Prevod
Vznemirjenje, ki ga je nedavno povzročil poskus, da bi vasi v osrednjem delu zvezne države New York, ki se je s presledki že petdeset let imenovala Horseheads, vsilili neumni imeni Fairport ali North Elmira, je spodbudilo poizvedovanje o tem, kako je naselje dobilo to nenavadno ime. Leta 1779, ko se je general Sullivan po uničevalnem pohodu proti Indijancem v okrožju Genesee umikal proti svojemu oskrbovalnemu oporišču, se je ustavil blizu tega kraja in svojim četam privoščil počitek. Dežela pa je bila tedaj še divja, neobljudena in polna sovražnikov, zato so ob nadaljevanju pohoda sklenili, da bo najbolje prihraniti čas tako, da del poti preplujejo na splavih po reki Chemung.
Ker niso imeli opreme za gradnjo velikih splavov in niso poznali globine vode, je general ukazal uničiti vso odvečno opremo, ki so jo lahko pogrešili, ter pobiti oslabele in odvečne konje. Njegov ukaz so izvršili. Brž ko so čete odšle, so se pojavili volkovi, ki jih je bilo tedaj veliko, in požrli trupla konj, tako da so bile oglodane kosti raztresene po vsem taborišču. Ko so se Indijanci drznili vrniti v te kraje, so nekateri konjske lobanje zložili v kupe. Te nenavadne spomenike so našli beli naseljenci, ki so nekaj let pozneje prišli v dolino in svojo vas v spomin na te ostanke poimenovali Horseheads. Indijanci so še posebej neradi zapustili te kraje, saj je po njihovem izročilu ta dežela že od nekdaj pripadala Senekom; pleme je namreč izviralo iz para, ki je imel dom na hribu blizu Horseheadsa.
Izvirnik
The feeling recently created by an attempt to fasten the stupid names of Fairport or of North Elmira on the village in central New York that, off and on for fifty years, had been called Horseheads, caused an inquiry as to how that singular name chanced to be adopted for a settlement. In 1779, when General Sullivan was retiring toward the base of his supplies after a destructive campaign against the Indians in Genesee County, he stopped near this place and rested his troops. The country was then rude, unbroken, and still beset with enemies, however, and when the march was resumed it was thought best to gain time over a part of the way by descending the Chemung River on rafts.
As there were no appliances for building large floats, and the depth of the water was not known, the general ordered a destruction of all impedimenta that could be got rid of, and commanded that the poor and superfluous horses should be killed. His order was obeyed. As soon as the troops had gone, the wolves, that were then abundant, came forth and devoured the carcasses of the steeds, so that the clean-picked bones were strewn widely over the camp-ground. When the Indians ventured back into this region, some of them piled the skulls of the horses into heaps, and these curious monuments were found by white settlers who came into the valley some years later, and who named their village Horseheads, in commemoration of these relics. The Indians were especially loth to leave this region, for their tradition was that it had been the land of the Senecas from immemorial time, the tribe being descended from a couple that had a home on a hill near Horseheads.
