Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-13
THE ONLY EQUINE SURVIVOR.
An Old Horse That Served in thu
War,

War.
Rev. James l.. Hill in the Congregationalist.
Since Bell Mosby died two years ago last
March, full of years and honors, a single
representative of the equine raee-more
solitary than Robinson Crusoe upon his is
land-remains cynosure of the nations
eyes. He will march next to the band and
nag in the procession of the John Braden
POST, Grand Army, on Memorial day. and
II ME is graciously heightened out, will
ptll tlGipdte IN the grand reunion and ma
tiohal encampment at st. Paul next Sep
tember. If the custom of earlier Memorial
DAYS Is continued. he will wear on his back
a rope OF state inscribed on one side wi h
a Tue iIseho, am forty-one years old and
am the only one Left On the opposite
sue would appear the statement, Captured
IN iooi' served In Company c, 10th Penn
SylVania Cavalry"
HIS age is reckoned according to his
mouth at the time he was taken from
lne enemy, and his name Is Ned. Gen.
ohefloan horse RienZ or Winchester as
ne was always called after:
He seemed to the whole great army to saw.
i nave brought you Sheridan all the way
FROM winchester town to save the day';
was accounted venerable when at half of
.Seo age; dying in 1873, he stood aside
as natural as life In the military insti
,ute museum on Governors Island. I'm
like Rlenzi who was presented to Sheridan
mnen made colonel by Michigan regi-
ment old Ned was originally a rebel His
owner was shot from his back in Gen
Junal Earlys raid on Washington in 1864
Al night, after the fight, any Union sol
uier VINO mad lost his mount was supplied
with a horse captured from the confed
crates, and Ned was thus given to p r
oraSiord sergeant of ordnance who
ttdVeis IN the same car with him when he
Journeys and cares for him when at home
IN village northeast of Erie, called ITSELF
North East. Old Ned is now q thoronah
paced unionist. He is unqualifiedly recon
structed. So far from being a Jack O. both
e,i ne seems to have lamented his youth
Iui vagaries, although observers inn a eins
that ne Is uncommonly excited Inv the
iehdltion OF Dixie"-such is the lingering
power of early associations.
Ta,b ,ire close OF the war Mr.. Crawford left
ashlnston on Neds back and rode him
10 harrisburg. There he bought a s,,lkv
ana, putting Ned between the thilIs. they
rejoicing in the dawn of peace. made thair
EASIER Easier way to home that Ned has dis
tinguished by his presence where he il 70
safded as piece of public property and
Wnere he Is pointed out every day as the
tnpst prominent resident. This contraban nd
' mneh captured was bright black, but
now, with advancing years has grown
grlzzled; indeed, most of the hair on IT.
mead mas become white. His saddle marx
are striklngiy noticeable, and he Ike many
hhno s cohtraband. shows the scars of his
purden-bear1ng. No Roentgen rays arc 70
CURED to discover the more prominent nar
LIONS OF MS anatomy. In his early life h,
s.o,hea dehshts and lived Iaborlous days"
, H9e ne Is now treated like pensioner His
ne 1s a "reminiscences Having fouybt ~
the greatest army that ever marched ~
hartlai music. and for the best government
that ever enlisted equine valor. he 10
rnousht 10 nave earned four quarts of car.
of bran. anu Two quarts
pie ne was at the Grand Army reunion Of
90 ,e;ii put while his patriotic feelings
c1ina sun IL intense his bodily constitution de-
cLnes TO endure the old-time strain ond :,
was feared that this Napoleon. of horses
Wouid end his career with the eiories -
mat nlgh day. At Louisville. ont of re
cprrt 70 ms years and inhrmities, he was
carried on float, which was highly d.rn.
ated and which everywhere recaivod
otatloh. AS between the most aIooran4
orator OF the country as an attraction nc
naho army reunion and old Ned. recor-
iiiAed everywhere by soldiers "a tba .o1.
survivor of his race in the war 49,, sGle
s.a. ms owner says Is undisputed ~ L.
ABOUT horse and horse" when a. t.is
Whn,,, M GU! squad of Early's men from
Mhom Ned was captured saw him .hn,,
threw up their hats in ecstasy .nd Icy sney
Up 10 toucn the gallant steed Al his IN.
ne, vas visited by thousands of Unionists
~ 49,, res women and children, NAM
VI "nom desired hair from his fail &C.
rene OF the war. He was present iast 49,, q
a. me unveiliDg of the monument COW
nhemoraiing the great railroad wrect ~
PSn pae where the winning voice of p
Biss was hushed to earth foreyer
II the veterans of the Grand Armv h.
any hoboy 1t Is old Ned He ia the ch,ar
ngure In civic and patriotic nrocessjnns
faoI as a ne Is ms equine excellency does NOT
Ieei himself in the wrong place On tba ont..
Oh May, in the festival of fiowar. Ao S So.h
Janus OF roses make up his caparison Es,a,
.hs cniidren seem indisposed to wait mill
annrsciaai an IS $, dead before they show their
appIec'atlon OF his services to the ITnion
cause. In his Morgan blood there seem. -
NC Slrong infusion of old-fashioned srar
spahSled-bannered Americanism and he r.
sery sensitive upon matters that touch its
expression. In all parades having nartio
lpated in them so often, he yery nroneriv
insists on marching next to the music
Once it is said that for more pomp two
veterans were detailed to lead him. At this
he kicked and withdrew. Oyertures were
made to him, but the fun-loyinp animal
manifested his humorous propensities and
having freed himself, enjoying his inalien-
able right to liberty and the pursuit of
happiness, shaped his course for a detour
through the historic town. Presently the
veterans and old Ned, who is distinguished
Tor mis- horse sense-or, perhaps more prom
cry, old Ned and the veterans-adopted a
different scheme. When they, unaccom-
panied by him, returned to the ranks. the
instant the band struck I'D, old Ned. 40
Jealous of position, fell In behind the must
clans and tramped peacefully to the grave
yard. and as he progressed was far and
away ahead of anything else in the proces-
sion as the chief factor in the demonstra-
ton.
But hts dimmed vision and gloomy deaf
ness, suggesting that the doors are being
smut In the street, and his trembling limbs,
TO say nothing of the blind staggers by
which be was attacked about a month ago.
although not as severe as those from which
ne suffered year ago. still remind us thai
the shadows OF the end have already begun
to appear.
Oft am by comrades told
Poor old Ned. thou growest old
A Real Phflanthropist.
From the Louisville Courief-Journal