The MOUNTAIN SLASHER family was established by MURRILL'S COPPERBOTTOM.  The dam of this original family was from the Thoroughbred family of TIMOLEON with one infusion of WHIP blood.  The American Morgan Horse Register gives the following information on the original MOUNTAIN SLASHER:

MOUNTAIN SLASHER (1-32), 6416, (1) gray: foaled about 1850; said to be by James Murrell's COPPERBOTTOM, son of COPPERBOTTOM 90; dam by YOUNG TIMOLEON, son of TIMOLEON; and 2nd dam by Smith's JULIUS CEASAR, son of imported WHIP. died 1879 property of Hiram Weakley, Rutherford County, Tennessee.  He was very noted as a sire of fine saddle horses.

For the purpose of examining this family of horses it will be assumed that MOUNTAIN SLASHER F-59, accepted as one of the founders of the Walking Horse breed, is representative of the entire clan.  There are so many of these horses that bear this same name, that it would indicate superior breeding and so far, all the MOUNTAIN SLASHERS that have been traced were of the very best.  However, it is believed that the MOUNTAIN SLASHER above mentioned (in the Morgan Registry) that died in 1879, Rutherford County, Tennessee, was most likely the sire of the others.

Regardless of which MOUNTAIN SLASHER came first, it is evident the grey stallions from the COPPERBOTTOM family exerted substantial influence on the horse stock of Walking Horse country.  The MOUNTAIN SLASHERS were both excellent saddle horses and formidable race horses.  It was accepted as fact by the people of Shelbyville that one such stallion, commonly referred to as BUCK, was the only horse ever to beat TOM HAL F-20 in a race. Supposedly, this race took place in Shelbyville between the town square and the depot.  It would appear that many communities had a MOUNTAIN SLASHER stallion and that often such horses were the pride of the people who lived there.  The legend of the MOUNTAIN SLASHERS no doubt grew as it was repeated.

The early stud books of the Walking Horse breed list many MOUNTAIN SLASHER stallions as sires of Walkers.  Among the most prominent  POINTER'S SLASHER, GRANBERRY'S SLASHER, FERRELL'S SLASHER, DRAKE'S MOUNTAIN SLASHER, BELL HAWK MOUNTAIN  SLASHER, and JIM SLASHER.