Does anyone else think Little Blacknose sounded like a story about a prairie mustang?

It does, rather. Although after some of the books you've reviewed, I wouldn't have been entirely surprised if "Little Blacknose" had been a happy little slave boy, or something that nature.

You can see a picture of the replica at that link

That's a handy picture. I'd been wondering why the smokestack should be his "nose", but I can see it now. He looks a bit like a steam-powered rhinoceros.