Domestic Animals

Domestic Animals. Found in George Washington's Forest. , George Washington was very fond of horses and dogs and owned many during his lifetime. Both animals could be found in the forest as part of various activities at the estate, such as foxhunts. The American Kennel Club credits George Washington for helping to develop the breed called American Foxhounds by crossing American hounds with English and French ones., Enslaved workers such as Sambo Anderson and Tom Davis, accompanied by a Newfoundland dog called Gunner, hunted in the woods for the wild game that was served on Mount Vernon's dining tables., French hounds were sent to Washington as a gift by a French admirer. Although Mrs. Washington was furious, the general delighted in recounting to his guests how Vulcan, one of those dogs, bounded into Mount Vernon's kitchen and dashed out the door with a ham meant for dinner., Which was not a name for one of Washington's dogs? , Countess, Nelson, Ragman, or Sweetlips? , Nelson, known for his composure during battle, was General Washington's favorite war horse during the Revolutionary War. Nelson retired to Mount Vernon, where he lived to be 27. Washington owned many horses, most of them not as famous as Nelson. When not away serving the country, Washington traveled by horseback to his five farms almost every day and through the forest "in search of the sort of Trees I shall want for my walks, groves, and Wildernesses." , , George Washington , January 1785., [Caption:] , General Washington, who was 6'2.5," next to Nelson who stood 16 bands high., General Washington noted in 1799 that while he had "a large stock of Hogs, the precise number is unknown." Identifying the number on the 18th-century estate was quite difficult because Washington, like most farmers, let his hogs run free in the forests, where they fed on roots, nuts, wild herbs, and fungi. The Ossabaw Island hogs at Mount Vernon today are a rare heritage breed similar to the hogs that lived here during Washington's time.