The Caledonian

From the Vermonter.

WOODBURY AND SHERMAN MORGAN BLOOD HORSES.

Mr. Editor:--Dear Sir:--I have always been an admirer of the Morgan Horses, having been personally acquainted with their pedigree from 1806 to the present time. The pedigree of the Justin Morgan, the sire of the Woodbury and Sherman and also of the Belino and Belknap Morgans, is as follows:

Justin Morgan was raised by Justin Morgan of Springfield, Mass., and taken to Randolph, Vt., in the fall of 1795; sired by True Briton or Beautiful Bay, raised by Gen. De Laney of Long Island, and sired by his imported English horse Traveller, who traces directly back to the Godolphin Arabian. Dam of the original Morgan was the Wild Air breed, sired by the Diamond, who was raised in East Hartford, Conn. Diamond was sired by the Wild Air, known as the Church Horse. The Church Horse was sired by Wild Air, imported from England by Gen. De Laney, and afterwards taken back to England. He was a grandson of the Godolphin Arabian. The dam of the Church Horse was an imported Wild Air mare, owned by Capt. Samuel Burt, of Springfield, Mass.

The Woodbury, Sherman, Delino, and Belknap were the only stock horses sired by the Justin Morgan. The Delino (known in some places as the Bulrush or Morgan Bulrush,) horse was from a half-blood Canadian mare, which has given rise to the erroneous supposition of the existence of French blood on the part of the other horses.

All the noted Morgans and the fast trotters, are descended from the Woodbury and Sherman branches. The Gifford Morgan, raised by Ziba Gifford, of Hartford, Vt., was sired by old Woodbury. The Black Hawk Morgan, owned by David Hill, of Bridgeport, was sired by the Sherman Morgan.

It will be seen from this, (which is a correct statement of the pedigree of the horses,) that what are now known as the Morgan and Black Hawk breeds originated from the same sire. Both these branches were well represented at the State Fair at Millbury last September. Every horse led into the ring by the Green Mountain Morgan was a direct descendant from the Woodbury branch, and those led by the Black Hawk were descendants from the Sherman.

As to the peculiar merits of the Woodbury and Sherman horses, the people have had ample opportunity to judge for themselves. So far as regards the recent trials of speed between the Flying Morgan and two of the fastest Black Hawks, I do not consider it a fair criterion by which to judge of the speed of the two branches. The fastest time which it has ever been pretended the Black Hawk has ever made, (as shown by advertisements in my possession,) is one mile in 2 minutes and 42 seconds, which I consider the best time ever made by the Sherman or Black Hawk horses.

The Henry Clay, sired by Gifford Morgan, and owned by Mr. Wood of Providence, R. I., has trotted a mile in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Beppo, sired by the same, trotted his mile over the Centreville track in 2 minutes 32 seconds. The chestnut horse owned by Robert Abel of Pawtucket, sired also by Gifford Morgan, has trotted a mile in 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

These facts cannot be disproved, and show a slight preference in favor of the Woodbury branch of the Morgan Horses as regards speed. I offer them, however, as no disparagement to the Black Hawks--as I consider both branches of the Morgan stock to be the very best in this country.

The subscriber has in his hands reliable vouchers for all the facts above stated.

JOSHUA SCOTT
Vergennes, March 23, 1852.