Major Lipscomb , set his negroes free , and gave this mare to little Ben Lipscomb . This mare ’ s name was Jolly , but in later years we find her referred to as ‘' Old Jol Kenedy .” She was bred to McMeen ’ s Traveler , and the result was a chastnut colt carried away in Wilder ’ s Raid along with his sire .
After the War closed a Government Sale was held at Nashville and attended by most of the horsemen from this section . Mr . T . E . Lipcomb , iy > w 81 years old , and who had held about every office in the gift of the county , attended this sale along with old Harper Hill , former caretaker of McMeen ’ s Traveler . When a chestnut stud was led into the ring , Hill became excited and said that was Ben ’ s colt that was carried away as a two-year old in the “ Big Raid ”. Mr . Lipscomb disagreed with him saying Ben ’ s colt had a big scar on his neck caused from a snag he had struck running down by the side of a rail fence . Hill contended this was on the right side and hidden by the name . Meanwhile the horse was knocked down to Maj . Almon of Cornersville for $ 42.50 .
Hill , not satisfied , went around to examine this horse ’ s neck under the mane ; there was the scar . So on their arrival home they told Major Lipscomb , who left next morning for Cornersville , and succeeded in landing the horse back home for S100 . Prince Pulaski was known for some years as “ Little Traveler ,” and his name was not changed until he passed into the hands of W . Marsh Johnson , Trustee of Hickman County . There are quite a number of men now living who will vouch for all the facts I have set forth in connection with this horse .
Prince Pulaski sired the second dam of Walter Direct ’ s
sire , Direct Hal 2:04 1 4 , and also sired Prince Pulaski Jr ., sire of Walter Direct ’ s dam . While Joe Bowers , another son of McMeen ’ s Traveler , sired the second dam of Walter Direct . Joe Bowers was a chestnut horse , bred by Fred Watkins of Ashwood , Maury County . His dam was a mughbred mare by Imported Albion . Mr . David Wati : , now 80 years of age and one of our prominent citiu . - ', ' Mis me he rode this Albion mare over to Cross loges to be bred to McMeen ’ s Traveler to get Joe Bow-
Joe Bowers was a great pacer in his day , and not long -go I listened with charmed interest to the details of his races with McKimmon ’ s George , a gelding of much prestige , and up until that time undefeated . Mr . Dave Watkins said his father sent a negro to Ashwood with a message for him to ride Joe Bowers to Columbia that night . The next day he met McKimmin ’ s George at the old fair grounds to race half-mile heats , best two in three . Mc Kimmon ’ s George was hitched to a light cart , while Joe Bowers was raced under the saddle . Joe Bowers won both heats easily , and when an hour later his father in _ formed him Joe had been sold to Dr . Jas . T . Akin , he ran away from home and it was a week before they found
him . They said Dr . Akin made some deal with a Northern
man to race the horse , and that he carried him away f0r two seasons . He said he did not remember further details , except they said the horse was never beaten . He was a great sire of saddle horses , as well as many pacers to win in this section in the early days of harness racing . His son , Joe Bowers Jr ., was a sire of many good pacers , and so far as I can remember they were about all chestnuts . One or two started here as trotters when 2:35 to 2:40 would win .
I have covered the older sires that figure most prominently in our latter-day pacers . There are others not mentioned that may or may not have deserved some comment . 1 have only included such as would force themselves upon any consideration of the bloodlines involved in this matter .
At the outset I said it was not my purpose to discuss the native horse further than the old age of Gibson ’ s Tom Hal ; but for fear it might be thought or construed that sentiment for this family might lend a biased attitude , I want to make brief reference to the introduction of trotting blood through Direct and later through other channels .
It has been said that the Hal horse was originally produced ' and developed as a saddle horse , one that could do it with ease to horse and rider . In order to do this he must of necessity slip over the ground with as little action as possible . It is notorious to this day that the best or easiest riding saddle horses tip their toes . They could all pace naturally , but speed and more speed required action .
Direct could dart like an arrow , but he too rather skinned the ground . However , it did not take weight to give him speed . That he was a trotter of no slight ability would preclude the probability of his carrying weight on the pace . And it is a little strange that when he met Bessie Hal , a daughter of Tom Hal , and got Direct Hal , that he greatly magnified the forward action . Direct Hal got the high going Walter Direct from still another Hal mare , while Walter Direct got from a 50 per cent Hal mare , Napoleon Direct , the highest going great pacer that has ever appeared . f ;: * u . sseik cr is ; « s « e
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96 Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse