The White McClellan House in Cane Hill was built about 1865, and is one of the well-preserved homes of the area. It was restored to something near its original state by Mrs. Nellie Cox in the late 1960's.
It was built by Evan White McClellan when he returned to his home after the Civil War. He was born August 21, 1811 in Knoxville, Tennessee, and died February, 1882 at Boonsboro. On December 29, 1840, he married Sarah Jane Truesdell, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Harrington) Truesdell. She was born April 24, 1823, in Princeton, Indiana, and died December 26, 1905 in Boonsboro.
Evan White and Sarah Jane moved into their new home after it was finished. A large colonial structure boasting eight fire-places, it is said that two men were employed full time during the fall and winter months to cut wood and fire the fireplaces.
There were nine children in this family. The oldest son was John Truesdell, the subject of this story. He joined the Confederate Army and served during the conflict.
John T. was born April 15, 1842 at Boonsboro. At the outbreak of the war he joined Company H, 15th N. W. Ark. Infantry under Captain Buchanan. In 1865, he lost his sight and became totally blind.
At the close of the war, John returned to the family farm in Cane Hill to regain his health. He was determined to overcome the handicap of blindness so he attended the Law School of the University of Virginia and in 1872 he received the Bachelor of Law degree, although it had been necessary to employ someone to do his reading for him.
After his graduation he practiced law in McKinney, Texas and from one client he received a farm or parcel of land which was sold only a few years ago (keep in mind this article was written in 1977) by his heirs. After some years, he returned again to the Cane Hill Farm. After the death of his parents he came into possession of the big house and considerable acreage.
John T. was an expert horseman and always chose for his saddle horse a spirited, intelligent horse. His horses were of a special breed developed by his brother Charles on Charles' Oklahoma ranch, and called Red Wasp.
The horses John T. trained were remarkable. Trained to respond to signals of touch and movement as well as to commands, they would stand unattended, would not pass under low limbs or wire or anything low enough to strike a man in the saddle. He rode to the village almost daily, often with a basket of eggs or bucket of milk. He could go to any place he pleased in the village without any visible direction given to the horse.
The horse would move up to a gate and stand parallel to it until John found the latch and opened the gate; then the horse would pass through and repeat the action while the gate was being fastened.
John employed someone to ride with him while he was training his horse to warn him of low objects and any other things that might be dangerous to the rider. After the horse was trained, he rode alone. And he did not confine his rides to Cane Hill. His horses were trained to signal him at crossroads and he traveled the roads with a companion until he had memorized the turn he wanted to take.
He traveled long distances, making trips to Tahlequah to visit relatives, and many trips to Claremore, Oklahoma, where his sister Ada lived, and later, his brothers Charles and William. It is said he even rode to McKinney, Texas.
His most famous horse was named "Josh." On one occasion, he rode Josh to Claremore where he planned to spend some time. He decided to send Josh home, so he wrote a note saying "Let Josh pass," signed his name, tied the note to the saddle, and told Josh to go home. In due time, Josh arrived in Cane Hill.
It was thought that his horses were trained to signal him if he met someone on foot. Boys of the community often stood silently beside the road to see if he would pass them by. But it seemed that the horse would bob its head up and down a couple of times and John would say, "Hello, who is it?"
"Marmaduke" and "Maggie" were two other noted horses in John McClellan's string. "Maggie" was quite a bucker. I have seen him riding her as she bucked down the rocky hill from the barn to the pasture in front of the house.
There are many more surprising things that John T. McClellan could do. Some of them may seem unreasonable for a blind man. However, I have witnessed enough of them that I would not dispute any of them.
In order to feed and care for his horses, John Truesdell McClellan picked his way along a rocky path to the barn for many years. He would walk into a large hallway in the barn, filled with unbroken horses, talking and placing his hands on each one as he pushed his way among them. I never heard of one of them kicking him.
In the early winter of 1919, he fell from the hayloft, fracturing several ribs. Pneumonia followed and claimed his life, ending a colorful career.
*Taken from Volume 27, number 1 of the Washington County Historical Society's publication of FLASHBACK.
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