Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-10

ana ecnO5afiy attesnmeutSs
be 10 en- sbominator Of tho carping ass
critic--the art critic 90 called. In the
course Of the conversation the subject
Of The Lee sculptor came up, ana tn's
sentlemsn said, In substance Leaving
out eli idea Of nativity or local prsJa-
Sics--for these have, or should have
nothing 10 do With . matter like this
Valentine Is the artist above all osners
for the work lie had been 10 the
,culptor's studio and had there seen
the plaster east Of the recumoent ng-
u,e OF Lee, snd the Andromachs group
IN pias,sr. and the Lee equestrian
MODEL. And. In conclusion, may add
that The gentleman quoted, besides be-
irg . good Eorsensn, hiss been IN more
Galleries and studios in Europe, and
has looked al more equestrian works IN
Germany than perhaps any man ~ inc
South, oPEcIAio"'
khsrihs sbess Ian ssss hsnded US re
received the subjoined "2ed'gree " OF
Traveller. The writer, Major BRouS,
"a . prominent lawyer Of West vir-
einia, uss . gallant Confederate soldier
and was desperately wounded during
tho var;
General n. ". Lees wsr-1Sorse.
iFor the Dispatch.l
In view Of the fact that great interest
is felt In the monument about to he
erected to General Lee, and many are
deeirous that bis waI-horse should be
represented in the monument, and a. !
once owned this horse, | herewith give
you some items respecting this now
famous war. horse +" Traveller"
He was raised by MIR. Johnston, near
the Blue Sulphur Springs. in Greenbrisr
equity, Va. (Dow West Virginia.; was
Of the a" Gray Eagle" stock, and, as
colt, took the first premium under the
name of JEFF. Davis" at the Lewis
burg fairs for each of the years 1859
and 1860. He was four years old in
the spring Of 1861.
When the wise Legion" was en-.
camped on Sewell mountains, opposing
the advance of the Federal army under
General Rosscrans, in the fall OF 1861,
l was major to the Third regiment OF
infantry in that legion, and my brother,
Captain Joseph NJ. Broun, was quarter
master to the same regiment. l au-
thorized my brother to purchase good
serviceable horse of the best Greenbrier
stock for our use during the war. After
much inquiry and search he came across
the horse above mentioned, and pur-
chased him for el75 (gold value in the
fall Of 1861 Of Captain James W. John
ston, son Of the Mr.. Johnston first
above mentioned. When the Wise
Legion were encamped about Meadow
Bluff and Big Sewell mountains, !
rode this horse, which WAS then
greatly admired in camp for bis
rapid, spriDgy walk, his high
spirit, bold carriage, and muscular
strength. lie needed neither whip nor
spur, and would walk his five or six
miles IN hour over the rough mountain
roads of Western Virginia, with his
iider sitting firmly in the saddle and
holding him in check by tight rein,
such vim and eagsrness did he manifest
to 20 right ahead so soon Is he was
mounted. 4
When General Lee took command Of
the Wise Legion and Floyd brigade that
were encamped at and near Big Sewell
mountains in the fall of 1861 he first saw
this horse, and took . great fancy to it.
He called it his colt, aud said he would
need it before the war was over.
Whenever the General saw my brother
on this horse he had something plea.
SAINT to say to him about my colt,
Is he designated this horse.
As the winter approached the eli
mate in the West Virginia mountains
caused Rosecrans's army to abandon
its position on Big Sewell and retreat
westward. General Lee was there
upon ordered to South Carolina. Th'
Third regiment of the Wise Legion wa
subsequently detached from the army
in western Virginia aud ordered to th'
South Carolina coast. where it wa
known rs the Sixtieth Virginia regi
ment, under Colonel Starke.
Upon seeing my brother on thl
horse, near Pocotaligo, in South Caro-
lima, General Lee at once recognizes
the horse, and again inquired of hio
pleasantly about his colt. My brothe
then offered him the horse as gilt
which the General promptly declined
and at the same time remarked: 81
YOU will xillinsly sell me the horse
will gladly use it for . week or SO
learn its qualities" Thereupon IN
brother had the horse sent to Geners
Lees stable. In about . month tn
/ horse was returned to my brother, wit
, 4 note from General Lee stating that tn
animal suited him, but that b
could not longer use so valuable
e horse in such times. unless it were hi
q own; that if he (my brother) woul
: not sell please to keep the horse, wit
O many thanks. This was in February
. 1862. At that time was in Virgin
on the sick list from long and sever
% attack of camp-fever, contracted in II
campaign on Big Sewell mountain
o Nv brother wrote me Of General Lee
k desire to have the horse, and asked Il
!, what he should do. / replied at once
\ "If he will not accept it, then soil
=. to him at what it cost me-" He thu
II sold the horse to General Lee for gu
n in currency, the sum of s25 havir
N been added by General Lee to the prl
gave for the horse in September, lo6
TO make up for the depreciation in Of
currency from September, 1861,
" February. 1862.
l. In 1868 General Lee wrote to n
IS brother stating that this horse had su
yiyed the war-was known as I" Trsv'
;. Ter " (spelling the word with double
in good English style), and asking
its pedigree, which was obtained
., above mentioned and sent by my broth
nd to General Lse.
he THOMAS l.. BROUN.
Charleston, w. Va, August, 1873
What Major BRoUN says resardi
Travellers high spirit, bold carria
ng >cJ vure.rlsr str.uUth vacsllc