(Letter to Dr. H.C. Fountain from T.C. DePriest of Union Mills, N.C. dated February 4, 1960)

Dear Dr. Fountain, Freeman tells me he shipped the pups, they are nice ones. I sincerely hope you have good luck with them. No better blood than they carry here, possibly too much Streaker and Beauty in background, yet that is the best part of it. I am sending extended pedigree on the original foundation stock that is the best ever to come into this country, though badly contaminated, it was still the best to be had and I tried them all. Since Bryant wrote the stories about these hounds, I’ve gotten letters from all over the Eastern United States. I’ve been surprised that so many had some of this blood or once had it and wanted more of it. Captain Craig wrote me, (he bred the Queen line) the best blood of England and America was in them. Hold to that Scrape and Hetty blood, I’ve seen Scrape and him old and crippled, call the pack to the line of duty after a run over in the morning. It was his Lightfoot that cleaned the Walkers so bad on a camp hunt, they requested we tie him up, had corralled a red in a hollow log inside two hours and no Walkers were in hearing distance. I have a pedigree of him bred in Georgia.

I’ve accomplished after more than a year what I wanted to do in breeding for color. Reddy, mother of those fox killers, is red fawn color and Streaker, rich grey-tan in color. Christmas morning they delivered eight pups of that color, six blaze faces, as Streaker and two solid rich tan. I remarked to Mrs. D that no one could tell me there was no Santa Claus.

I told Dr. Nicholson when he was here, you had sent me some literature concerning the going on in this country and that I never told you where I stood, but I’m a dyed in the wool, hence I’ll say this. The Depriests migrated from Virginia after fighting through the Revolution, so did the Covingtons, my maternal side. Then both families fought all through the War between the North and South and they resisted the Yankee carpetbaggers. My Grandfather was imprisoned two years at Albany, N.Y., his farm confiscated and sold at public auction. My Grandfather and his brother had to flee and hide out two years in the vicinity of Rome, Georgia. I’ve never voted other than the Democrat ticket, a Methodist religiously, and my good friend and neighbor fox hunter, Mr. Vanney is a Walker dog fanatic, a Republican, and a Baptist. Furthermore, Mrs. D’s Great-Great Grandfather Preston, was killed on Kings Mountain fighting the British. His wife with their baby boy brought his body off the mountain lashed to a sled. This battle occurred forty miles Southeast of here, just across the South Carolina line. Do you accept my credentials? Must stop and get this in the mail. Kindest regards from Mrs. D and myself, fraternally, Thomas C. DePriest