1968-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1968 January Voice RS | Page 90

the ring included 43 entries 27 of which were by Mc-
Meen’s Traveler. The judges finally agreed to eliminate
all but his gray mare and a chesnut mare belonging to
Capt. George Campbell. Not being able to decide between
these two they agreed to clear the ring and let speed
award the prize. The winning of this mare was all the
more remarkable on account of her age, as she had pro­
duced the renowned war-horse, Comet, and in 1862 had
given us the good sire Whirlwind, a natural pacer by the
Thoroughbred Childe Harold.
I have dwelt at length on McMeen’s Traveler, for
scarce a pacer ever left Tennessee that did not carry one
or more infusions of his blood. Consensus of opinion as
well as established recitals of endurance and class, make
him the most potent factor in the history of this strain.
It also is interesting to note at this point that even the
far-a-bred Single G 1:581/2 has a cross to this noted pro­
genitor.
Next in importance among the sires playing a promi­
nent role on the maternal end of this family of pacers
was Knight’s Snow Heels, alluded to once before as hav­
ing been stolen during the War, but recovered in Missis­
sippi. I give his breeding as contained in letter from his
breeder, Gen. Knight to Major Campbell Brown.
“Knight's Snow Heels was a dark bay horse with white
ankles behind, foaled in 1856, and bred by my brother,
Dr. L. W. Knight, Nashville, Tennessee. He was got by
Knight’s Tom Hal son of Clay's Tom Hal. Knight’s Tom
Hal was bred by Mr. Geo. Robb of Leguards, Wilson
County, Tenn., and sold to my father, Capt. James
Knight.
This is a continuation of a letter from the breeder of
Knight's Snow Heels, Gen. Knight, to Major Campbell
Brown.
“Knight’s Snow Heels was out of Lizzie Sherbrook, by
Wm. Puckett’s Glencoe, a thoroughbed son of Imp. Glen­
coe. His second dam was Fannie Johnson, a daughter of
Wm. Thomas’ Solomon, and was bred by Dr. Samuel
Johnson, of Forestville, Tenn. His third dam was a big
brown mare by Stump The Dealer. Dr. Johnson told me
he rode this brown mare 12 years in his practice through
the rough country around Liberty Gap in Bedford Coun­
ty, and that he rode her with more pleasure than any
horse, he ever backed.
“Knight’s Snow Heels was stolen by the Confederates
during the War, just after the Battle of Murfreesboro,
and taken to near Canton, Miss. Major Lewis Maney
(son-in-law of Gov. Cannon), saw the horse and told us.
I went to Canton after the War and recovered him,
brought him back to Caney Springs, Marshall County,
where he remained until he was sold to Guilford Dudley
of Williamson County for 81500.
“He was one of the grandest horses—fast, very fast,
a flyer, and of endurance very wonderful. He had a full
brother called Knight’s Traveler, a larger horse than
Snow Heels, and a dark mahogany bay, wonderfully fast.
After losing Snow Heels we lanced out his eyes to pre­
vent his being stolen. My brother took the horse to John­
son County, 111, along with some jacks and sold him for
8250. He rode this blind horse over 2,000 miles and he
never fell with him. Several years lat*r I saw in the
town of Vienna, 111, some fine mares, extra in gait, by this
blind horse Traveler.
“My father gave the old horse, Knight’s Tom Hal to
Esquire Tom McEJroy, that he might not be taken by the
90
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Federals, he being a Union Man. He was taken several
times and recovered, until one night the lock was broken
and he disappeared for good. Later it was learned that
he was carried to East Tennessee and then to Ohio, where
he was called “Blue John”.
“Knight’s Tom Hal was by Clay’s Tom Hal, out of a
mare by Pacolet, a son of Imp. Citizen. Pacolet was the
horse Gen. Jackson bought to beat the celebrated Haney
Mare when ridden by the colored jockey, Monkey Simon.”
Now we come to “Old Tom Hal”, Gibson’s Tom Hal,
Tom Hal No. 1 in Parson’s Register, or Tom Hal Jr.
16934 in the American Trotting Register.
I dive into this horse and his family tree with reluc­
tance. Locally he had never had a pedigree, while abroad
he has been the victim of large speculation and final reg­
istration. He is registered as a blue roan horse, foaled
in 1862, by Kittrell’s Tom Hal, out of Julia Johnson, by
Adam Stump, son of Stump the Dealer. He was a chest­
nut roan.
For the time being we will deal with his sire Kittrell’s
Tom Hal, as he is the horse credited with so much siring,
played an innovation as it were on the local strain of
saddle horses. I find the following in the Columbia
Herald of Sept. 22, 1882, 44 years ago:
“I, M. B. Kittrell of Spring Creek, Wilson County,
Tenn., stood Kittrell’s Tom Hal at my place eight years.
Bay, one hind foot white; bought of Simeon Kirtley of
Bourbon County Kentucky, in 1851. Sold in 1860 to
Bryant & Orr of Mooresville, Marshall County, Tenn., for
$1200.”
Strange to say, I have never been able to find where
this horse fits in correctly in any pedigree. I have never
been able to find, nor have I ever interviewed any man
who was able to put his hand on any evidence that he
Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse