The Wilmingtonian., 1886-08-21
LIFE ON THE BATTLE FIELD.
Stories About Horses IN the Midst oTCar.
mage.


"The infantry service in the volunteer
army made us nation Of good walkers"
said an old cavalry man on Friday, and our
cavalry service ought to have made us ma
ton of good riders, but for some reason it
did not. A good many men sit a horse very
well, he continued, as Mayor Harrison pas
sed on his Kentucky horse, "but where is
the man who rides horse as Gen. Rousseau
didP Rousseau always had fine horse, and
both he and the horse took pride in the fact.
On parade or on the march or in battle
Rousseau and his horse were always con-
spicuous figures.
"Rousseau's natural dash when he was on
horseback often carried him to the danger
line. | remember one occasion when my
company was on picket duty on the Granny
White Pike, south of Nashville, Rousseau
and his staff were outside the lines. About
ten o'clock at night they came dashing up to
the picket line, and when the word halt was
given by the vedettes the old battle-horse
which Rousseau was riding and which he
was so proud of took it as a challenge and
wslt forward like the wind. The verdette
fired, as in duty bound, and there was con.
siderable commotion along the line. After
time Rousseau rode back to explain. He
closed with this remark, 4 don't care for
myself, but you know, boys, ycu might have
hit the horse
"Col. Lytle had a horse of that kind,
said an old Twelfth Ohio man, ''and it play
ed a rather dramatic part on the day that
the Colonel was shot. This was at Carnifex
Ferry, when the Union troops were ordered
to charge the intrenchments held by the
Confederates. There was a furious struggle
and in the middle of it Col. Lyte was shot
and fell from bis horse one of the finest an
imals in the brigade. The old war-horse had
been started forward, and when his rider fell
he went forward as though he still were guild
ed by the man who had intended to charge
through the rebel lines. The horse dashed
up to and over the rebel breast wor ks, and
was shot after he had broken through the
lines"
Sat Stone River" said a Nineteenth Hi
nois man, zone of our Illinois generals had
horse shot under him just at the turn of
the battle, on the 2i day of January. Sew
eral of the boys sprang forward to help him
up, but dazed and bruised as he was, he on
ly said, Catch me a horse He repeated
this time and again, and as there were sever
al horses galloping about riderless one was
brought to him. This horse had been ca
reering over the battle field, circling here and
there without aim, but the minute he felt a
rider in the saddle he started at gallop for
the front, and the Generals command, see
ing him make bee-line in the right direc-
ton, started after him like great flock of
backbirds."
"We had in our regiment" said an old In
diana officer, can oldshorse called the Star
gazer, which was kept for the use ofthe Off
Ger of the day. The field officers didn't care
to have their horses go into the hands of any
captain or lieutenant who might be detailed
to act as officer Of the day, and SO an old
scrub had been picked up and kept for use in
this department. 1t was my fate to be officer
of the dvy at Lookout Mountain, and l was
riding old Stargazer along the road on the
ledge when the Colonel overlook me, riding
his splendid war-horse. He challenged me
for race. gave Stargazer touch and
went into camp quarter of mile ahead OF
the Colonel This led to the discovery that
the horse which had been ridiculed could
make better time than any other in the regi-
ment. Chicago Inter- Ocean.