And something of that survives in popular culture. The horse's mystique is vividly recorded in horse-racing and military history. But it isn't just the fastest or most heroic that capture public affection. Fred had pulled the fire wagon in New Bern, N.C., since 1908, and died in 1925 on the way to what turned out to be a false alarm. His head was preserved and encased by grieving firemen and still is on view at the local Fireman's Museum.
War horses inspire particular devotion, perhaps because of the shared experience of battle.
On the campus of what became Washington and Lee, where Lee served as president after the Civil War, it was said that watches could be set by his afternoon rides. Later generations of students carved their initials into Traveller's skeletal remains as a charm against flunking. Gen. Philip Sheridan. Led by Sheridan and Rienzi, the Union troops returned to the fight and wrested away control of the Shenandoah Valley. The victory lifted Northern morale and kept the presidency within Lincoln's grasp.