352 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
vegetable physiology, these effects are easily enough ex¬ 
plained. The sap, modified into livingjuices, into vege¬ 
table blood, is formed in the leaf, and descends to the 
stem and roots, through the bark. Here this sap, or 
blood, if we please, becomes diseased, and carries the 
poison of the leaf through the fibres of the whole plant, 
and the stalk perishes. In fine, so soon as the black spots 
appear upon the stalks, the leaves dry up and wither, the 
plant droops, dies and falls to the earth, to disseminate a 
million fold, the poisonous canker.” 
ORIGIN OF THE MORGAN HORSE. 
Mr. Weissinger, one of the editors of the Louisville 
(Ky.,) Journal, has lately made a tour through the north¬ 
ern and eastern states, and while in Vermont took pains 
to examine the best horses, and to learn all particulars 
relative to the breed and mode of management. In rela¬ 
tion to the origin of the celebrated Morgan horses he 
has, however, given a statement, said to have been fur¬ 
nished by Mr. Cotterel, of Montpelier, which we can¬ 
not but think is at variance with well established facts. 
To give a full understanding of the case, we herewith 
copy the statement of Mr. Cotterel, as given in Mr. 
Weissinger’s letter published in the Journal, and then 
offer counter testimony: 
« Mr. Cotterel, of this place, [Montpelier,] who is as 
well acquainted with horses as any man in Vermont, 
says there is not the slightest doubt that the original 
Morgan was got by a Canada horse. He says the most 
probable account of his origin is this. A man by the 
name of Smith, at Plainfield, N. H., had a fine imported 
mare. He rode this mare to Canada on a courting ex¬ 
pedition, and while there his mare got in foal. Smith 
regretted the accident, and laying no value upon the colt, 
he sold it to Morgan, a singing master, who, when the 
colt was grown, rode him about on his singing circuit. 
When the colts from Morgan's horse grew up they 
proved fine, and this gave him celebrity. He was a 
fleet runner at short distances, and this originally induced 
the people to try him.” 
In the ninth volume of the Cultivator, we published 
some letters from Justin Morgan and John Morgan, 
which in our opinion furnish the most authentic his¬ 
tory of the origin of this race of horses that has yet 
appeared. Indeed, so far as it goes, we have the full¬ 
est confidence in its correctness. We republish the fol¬ 
lowing extracts from those lettters. Justin Morgan, it 
will be remembered, is a son of the Justin Morgan who 
owned the original Morgan horse. Of course he speaks 
of many things according to his personal knowledge, 
leaving little chance for any mistake. 
The following is an extract from a letter of Justin 
Morgan’s, originally furnished for the Cultivator, (Vol. 
ix. p. 99,) dated Stockbridge, Vt., March 1, 1842. Af¬ 
ter stating that his father owned the horse from which 
the race of Morgan horses sprung, he says:— 
“ I will now relate the facts relative to said Morgan 
horse, as I reccollect them. My father, Justin Morgan, 
brought said horse, or rather said colt, into Randolph, 
Vt., in the summer or autumn of 1795. Said colt was 
only two years old when my father brought him to Ran¬ 
dolph, and had never been handled in any way, not even 
to be led by a halter. My father went to Springfield, 
Mass., the place of his nativity, and the place from which 
he removed to Randolph, in the spring or summer of 
1795. after money I hat was due to him at that place, as 
he said; and instead of getting money as he expected, he 
got two colts, one a three years old gelding colt, which 
he led, the other, a two years old stallion colt, which 
followed all the way from Springfield to Randolph; hav¬ 
ing been, as my father said, always kept with, and much 
attached to the colt he led. Said two years old colt was 
the same that has since been known all over New-Eng- 
land, by the name of the Morgan horse. My father 
broke said colt himself; and as I have before remarked, 
owned and kept him to the time of his decease, which 
took place in March, 1798, and said horse was five 
years old the spring my father died; and as before stated, 
soon after my father’s decease, he passed from my fa¬ 
ther’s estate into the possession of Wm. Rice, of Wood- 
stock, Vt. I cannot state positively that my father pur¬ 
chased said colt in Springfield, Mass., but I am very 
confident that he purchased him in that town or in the 
immediate vicinify, on Connecticut river.” 
We next offer an extract from a letter of John Morgan, 
(see Cultivator,vol. ix., p. 110,) in which it will be seen 
that the material points set forth by Justin Morgan are con¬ 
firmed, and some further light given in regard to the blood 
of the first Morgan horse. John Morgan resides at Lima, 
in this state, and is, we believe, a relative of Justin Mor¬ 
gan, sen.,and was a near neighbor of the latter previous 
to his removal from Springfield to Vermont. In refer¬ 
ence to the colt above described by Justin Morgan, (2d,) 
John Morgari says —“ he was sired by a horse owned by 
Sealy Norton, of East Hartford, Conn., called the ‘ True 
Briton, or Beautiful Bay.’ He was kept at Springfield 
one season by the said Justin Morgan, [sen.,] and two 
years after I kept him two seasons. This horse was 
said to have been raised by General Delaney, command¬ 
er of the refugee troops on Long Island, and rode by 
him in the Revolution. It was said that one Smith stole 
the horse from the general at King’s Bridge, while the 
general was in the tavern; ran him across the bridge 
and took him to the American army, near White Plains, 
and sold him to Joseph Ward, of Hartford, Conn, for 
$300. It was also said at that time that he was sired by 
the imported horse called ‘ Traveler,’ said to have been 
kept in New-Jersey. Ward was a merchant and kept 
the horse three or four years for a saddle and carriage 
horse, and then traded him off to Norton, and Norton 
kept him for mares while he lived. The description of 
the Morgan breed given by Mr. G. Barnard, [Cultivator, 
vol. ix., p. 33,] answers well to the stock of e True 
Briton. 5 I have always understood that Morgan kept the 
colt for a stallion at Randolph, and was very celebrated 
for his stock.” 
The above statements of Justin and John Morgan, 
comprise, as we believe, the true history, so far as it is 
known, of the origin of the far-famed Morgan horses. 
From the position of the Messrs. Morgan, they have had 
the best possible facilities for obtaining correct informa¬ 
tion on this subject, and we are not aware of any thing 
which should hinder their statement from receiving full 
credence. 
Mr. Weissinger, in his letter to which we have above 
alluded, speaks of Mr. Hill’s horse Black Hawk as fol¬ 
lows: “I saw the celebrated Sherman Morgan, Black 
Hawk, at Bridport, and I think he deserves all the praise 
that has been bestowed upon him. He is the finest stall¬ 
ion I ever saw. His legs are flat and broad, shoulders 
well set back, loin and backbone very strong, length of 
hip beyond anything I ever saw; as quick in breaking 
as the bullet from the rifle; head and neck faultless; in 
motion, mouth open, crest sublime, legs carried finely 
under him, square and even, and fore-legs bending 
beautifully.” 
In relation to the characteristics and reputation of the 
Morgan horses, Mr. Weissinger observes :—“ I have 
conversed with some of the best judges of horses and 
some of the most experienced breeders and horse deal¬ 
ers in the state. There is no doubt whatever of this— 
that the breed of the Morgan horse was, and is now, in 
the few instances where it can be found, far the best 
j breed of horses for general service that ever was in the 
j United States—probably the best in the world; and it is 
remarkable that this breed was and is now known by many 
striking peculiarities, common to nearly every individual. 
They have a full, heavy, wavy mane and tail, good 
head and neck, small well-shaped ears, are broad be¬ 
tween the eyes, legs broad and short with large tendons, 
bodies rather thick set; but their most striking peculiar¬ 
ity is in their carriage; legs well under, trot quick, short, 
and springy, the fore-legs bending remarkably, the very 
reverse of the slow, slouchy movement of the race-horse 
in a trot. They are likewise exceedingly hardy and 
well tempered.” 
The following paragraph from Mr. Weissinger’s let¬ 
ter contains facts worthy of preservation. Will some o# 
our Vermont friends give us the whereabouts of the 
« Chelsea Morgan,” with his owner’s name? 
“ Of the old Morgan’s progeny three became famou 
