and once a purchase was made, Jake bred for speed only. Eventually Jake made large sums of money buying and selling horses and he seldom lost a bet at the tracks.
One day Jake heard about a new breed of horse called a quarter horse, a mix between a thoroughbred and the type of horses the Spaniards had brought into Mexico centuries earlier. A man in Natchez was raising them, and the more Jake heard about how quick the horse was, the more he wanted such an animal. It took all the money he had put away from his liquor and racing, but he traveled to Natchez and returned with the first quarter horse the Newton countians had ever seen. His goal was not only to raise a fast horse, but also one that could carry his own massive weight.
A sudden downpour of rain followed by a refreshing cool northern breeze, swirled the leaves in the tops of the trees sending them fluttering toward the ground and brought an end to the extremely hot and dry summer of 1836. Fall was now in the air.
On one of these cool days, Hatta was hanging out some clothes she had just finished washing when the sounds of a wagon rattling and creaking up the rough path leading to the house caught her attention. The noise startled Red and Sourdough, Lott’s prize hounds, who were curled up under the front porch. They bolted out and raced toward the approaching wagon barking and yelping loud enough to warn the entire community.
Hatta quickly walked to the front of the house to get a closer look. As the wagon reached the house, Hatta nervously called out, “This is the Wilson place. What you want here?”
“I assume you might be Mrs. Wilson,” responded the man who was driving as he politely tipped his hat. Tm Samuel Thompson and this here is my wife, Sarah, and that young lady on the end is my daughter, Sarah Alice. We’ve come to talk to Mister Lott Wilson.”
“My name is Hatta, not Mrs. Wilson. Lott and Jake has gone to check on horses near the creek. They be back soon. Get down and come to porch.”
Shortly Lott and Jake rode up with their splendid horses in tow. They were surprised to see guests but assumed they were settlers wishing to locate their property.
Walking up to the steps, Lott introduced himself and Jake and then sent Jake into the house to get some chairs. Lott was introduced to Sarah Alice last and he noticed that she was only a few years younger than he was.
“Mister Wilson, this here is Sarah Alice, our one and only daughter. She’s a petite thing, but she’s some kind of musician. She can play anything she gets her hands on,” said Mister Thompson.
Lott took his hat off and bowed slightly as he reached to shake her hand. She was pretty and only stood about five feet tall with long curly blond hair and deep blue eyes, much the same color as his.
They stood awkwardly holding each other’s hand not knowing how to continue the introduction.
Sarah thought, “This is the most handsome man I have ever met in my life and with such good manners. I hope he isn’t with that Indian lady. I’ll just die if he is.”
Lott was embarrassed and finally found words to get himself out of his predicament.
Im Lott Wilson, and Jake and me was the first white settlers in this country. You all please have a seat,” Lott said, directing Sarah to a chair.
“I heard about you ‘fore we came over today, and Tm also proud to meet ya,” answered Sarah, taking her seat next to Lott.
“Mister Wilson, Tm going to get right to the point of our callin. Tm a Methodist preacher who is workin’ for the Lord in this county, and I want to hold a preachin’ on yore place and invite all the folks ‘round here to come,” stated Mister Thompson.
“A preacherman!” exclaimed Jake. “Hell, we’s been waitin’ for you for two years.”
Realizing his tongue had gotten away from him, he apologized, “Pardon me, preacher, the devil gets a hold of me sometimes.”
“The Lord will forgive ya, Jake,” laughed Mister Thompson. “I get excited myself sometimes.”
“Amen,” replied Mrs. Thompson.
“Mister Thompson. Do you marry people?” asked Hatta reaching for Jake’s hand and nudging him.
“I sure do and I bury them too,” chuckled Mister Thompson. “Who wants to get married?”
Sarah Alice prayed, “Dear Lord, please let it be Jake, not Lott, please not Lott.”
Jake placed his arm around Hatta and pulled her close to his side.
“It’s us, Preacher. We been together for over two years, and ain’t been nobody come by to marry us. I want to marry this woman,” Jake shyly replied.
“Mister Thompson, we have son too. We want preacher to bless family,” Hatta said.
Sarah was elated as she pulled on her father’s coat to encourage a positive response, “Sure he’ll marry you two. He does it every day.”
“Sarah Alice, that decision will be mine. I don’t need yore help young lady,” replied Mister Thompson, somewhat peeved at her brashness.
“But yes, I’ll marry you two when you get ready, but you’ll have to go to the county seat in Decatur and register it. I’ll take care of God’s part, and you two take care of the gov’ment regulations.”
A week later, the community’s first revival was held, and sermons were delivered from the front porch of the Wilsons’ home. An unexpected crowd turned out each evening and went away filled with the spirit, and a few of them went away filled with some of Jake’s special spirit—corn whiskey.
Reverend Thompson brought a pump organ to the meeting, and everyone was impressed at how Sarah Alice could play any song that was requested. On the first night when Sarah began the introduction to a hymn, Red and Sourdough began to howl so loudly the whole congregation broke out in laughter. The highlight of the final night of the revival that ran for seven evenings, was the plaintive voice of Hatta as she sang “Amazing Grace” in her native Choctaw language. This time, even the dogs felt a special reverence and stayed quiet.
Even though some of the settlers frowned on Jake for living with Hatta, they had learned to respect the Wilsons and also accepted Hatta because there wasn’t a kinder or harder working woman in the community.
During the revival, the Thompsons stayed in the Wilsons’ home. This gave Lott and Sarah a chance to spend time together. Each day they would walk the fields and meadows together, take horseback rides into the open woods and at night sit for hours on the front porch until Reverend Thompson called Sarah to bed.
Lott had always been fascinated with Hatta’s beauty and personality, but in Sarah, he discovered in himself a deep love and affection. In Sarah’s eyes and touch, he knew she cared for him. On Christmas eve of 1836, four months after their meeting, Lott and Sarah were married.
They lived on one side of the house and Jake and his family lived across the hall. Homer enjoyed the best of both families. He would often cross the hall and spend the night with Lott and Sarah and at times wander from bedroom to bedroom making this a night time game.
“Jake, can you hear me?” questioned Lott one night from deep up under the covers.
“Sure can brother. What ya want?” muttered Jake from across the open hall.
