, 1862-10-30
In Search Of q waf Horse.

"SpSaking Of horses reminds Of some expert
ence have had in that line during my pilgri-
mage with the army as . journalist. Its mat
ter Of some importance that every correspondent
should have some kind Of . riding animal at his
command, otherwise he will find himself deficient
On emergencies when haste Is essential. My
first idea Of the proper thing was gallant char
ger, gaily caparisoRed, prancing high and low
whef crowds were about and always holding
himself IN readiness for public exhibition.
That Is the officer style Of doing, the thing.
found that the thing was difficult to procure, and
expensive to keep, having no soldiers at my com
mand to guatd d iDe horse night and day, to
prevent bis being "cramped" and carried or
Before had done with experience IN this line, /
was contented with more modest pretensione
During period Of four months, have been
owner and sole proprietor Of i've horses. The
first Of these was relic Of the DOnelson light
lie came from somewhere In tho mountains Of
Tennessee, and, from habit Of climbing rocks and
holding on by his nose, be was much addicted TO
standing on bis hind legs; without regard to who
might be in the saddle This was afaSOrite feeding
position, and grass being schfce at that time and
bay and oats scarcer, be was accustomed to take
his meals in the tops Of small trees, where his
cultivated taste taught him to find tender twigs
and Juicy buds. This nutritious food give him
q frame like clothes-horse, and his legs were as
fat as q rye straw. His backbone split new
saddle 10 two, and cut hiir-ClUth blanket into
shreds. ! could have got along with this, but he
constantly brought me 10 shame and disgrace by
going on his hind legs for browse on state occa.
sions, to say nothing Of propensity for climb
ing every steep cliff he came 70, and sliding me
over his tail In the operation. He wds gOOd
horse to 60 bird nesting with or, in case Of emer
gency; to run UP the side Of house and get out
Of danger, but he was so far from my idea Of
perfect horse that ] sold him for $50, as Floyd's
veFitable war-chargeF, to ttUphy'seeker who
wore blue spectacles and carried portfolio. As
saw him afterwArd, in company with Eve others
as poor as himself dragging an army wagon,
concluded that the purchaser was not sufficiently
Vigilant 70 Glide Uncle Sans wGtchfulness and
get him home. My last glimpse Of him was IS
be stood on his hind legs with bis fore feet on
rail fence, apparently reaching for browse In the
moon.
My next attempt was in the mule line. A
friend IN the QuartermAster's Department in
sisted upon presenting uie with 1 sfperb riding
animal which had come into his possession-h0
didn't SAy how. but suppositively By the eramp
process. The beast bad prepossessing exterior.
Ears as long as NY arm, head like o butter
firkin, pipe-stem neck, body as comely ds su-
gar hogshead, and legs not to exceed eighteen
he mad disposition still more outre and perverse,
IL possible, The irst time I mounted him, he
kicked up his heels and landed the over his head,
some twenty feet In advEnce. The next time, he
sat down on his haunches, and slid saddle aud
all over his tail. Then he laid down. and rolled
over aud over, faster than q Bengal monkey
could have followed him, and, finally, he resorted
to every trick an animal could be guilty Of to
show bis perverse temper. he had . way Of
making great fuss when the saddle girth was
buckled-putting oD dcplorable counter ance,
Gnd groaning dislnaIly, as though his life was be
ing squerzed out You might pull and tug for
ten minutes, slraiGng the girth up to Che last
notch, and fairly firing yourself out with exer-
ton, when, upon stepping back with malicious
CONSEQUENCES Of having brought the ugly brute
to terms, you would see his body collapse, and
the girth hang suddenly limp and loo6e, while he
looked askance with cunning leer, as much as
to say, How do you like that, now" He never
failed to initiate himself like balloon when the
saddle was to be put on, and then collapse for
the satisfaction Of having Il turn round and un-
seat bis rider at the first mudhole be came 10.
rode him for the spite Of the thing Tor two long
weeks. got pair Of spurs with rowels an
inch and half long, and aayed his sides with
them whenever he ventured to flap bis ugly ears
at ne, and I finally had the satisfaction Of seeing
=
and break his neck.
Having had enough Of vicious horses, deter
mined to try quiet one next time. accordingly
invested in demure specimen Of the pony breed.
lie proved all could ask for, for from that time
onward, during my term Of ownership, did no
hard work except to urge him to due sense Of
his duty as . horse, and more especially rs
Journalistic horse. The arguments used in this
controversy were clubs Of the largest possible
size, sharp-pointed sticks, spurs at the rate Of
several a day, building fires under his TAIL and,
on occasions Of emergency, telling good sized
trees upon him as q starting impetus. lie was
patient under these Affections, and never suffered
anything to disturb his equanimity except the
last two alternatives, which were always reserved
for an impending battle or q sudden movement
to the rear lie was the best horse in the world
to lead an army with, for he was sure to be be.
hind and out Of danger, but the very worst for
. retreat, for obvious reasons ] was finally
obliged to succumb to his pertinacitV from q
scarcity 0f timber and spurs, the soldiers having
used the former sor fuel and his rider having de-
molished all Of the latter that were available 10
ten regimentR | sold him 10 an army chaplain
who was too much reduced by bad whiskey aud
the Tennessee quickslep to exert much physical
force, and he was taken prisoner while going at
. mai gallop OF fourteen miles IN fifteen hours
with several thousand bowling Texan rangers
in the rear.
then determined to live upon my Wits so
far As horseliesh was concerned. So found my.
S,lf sometimes in possession Of 4 borrowed ami
nal, sometimes riding 4 mule, sometimes be.
striding pickedup horse from the woods, and
not unfrequently disgracing myself and my pro.
fessiOh BY resOrting to the corral Of rejected and
broken down government horses Sometimes ]
had . saddle and no horse other times bad
horse and no saddle; again bad both, and no
bride; and, as . consequence during The u'aJor
itV of the time wandered about diScOhsolately,
carrying saddle and bride, and looking ior
horse, or leading q horse and searching wrath