USA > Kentucky > Henderson County > History of Henderson County, Kentucky > Part 68
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the three best in five, mile heats, to which was added $2,500, the largest purse ever run for in a three in five race. She also won one stake race in the very remarkable time of 2.812 and 114 miles. At Detroit Bancroft won the Michigan Derby, and a mile heat stake for three year olds. He was the only starter from Mr. Young's stable at that meeting. From Detroit the stable was taken to Saratoga, New York, and at that meeting Beatitude and Boot Jack both won a purse race each. From Saratoga, the stable was returned to the fall meet- ing, held at Louisville, where Beatitude failed in her fore legs and was withdrawn from the turf. Boot Jack won the two year old stake. At Nashville, the next week Boot Jack started and was second to Lelex ; Bancroft won the Cumberland stakes, two miles for three year olds. This ended the racing season of 1880, and Mr. Young's winnings, when calculated, showed the large sum of $19,600. During this year, Manitou and Boswell were sold, and such horses added to his stable as Lost Cause, Boatman, Getawav, and Beatrice.
At the beginning of the spring 1881 races, Mr. Young's stable was much stronger than it was the previous year. He started at Nashville, with his stable, and at the meeting Boot Jack won the " Belle Meade " stake 11/2 miles ; Bancroft won the 134 mile, "Rail- road Stakes ;" at Louisville, just afterwards, Bancroft won the " In- augural" rush 114 miles, defeating the famous Checkmate. He also won the Louisville Cup, 214 miles, beating Checkmate and Mendel- sohn. For this race Mr. Young had Bancroft heavily backed in the books, and as a veritable consequence won what is called in turf par- lance, "a barrel of money." At Cincinnati, the following week, Critic and Monogram were purchased of Captain Wm. Cottrell. This stable, comprising Boot Jack, Bancroft, Getaway, Beatrice, Monogram and Critic, was entered in six races, and ran without defeat, winning the entire six, in which the horses were entered. At St. Louis, the follow- ing week, Boatman and Critic each won a race, Getaway ran and won the best 178 mile heat race on record; Bancroft won two races, one of which was the Brewers' Cup, 214 miles. In this race, as at Louisville, Mr. Young had Bancroft heavily backed. At Chicago the following week Getaway won the best 2 mile heat race ever run by a three year old. Lost Cause won his debutant effort. At Saratoga, Getaway and Boot Jack won six races each. It was here Getaway was matched against Eole for $2,500 and suffered defeat. At this meeting Mr. Young purchased Perplex and Patti. Perplex won four races, Patti won one. From Saratoga the stable was brought to the fall meeting at Lexington. Here Getaway won the Viley Stakes, Lost Cause, the
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two colt stakes, and Boot Jack, two purse races. In the Station stake Getaway broke down in his fore legs, and was afterwards sold ; Patti won the Inaugural Rush. At Louisville, Lost Cause won both the two year old events ; Boot Jack won four races, one being the " Great American Stallion " stake, the other the Turf stake ; Perplex won two races out of three starts. At Nashville, the last meeting of the year 1881, and after having run at the same place in the spring, subse- quently at Louisville, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Chicago, Saratoga, Lex- ington and again at Louisville- the renowned Boot Jack won here two races on the same day, and the following day won the Cumber- land stakes, mile heats for three year olds; Lost Cause won the two year old stake. This closed the year 1881, and upon an accurate cal- culation Mr. Young's purse and stake winnings aggregated the round sum of $37.700, nearly double that of 1880. During 1881, Mr. Young added to his stable Bondholder and Ascender, and the spring of 1882 found his string of flyers composed as follows, Bondholder, Boot Jack, Bancroft, Perplex, Lost Cause, Monogram, Patti, Ascender, Boatman, Glen Arm and several others not worthy of mention. This spring found the Young stable in elegant form for the year's work. The spring of '82 racing, so far as this stable was concerned, com- menced at Louisville, and here as a successful starter, Monogram won the one mile dash, and the mile heat race for three year olds; Bancroft won the mile dash in 1.4212 It was here that Bondholder defeated the celebrated " Punster," and several others for the Runnymeade stakes for two year olds. At St. Louis, Monogram won the Missouri Derby, and a mile dash ; Bancroft won two races, one 118 and 11/2 miles ; Boot Jack won three races, 178 miles, 114 miles and mile heats ; Ascender won the 34 mile and 1 mile, for two year olds ; Perplex won the 78 of a mile ; Lost Cause won the 158 mile dash, and Glen Arm 7/8 mile dash. At this meeting Mr. Young won the first day's pro- gramme, consisting of four races, with four horses as follows : Mono- gram, " Missouri Derby," Boot Jack, mile heats, Ascender, 3/4 mile dash, Bancroft, 118 miles. Such unprecedented fortune was never known to fall to the lot of a turfman before in the history of racing. At Chicago, Boatman made his first appearance for the year, winning a mile race for three year olds ; Ascender won two valuable two year old stakes, 34 and 1 mile ; Boot Jack won two races, one at a mile and one at two miles, the longest race ever run by that horse. At Sara- toga Bancroft let down, and was started in a selling race, which he won; he was sold for one thousand dollars. Boot Jack won several races, the best of which was a cash handicap 178 miles, in the fast
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time of 1.5412 ; his stable companion, Boatman ran second. Boatman won four races, two of them the " Kenna," and the "Sequel " stakes. perhaps the most prominent and important races ran during the meet- ing. Ascender ran four times, and was defeated only once. Patti won one race ; Monogram won two. At this meeting Mr. Young sold Boot Jack, Lost Cause and Perplex to the Dwyer Bros., of New York. Here he purchased Vera, a most promising young race mare.
From Saratoga the Young stable was brought again to the fall (1882) meeting at Lexington ; here Ascender won the two year old stake ; here Square Dance was purchased.
At Louisville, the following week, Ascender won the mile stake for two-year olds; Vera the mile stake for two-year old fillies ; Boat- man won the great American stallion stake. This stake has been in existence since the organization of the Louisville Race Course, and Mr. Young is the only turfman who has won the stake two con- secutive years. Square Dance won, at this meeting, two races. At this meeting, Mr. Young's racing career was brought to a close, he having determined to abandon it for the more pleasant and agreeable life of breeding for the turf. To this end, at the Louisville meeting, he sold to R. C. Pate, of St. Louis, Boatman, Monogram, Bondholder, Ascender, Tangent, Longway, Emperor, Rex, Embargo, Empire, En- voy and Endymion, absolutely. He also sold the running qualities for the racing season for which they were entered, the following fillies : Vera, Nannie D., Maria D., Tattoo, Trophy and Trinket. He reserved Patti and Square Dance. This sale was made for the hand- some sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, cash in hand paid. In summing up the year's business, it was found that the winnings from stake and purse races, amounted to $30,300. Thus, it will be seen, that the star of fortune had never before stuck so closely to a young man, in so risky a business, as it did to Mr. Young. His turf life began in the spring of 1879 with two broken down racers and a limited purse, and ended in the fall of 1882 with a stable of magnificent runners and a barrel of money to carry out any plan he might choose to undertake. For some time he had set his soul upon being the owner of McGrath- iana, perhaps the finest blue grass farm in all the State of Kentucky. On September 14th, 1882, McGrathiana, the magnificent home of Price McGrath, the renowned owner of Tom Bowling, was offered for sale at commissioner's sale, and Milton Young, being the highest bidder, became the purchaser for the sum of $47,000. The farm comprises four hundred and seventeen acres of land, a beautiful brick and stone residence, elegant outbuildings and superior stables and breeding improvements. It is located three miles from Lexington, on the Newtown pike.
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It is Mr. Young's intention to make McGrathiana still more noted in turf annals, and, to this end, he has selected the purest blooded racing stock to be found in America. He now has in his McGrathiana stud, the celebrated stallion, Onendaga (full brother to Sensation), by Leamington, dam Susan Bean. Duke of Montrose, six years old, by Waverly, dam Kelpie by imported Bonnie Scotland. These two stallions have no superior in this country. He has in his harem forty-seven mares, which cost him on an average of one thou- sand dollars each. Among the number we note, Beatitude, Bliss and Beatrice, full sisters ; Fonwitch, full sister to Fonso; Kelpie, dam of Jeannette ; Gladiola, sister to Glidelia; Black Maria, sister to Ban- croft ; Perhaps, dam of Perplex; Skylight, sister to Vandlelight ; Olivia, dam Olitipa. Of the forty-seven mares in the harem, eight of them are by Imported Bonnie Scotland ; four by Imported Aus- tralian ; four by Imported Leamington. Twenty-seven of these mares foaled last spring, by such stallions as King Alphonso, Longfellow, King Ban and Imported Mortimer. Mr. Young sold, last spring, four colts : one out of Beatitude, by King Alphonso ; one out of Nelly Booker, by Harper's Tenbroeck ; one out of Perhaps, by St. Martin, and one by Fellowcraft, dam an Enquirer mare. A majority of his mares were bred last spring to Onandago, and a few to the Duke of Montrose. Annual sales of yearlings will be one of the main features of McGrathiana from this time on.
In conclusion : During Mr. Young's turf career he has won one hundred and twenty-one races, been second fifty-nine times, and winning the sum total, in public money, of $80,100. Mr. Young always backed his horses, and his winnings, outside of stakes and purses, it is confidently said, have amounted to $200,000. Mr. Young has been a close observer, always keeping a watchful eye over his horses and never shooting at high game unless he had good guns and first-class ammunition.
The following compliment, taken from the Courier-Journal, I heartily endorse : " The present proprietor of McGrathiana is not unlike that of the celebrated Captain Machell, of England. Neither of them has ever owned a sensational horse, nor won the greatest prize contended for in their respective countries ; but each of them has had many good ones, has managed them with rare tact and judg- ment, and has gained a deserving reputation for shrewdness and abil- ity ; the fact is Mr. Young is the " Machell " of the American turf.
Now, after a life of success unparalleled in the history of this county, we come to the finale, wherein he crowns it all with a queenly
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ornament : the result of a taste in keeping with his splendid business judgment. To complete the victory and renown he so hurriedly builded all by himself, he has displayed a degree of sense surpassing even the brightest of his turf life. On December the 14, 1882, he was married to Miss Lucie Spalding, the handsome, and highly cultured daughter of Hon. and Mrs. I. A. Spalding, of Morganfield Ky. A truly brilliant and happy event in the life of him whose young life had been filled with successful prolific blessings. She meets the stranger with an ease and grace which have a peculiar charm, showing that she has been accustomed to the highest circles of society, and in her presence he at once feels at home. Mr. Young, while on the turf, won 121 races, but his last victory, when he captured Mrs. Young, was by long odds the greatest prize and a fitting crown to his retire- ment.
In conclusion, allow me to say, on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Young, that they are well settled down, and nothing will afford them more pleasure than to receive calls from friends and strangers, having both the ability and inclination to entertain them in true old Kentucky style ; in other words, the latch-string at McGrathiana always hangs on the outside.
HON. OLLIE B. STEELE. (Sketch by the Hon. John A. Smith, Secretary Louisiana State Senate.)-The subject of this sketch was born at Henderson, Kentucky, on December 2d, 1844, and was educated at the City Academy, taught by Prof. Warner Craig. At the age of twelve he became a member of the "Ionian Debating So- ciety," a literary institution of that time, numbering many of the best and brightest young men of the town.
In 1857 the Sabbath Schools of Henderson held a joint Fourth of July celebration, choosing orators for the occasion from among the members of the debating society. Young Steele appeared for the Christian School. The lamented Governor, L. W. Powell, was pres- ent, and honored the boy orators, by introducing each to the vast concourse of people assembled in " Alves Grove," the place of cele- bration. In 1858 Steele was awarded the first prize for horseman- ship at the Henderson Fair. Of the then students of Henderson Academy, those who survive will remember him as being usually hon- ored in its weekly debates, with first place, he being an active partic- ipant. From being a frequent observer of the drills and parades of the Kentucky State Guards, he conceived a love for military profes- sion, and induced the professor of the Academy to establish a mili- tary company composed of the older students. At an election of offi-
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cers, he was chosen Captain of the company, which post he held until he enlisted in the Confederate Army, being several times re elected. The boy soldiers were known as "The Academy Blues, "their uniform consisting of blue jacket and grey pantaloons. Their drill be- came so excellent, that the boy company soon eclipsed both Home and State Guards. In 1860 they gave a drill on the fair grounds, win- ning applause from the thousands of people present. In the spring of 1861, the famous " Eleventh Indiana Zouaves, " commanded by General, then Colonel Lew "Wallace, were encamped at Evansville, and the " Academy Blues" paid them a visit. The company were welcomed by Colonel Wallace in a neat speech, which was responded to by Captain Steele, who then put the " Blues " through their drill in the presence of the Zouaves, winning the admiration of the regi- ment. In August, 1861, when not yet seventeen years old, he en- tered the Confederate army, enlisting in Captain James Ingram's com- pany of the Fourth Kentucky Infantry, but did not go into active ser- vice until the following October, when Henderson was occupied by a Federal regiment under Colonel Cruft. While Cruft's regiment was on dress parade, Steele, Major Ed Rankin and others, stole out of the city on their way to join General Buckner at Bowling Green. On the following morning, the party breakfasted at Madisonville, forty miles distant. Arriving at Bowling Green, Steele attached himself to the " Issaqueena Artillery," afterwards known as the famous " Graves' Battery," of which Major Rice Graves was the first Captain. Because of his small stature and tender age, Ollie was made bugler of the com- pany. Owing to his knowledge of infantry tactics, he was also em- ployed as drill master, at the same time acting as clerk to Major T. R. Hotchkiss, who had charge of the ordinance stores and of the mounting of the heavy guns in the several forts around Bowling Green. Now the terrible realities of civil strife became vividly im- pressed upon his mind. His battery participated in the four days' fight at Fort Donelson, where many Henderson boys were engaged on either side.
Friend fought friend, and brother fought brother, the blue and the grey of Henderson immediately confronted each other in the last day's battle. Stretched upon the field, with a mortal wound in his breast, Steele saw his brother Cyrus, who had joined the Union army, Here, Dudley, seeing a Federal officer lying, wrapped in a blanket, at the foot of a large tree, seemingly fatally wounded, and, thinking his end near, remarked : " He ought to be killed." The officer replied : " I am Colonel Logan, of the - Illinois regiment, and have but a
CAPT. O. B. STEEL.
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short time to live." The Colonel recovered, was afterwards promoted to Major General, and, subsequent to the war, served as United States Senator from Illinois up to his death.
After the capture of Donelson, many of the Henderson boys, who had espoused the cause of the blue, visited Graves' Battery and talked of by-gone days. This company, among others, were sent prisoners to Camp Morton, Indianapolis, Indiana, where they remained until the following September, when they were sent to Cairo, and from thence, by way of the river, to Vicksburg, where they were exchanged. From Vicksburg, the company were marched to Jackson, and, after halting there a few days, were hurried forward to Knoxville to join General J. C. Breckenridge, who was organizing a command to enter Kentucky and reinforce Bragg. During Breckenridge's advance to Cumberland Gap, and subsequent return to Chattanooga and Mur- freesboro, Steele, by his activity and close attention to details, was promoted to Corporal and Sergeant in rapid succession. He was by far the best drilled officer in Graves' Battery, and, for this reason, was most frequently detailed to drill duty. He fought with this battery at Hartsville, where two thousand Federals were captured.
At Murfreesboro, owing to the wounding of many officers of the battery, Steele was given command of one section. During the winter of 1863, he was tendered the office of First Lieutenant of the Fourth Kentucky, Ingram's Company, and accepted. With this regiment he served in the Joe Johnston campaign for the reliet of Vicksburg, and fought at the battle of Jackson. Major Rice Graves recommended him to General Breckenridge for promotion in the ordinance service, but this was declined on account of his age. At Chickamauga, during the second day's fight, the Fourth Kentucky captured a section of Federal artillery, which, but for the skill and indomitable watchfulness of Steele, would have been recaptured. This valued prize he turned over to General Forrest in person.
While on the field of battle, General Breckenridge rode up to Steele and ordered him to report to Cobb's Battery, Major Graves having been mortally wounded. While the army lay in front of Chat- tanooga, Steele became Acting Adjutant of Artillery of Breckenridge's Division, and subsequently Acting Adjutant for the corps, which position he filled with signal ability until the battle of Missionary Ridge.
Breckenridge's Division went into winter quarters at Kingston, Georgia, and, during that time, Steele obtained a leave of absence for thirty days, during which time he visited Henderson, his native home.
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He made the journey from Princeton to Henderson, a distance of seventy miles, in one day, upon the back of a mule. His leave of absence having expired, he rejoined his command and remained with the Fourth Kentucky until near the close of the Atlanta campaign, when he resigned. He went to Tupelo, and there asked authority of General Forrest to enter Kentucky and recruit a company for artil- lery service. His application was granted and General Abe Buford issued to him all necessary papers. In August, 1864, he struck the Tennessee River and proceeded down that stream in a canoe. He then crossed to the Cumberland and made his way to Henderson. Having recruited near eighty men, he started on his return South, via Eddyville, on the Cumberland, arriving there on the night of Septem- ber 9th. Observing a lot of men standing at a street corner, Steele, supposing them to be citizens, halted his command on the bank and then rode into the town to inquire concerning some boats he had learned were there. Much to his surprise, instead of citizens, he found himself in the hands of a squad of Federal soldiers, to whom he was compelled to surrender. Two of his men were captured, but the others made good their escape. Steele was relieved of his pocket change and papers, but, by strategy, managed to save his watch. A short time after his arms were pinioned behind him and he started on horseback, under guard, for Princeton. Arriving there about midnight, he and his two men were confined in the Court House, where they found a dozen or fifteen of Colonel Adam Johnston's men prisoners. A few days after, Steele and thirteen men were returned to Eddyville for transportation to Louisville. On the thirteenth day of September, they were marched aboard the steamer Mattie Cabler, in charge of a sergeant and seven guards. Arriving that same evening at Smithland, on the Ohio River, the prisoners were transferred from the Cabler to the steamer Collossus, where a Lieutenant was placed in charge of the guard. Captain Steele was very kindly treated by the Captain of the boat, who claimed to be a Southern man. The Lieutenant was also very -polite, but all of his kindly overtures were declined, because Steele had fully made up his mind to capture the boat and liberate himself and men. Steele and the other prisoners were placed on the hurri- cane roof of the boat, and, after the Lieutenant had retired, two of the prisoners and two of the guards amused themselves by playing cards by moonlight.
At the suggestion of Steele, the prisoners all slept close together, spoon fashion, so that opportunity could be given to explain his plan
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for escape, which he had not, until then, imparted to them. At early dawn, the sleepless prisoners being chilled cold from the night dews, gathered about the smokestacks; nervous with excitement as to the result of the forthcoming struggle Steele had notified them that his signal for action would be the buttoning up of his coat. Placing himself at a point between the Federal watch and the smokestacks, he, seeing a suitable opportunity, commenced to button up, when several of his men moved to the opposite side of the boat and concealed themselves under the eaves of the skylights. Thinking the opportunity lost, he began to upbraid them for their cowardice, when Elliott and Johnson walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder, and said : "Captain, we will die by you." At the same moment, seeing McClure, Dr. Arnett and the Crider brothers also ready for action, Steele again commenced hastily to button his coat, and, as the last button slipped through its hole, he, in the twinkling of an eye, disarmed the guard nearest to him, and Elliot and Johnson, at the same time, disarmed the guards nearest to them. Steele and Johnson then turned upon the Sergeant of the Guard, who lay asleep upon the deck, and, not wishing to kill him, pricked him up with a bayonet, demanding his surrender. He arose, drawing a pistol as he did so, and fired, saying : " Surrender, hell !" The shot passed over their heads. He was then thrust through the body with a bayonet, shot and instantly killed. As he fell he threw his pistol into the river. Steele next turned upon the guard at the bell, who, throwing up his hinds, surrendered his gun and pistol. In a moment he was pursu- ing another, when the man he had first disarmed, having recovered from his surprise, struck him behind the ear with his fist, almost knocking him down, at the same time seizing his gun by the muzzle. Recovering himself, Steele tried to wrench the muzzle round to the other's breast to shoot him, but the man held it firmly under his left arm, and, in that position, struck Steele blow after blow with his right fist. At this instant a pistol ball from Elliott felled him, but he rose and came again, when Steele knocked him down with his gun. Still unconquered, he returned to the attack a third time, when he was shot through the heart and killed on the spot. By this time two of the guards had been killed, two others wounded and taken prisoners, and the others disarmed, while Steele and his men had not suffered a scratch, except the pounding the Captain himself received.
A ridiculous incident now occurred that created merriment, despite the gravity of the situation. A green Irishman, a raw recruit, evidently a recent importation, being summoned to surrender, and,
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not knowing how to do so, started on a run around the pilot house, making the circuit of it twice and receiving several prods from bayo- nets, before he could be made to understand what was required of him. Pat being captured, the remainder of the guards, who had fled to the pilot house, descended and gave themselves up. All were ordered aft, and, in their turn, placed under guard.
The roof was now in Steele's possession, but not a moment too soon, for, at this juncture, the Lieutenant was discovered attempting to climb upon it from the cabin railing. Captain Steele charged him, when he hastily fell back. Turning to the hatchway to descend in pursuit of the Lieutenant, Steele met the entire boat crew, fifteen or twenty in number, at the head of the stairway, coming up. He charged them with his bayonet, when the foremost man fell backward upon his companions, who, in their hurry to retreat, rolled pellmell over each other to the bottom and fled to the hold of the boat for refuge. Captain Steele now instructed the pilot to head the boat for Weston, Kentucky, the nearest good landing place, and then, arming himself with a pistol and taking with him one of his men, went below to secure the Lieutenant and the boat's crew, none of whom had arms. Reaching the cabin, he directed the boat's officers to produce the Lieutenant, who, however, could not be found. Captain Steele him- self then started in search, and discovered the gallant Lieutenant in the chambermaid's quarters, hidden away under her bed.
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