The National tribune., 1884-12-04
Col. EliswOrth's Aged Horse.


"Ncxt Spring will occur his 33d birthday"
said Capt. E. ID. Ellsworth to a Telegram re-
porter as he stood by the bars opening into q
pasture in the suburbs of Mechanicville. The
reporter had lust called "Charley" to a horse
that was standing in the farther end of the lot,
and as the animal slowly cantered towards the
bars, Capt. Ellsworth uttered the preceding
quotation. The reporter observed, as the horse
approached, that he was bay, of medium
hight and with but single streak of white
running across his forehead to vary the uni
formity of the color. Charley" did not differ
much in appearance from ether horses, and as
he stood there quietly munching an apple a
passing stranger would have driven by with
out being particularly attracted by him. Never
theless the horse has history, and at one time
a notOriety that many a public man would
have given much to possess, for it is one thing
to have been horse but quite different thing
to have been the horse, as this one was, of the
patriot martyr Col. Elmer L. Ellsworth, who
was shot dead in Alexandria, Va, as he was
carrying through the corridors Of the Marshall
House a rebel flag which he had torn from its
flagstaff. Capt. Ellsworth very willingly gave
the reporter the following particulars in re-
gard to the history of the famous animal:
my son Elmer bought Charley in Wash
ington in 1853, / think. He got him from an
army officer whose name l have forgotten.
The horse was with him on all his journeys,
both before and during the war. After my son
was shot tried to get possession of the horse,
and went to Washington to get him. Alex
Stetson wanted the horse in order to exhibit
him or sell him to some one to exhibit. l be-
ing comparatively poor then would have sold
him the horse, but after diligent search in
Washington and Alexandria l was obliged to
return without the horse. / have always
thought since that he was hidden away by the
person who had him in order to make money by
selling him at high price. short time after
my return to Mechanicville l met Minor
Montgomery at the railroad station, and he
told me that he had seen 'Elmer's pony
that is what the soldiers called HMM Wash
ington a short time before. l made up my
mind to go again to Washington On my ar
rival l learned that Quartermaster McCusker
had the horse at Fort Tobacco, and that he
would not sell him under any conditions. /
was not disheartened at learning this, but only
the more determined to get Charley and
after once getting him to keep him in my pos
session as long as he lived l saw McCusker,
but he would not lot me have the horse. /
offered him different sums of money, but he
would accept none of my offers at the time.
A few days afterwards / met McCusker again
in the War Department at Washington and
told himthat the horse belonged to me, and
that if he did not let me have him / would re-
port the whole matter to the Secretary of War.
McCusker still hung back, but finally agreed to
give the horse up if would give him $50
and not report him to the Secretary of War. l
accepted the offer and went at once to his
stable and brought the horse away. That was
in January, 1862, and ever since then Charley
has been in my possession. l had a hard time
to get the horse and amount of money
would induce me to sell him now."