On a hunting day the Farmer breakfasted by candlelight, generally upon corn cakes and milk, and at daybreak, with his guests, Billy and the hounds, sallied forth to find a fox.  Washington always rode a good horse and sometimes wore a blue coat, scarlet waistcoat, buckskin breeches, top boots and velvet cap and carried a whip with a long thong.  When a fox was started none rode more gallantly or cheered more joyously than did he and as a rule he was in at the death, for, as Jefferson asserts, he was “the best horseman of his age, and the most magnificent figure that could be seen on horseback.”

The fox that was generally hunted was the gray fox, which was indigenous to the country.  After the Revolution the red fox began to be seen occasionally.  They are supposed to have come from the Eastern Shore, and to have crossed Chesapeake Bay on the ice in the hard winter of 1779-80.  Custis tells of a famous black fox that would go ten or twenty miles before the hounds and return to the starting-point ready for another run next day.  After many unsuccessful chases Billy recommended that the black reynard be let alone, saying he was near akin to another sable and wily character.  Thereafter the huntsman was always careful to throw off the hounds when he suspected that they were on the trail of the black fox.  This story may or may not be true; all that I can say is that I have found no confirmation of it in Washington’s own writings.

Neither have I found there any confirmation of the story that Mrs. Washington and other ladies often rode out to see the hunts.  Washington had avenues cut through some of his woods to facilitate the sport and possibly to make the riding easier for the ladies.  Upon the whole, however, I incline to the opinion that generally at least Martha stayed at home visiting with lady friends, attending to domestic concerns and superintending the preparation of delectable dishes for the hungry hunters.  I very much doubt whether she would have enjoyed seeing a fox killed.

The French hounds were, at least at first, rather indifferent hunters.  “Went out after Breakfast with my hounds from France, & two which were lent me, yesterday, by Mr. Mason,” says the Farmer the day of the first trial; “found a Fox which was run tolerably well by two of the Frh.  Bitches & one of Mason’s Dogs—­the other French dogs shewed but little disposition to follow—­and with the second Dog of Mason’s got upon another Fox which was followed slow and indifferently by some & not at all by the rest until the sent became so cold it cd. not be followed at all.”

Two days later the dogs failed again and the next time they ran two foxes and caught neither, but their master thought they performed better than hitherto, December 12th: