to Normal, in McLean county, where some two 

 years later he became so badly infected that the 

 operation of penotomy was resorted to in the hope 

 of partially preserving his utility in the stud. After 

 this, it is related, he sired three foals, dying in 1871 

 on the farm of B. Caldwell in Woodford county to 

 whom the Dillons had presented him. First and last, 

 it is believed, Louis Napoleon begot some 400 foals, 

 not one of which Avas out of a purebred mare. Only 

 the merest traces of his blood are discovered among 

 our registered stock, a few recorded via the top- 

 cross route descending from him. His number in the 

 Percheron Stud Book is 281. 



There is no question whatever that to the excel- 

 lence of his colts and fillies from mares of Samson 

 (English) blood was due the high degree of popu- 

 larity which Louis Napoleon achieved in Illinois. 

 He did far better with them than with any others. 

 Practically all of his male progeny were maintained 

 entire, quite a few of them selling for $800, $1,000, 

 and even longer prices. He bred fairly true to his 

 own color, and in the hands of so shrewd a federa- 

 tion as the Dillons no stone was left unturned to 

 keep him in the limelight. Displays of his grade 

 colts were for years features of the Illinois State and 

 other fairs. It is doubtful if there is another region 



