The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-04-11
OLD WHITLEY AND GEN. TAYLOR.


We were standing at the corner Of Presi-
den. Square, in Washington. the other day
literally brought to a stand-siII by the
heavenly beauty ai the weather-when
loose horse tro,,ed ieisurely BY US in the
open street, aud we found ourselves ex-
panding towards him, in sympathetic re-
cognition Of the similarity Of our respective
happiness. 'Thefe are two Of us out Of
h,rness today we mentally said--'God
bless you, old brother worky, and may you
enjoy, as do, this delicious sunshine and
its heavenly nothing to do" On be trot.ed
towards the Presidents gate, and, halting q
little before the entrance, he seemed hesi-
taiing between perfect liberty to 60 in or
stay out--when it suddenly occurred to ns
that our fellow idler might be, after all the
private individual for whom we had fan
cied our sympathy to be rather conde-
scension than otherwise! What il il should
be odd Whitey,'--reposing on bis laurels!
A moments look, up and down the pave
in front the Presidents mansion, corrobo-
rated the conjecture. There were, perhaps,
twenty persons in sight, and, among them,
we recognized one Of the Cabinet Secreta-
ries, venerable Auditor, the Austrian
Charge, aud tive Of those UNANIMOUS and
yet responsible looking persons whom you
know TO be Members and not office-seekers
land (curious tosee) all eyes were fixed,
not upon the distinguished foreigner, not
on the Honorable officials, not on the Hon
orable members, not on an Embarrassed and
loose Editor Of the Home Journal-but, on
the unharnessed and loose white horse!
We ielt the smoke Of Buena Vista and
Re.aca de la Palma, Of Palo Alto and Mon,
terey, pushing US toward the old cannon
proof charger. He went smelling about
the edges Of the sidewalk-wondering
probably, at such warm weather and no
grassland we crossed over to have a near
er look at him, with feeling that the glory
was not all taken from his back with saddle
and holsters. odd Whitey'is compact,
hardy, well proportioned animal, less ofthe
ba,tlc-steed, in appearance, than ofthe style
usually defined by the phrase family horsc,'
slightly knock K need, and with a tail after
wards learned) very much thinned by the
numerous applications for 'hair of him for
memory He had evidently been long un-
touched with urry-comb, and (ike other
celebrities for want ofan occasional rub.
bing down. there was little too much Of
himself in his exterior-the name OF 'oId
Whitey,' indeed, hardly describing with
fidelity coat so matted and yellow. But,
remembering the bentings of.he great heart
he had borne upon his bsck-the anxieties'
the energies, the de6ances Of danger, the
iron impulses to duty, the thrills Of chivalric
triumphs, and tho sad turnings Of the rein
10 see brothers in arms laid in the graves
Of the battle-field-remembering all that
has been thought and felt in the saddle
which that horse was wont TO wear-it was
impossible TO look upon him without throh
in the throat-one Of those unbidden and
unreasoning tear-ihrobs, that seem to de-
light in paying tribute Out Of time and un-
exacted, to trifes that havc been belongings
Of glory. We saw General Taylor himself,
for the first time, the next day-with more
thought and reverence Of course, than had
been awakened by looking upon his horse
but with not half the emotion.
The hero President has been more truth
fully described than any man we ever read
much Of before seeing. One who had not
learned. how extremes touch, in manners