Re: The Trigg letters
Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 9:19 pm
Here is some more of the history of this strain of hounds.
The following is a quotation from Mr. Trigg’s book, The
American Fox Hound:
“In 1866 we opened correspondence with George L. F. Birdsong, of Thomaston, Ga., and purchased of him
that year and in 1867 the following dogs, paying these prices: Chase and Bee (by Longstreet) $100.00;
George, $100.00; Rip, $100.00; Fannie, $100.00. Lee was presented to us. In 1868, we visited Mr. Birdsong and spent a week with him. He was then feeble, in fact threatened with that terrible disease, consumption, from which he died the 18th of August the following year. He was able to take us on but one hunt, when we caught a red fox in 45 minutes. We suspected the fox was not in condition to run, and held a post mortem, but found nothing wrong with him.
“Mr. Birdsong then had in his kennel—we had him in the hunt—a dog that has been talked about a great deal in late years, July. We also had in the pack three of his get, I think then about three years old. i.e. Madcap, Light Foot, and Echo. He also had three yearlings out of Echo by his celebrated dog Longstreet, i.e. Delta,
Dumas and David. By begging two days and paying $500, he let us have Lightfoot and Delta. In addition to these we purchased Forrest, Boston, and Emma, paying $100 each.
“In 1867 we visited General G. W. Maupin, of Madison County, Ky., and were present at the great match race between Ben Robinson of Montgomery county and General Maupin. This meet took place at the Oil Springs, in Clark county, and was much talked about by the hunters everywhere at that time. After the race, we accompanied General Maupin home, spending several days hunting with him. On our departure we purchased of him a young bitch called Minnie that was one or two crosses from his celebrated dog called Tennessee Lead on one side and the imported English dogs on the other.”
Then Mr. Trigg talks about crossing a Tennessee Lead dog named One Eyed King on some bitches by Longstreet out of Echo by Old July, and getting some superior dogs that were the fastest he ever owned. Mr. Birdsong called Longstreet the best dog he ever owned. Longstreet was of the Henry strain, and not supposed to be related to old July, although they were both Irish hounds and descendants of Mountain and Muse, who were imported into Maryland during the year 1814. It seems to me that Mr. Trigg had for his
foundation breeding stock three of the best strains in existence at that time. They also appeared to be as good as anything we have today.
It is interesting to note that such good breeders as Gosnell, Henry, Maupin, the Senior Walkers, Goodmans, Trigg and Bidrdsong all lived at the same time, almost all knew each other, and traded breeding stock. They lived in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia, and transportation facilities were poor at that time. When July and Mary, as puppies, made their trip from Maryland to Georgia, they were carried in a sack, on horse back, a distance of 700 miles. Those men were real dog breeders, and they were always hunting better blood for out crossing. They were not hampered by pedigree lines as we are today. They bred the best ones to the best ones, regardless of strain.
I have been talking here about fox dogs and breeders who lived between 1850 and 1900, and have been discussing the best ones. I am sure they had plenty of the other kind. You hunters who like to make comparisons between the old time hounds and those of today should read about the get of Tennessee Lead and old July, and then write a story. Those two dogs have been dead 90 years, but you can find the history of their families in Mr. Trigg’s book, “The American Foxhound”, and George J. Garrett’s book, “Fifty Years With
Fox and Hounds”. On page 36 Mr. Garrett quotes from the Turf Register as follows: “The Pollock pack of Irish foxhounds caught four red fox in one day during December, 1836, by two o’clock in the afternoon.” That was 118 years ago. I doubt if those fox had been eating plenty of good greasy cracklins like Mr. J. F. Manning and I feed our fox here.
I recently came down with a bad knee that put me in the hospital. My neighbor, Mr. Reuben Windsor, brought me his hound dog library. He had it all, from the first stud books of the American Foxhound Breeders down to date. I started with 1850 and didn’t get much past the turn of the century, so the last 54 years is till open for
discussion.
The following is a quotation from Mr. Trigg’s book, The
American Fox Hound:
“In 1866 we opened correspondence with George L. F. Birdsong, of Thomaston, Ga., and purchased of him
that year and in 1867 the following dogs, paying these prices: Chase and Bee (by Longstreet) $100.00;
George, $100.00; Rip, $100.00; Fannie, $100.00. Lee was presented to us. In 1868, we visited Mr. Birdsong and spent a week with him. He was then feeble, in fact threatened with that terrible disease, consumption, from which he died the 18th of August the following year. He was able to take us on but one hunt, when we caught a red fox in 45 minutes. We suspected the fox was not in condition to run, and held a post mortem, but found nothing wrong with him.
“Mr. Birdsong then had in his kennel—we had him in the hunt—a dog that has been talked about a great deal in late years, July. We also had in the pack three of his get, I think then about three years old. i.e. Madcap, Light Foot, and Echo. He also had three yearlings out of Echo by his celebrated dog Longstreet, i.e. Delta,
Dumas and David. By begging two days and paying $500, he let us have Lightfoot and Delta. In addition to these we purchased Forrest, Boston, and Emma, paying $100 each.
“In 1867 we visited General G. W. Maupin, of Madison County, Ky., and were present at the great match race between Ben Robinson of Montgomery county and General Maupin. This meet took place at the Oil Springs, in Clark county, and was much talked about by the hunters everywhere at that time. After the race, we accompanied General Maupin home, spending several days hunting with him. On our departure we purchased of him a young bitch called Minnie that was one or two crosses from his celebrated dog called Tennessee Lead on one side and the imported English dogs on the other.”
Then Mr. Trigg talks about crossing a Tennessee Lead dog named One Eyed King on some bitches by Longstreet out of Echo by Old July, and getting some superior dogs that were the fastest he ever owned. Mr. Birdsong called Longstreet the best dog he ever owned. Longstreet was of the Henry strain, and not supposed to be related to old July, although they were both Irish hounds and descendants of Mountain and Muse, who were imported into Maryland during the year 1814. It seems to me that Mr. Trigg had for his
foundation breeding stock three of the best strains in existence at that time. They also appeared to be as good as anything we have today.
It is interesting to note that such good breeders as Gosnell, Henry, Maupin, the Senior Walkers, Goodmans, Trigg and Bidrdsong all lived at the same time, almost all knew each other, and traded breeding stock. They lived in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia, and transportation facilities were poor at that time. When July and Mary, as puppies, made their trip from Maryland to Georgia, they were carried in a sack, on horse back, a distance of 700 miles. Those men were real dog breeders, and they were always hunting better blood for out crossing. They were not hampered by pedigree lines as we are today. They bred the best ones to the best ones, regardless of strain.
I have been talking here about fox dogs and breeders who lived between 1850 and 1900, and have been discussing the best ones. I am sure they had plenty of the other kind. You hunters who like to make comparisons between the old time hounds and those of today should read about the get of Tennessee Lead and old July, and then write a story. Those two dogs have been dead 90 years, but you can find the history of their families in Mr. Trigg’s book, “The American Foxhound”, and George J. Garrett’s book, “Fifty Years With
Fox and Hounds”. On page 36 Mr. Garrett quotes from the Turf Register as follows: “The Pollock pack of Irish foxhounds caught four red fox in one day during December, 1836, by two o’clock in the afternoon.” That was 118 years ago. I doubt if those fox had been eating plenty of good greasy cracklins like Mr. J. F. Manning and I feed our fox here.
I recently came down with a bad knee that put me in the hospital. My neighbor, Mr. Reuben Windsor, brought me his hound dog library. He had it all, from the first stud books of the American Foxhound Breeders down to date. I started with 1850 and didn’t get much past the turn of the century, so the last 54 years is till open for
discussion.
