The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-17
WAR HORSES.
Their Intelligence and Martial Spirit
and How They Act i'm Battle.

New York Sun
1T is remarkable how quickly horses
adapt themselves to the military service
knows that they learn the bugle calls and
the evolutions quicker than the men, as a
rule. They soon acquire a uniform gait,
which is about the same what we call
the route step or the usual marching step.
If the horses did not acquire the same gait
as the infantry there would be varying dis
tances between the different arms of the
eervice--that is, between the infantry and
the cavalry, artillery and the commanders
and their. escorts. In the drills in the artil-
lery service the horses will preserve their
alignment as we'll as the infantry rank.
i shall always remember one illustration
OF this trait which noted at a very excit-
ing and critical moment of q battle during
our civil war. In order to save some of
our infantry from being surrounded and
captured the commander of one of our bat
the guns, and put the whole battery at
dead gallop across n stretch of meadow
toned to such sights, but when that dash
ing company was half way across the field
l noticed the inspiring array, and for a
moment was lost in rapt admiration of the
magnificent picture Every driver was ply
ing whip and spur, the great guns were
rocking and LAUNDERING over the ground,
and every horse, reeking with foam and full
of animation and excitement was straining
every muscle as he galloped forward yet
a straight line drawn along in front would
have touched the noses of the lead horses
III front of the six guns. That was an ar
tillery charge one of the most thrilling
sights in the evolutions of war,
1T is surprising how quickly horses learn
the bugle calls. Let the first note of the feed
or water call be sounded, and instantly there
will be a stamping. kicking and neighing
among the horses. Once, during terrible
night storm in camp, our horses were seized
with such terror that those of nearly every
battery broke loose and scattered about.
The next morning there was a wild rush
among the artillerymen to capture horses
for use. All was excitement, and the horses
refused to be caught. An officer ordered the
bugler TO give the feed call Horses from
every direction came dashing in to that
battery. and the rush was SO great that it
was with difficulty the men could get out
of the way of the eager horses.
when it comes to a battle a horse seems
to know everything that is going on and
the reason for 1t all, and does his duty mob
ly. He enters into the spirit of battle like
a human being. He shows no fear of DEATH
no sign of being overcome by panic in all
. the wild tumult of the battles roar A horse
in one of our batteries during the Muffrees-
boro fight was hit by piece of shell, which
split his skull so that one side was loos-
ened. The driver turned him loose, but
he walked up to the side of the gun and
watched the hiring, and when shot was
to note it's effect on the enemy. When a
shell would burst near by he would turn
his head and look at IT, When he saw the
team he had worked with being driven back
for ammunition he ran to his old place and
galloped back with the rest. When an Off
Ger pushed him aside to have another horse
most sorrowful expression in his eyes. Then
he seemed to realize that the glory of bait
tie was no more for him, and he walked
away and lay down and died. The officer
declared that it was a broken heart, not
the wound, that killed him.
During a fierce charge of Confederate
cavalry at Murfreesboro an officer was
killed and the cavalry driven back The
horse the officer had ridden was magnifi-
cent animal. and he had not been taught
to retreat. Riderless he kept on his way
and as he dashed through our battery the
nostrils were extended wide, his eyes fairly
blazed, and he clutched the bit determined
ly with his teeth as he came on like the
wind, with his saddle flaps flying until he
looked as If he. were himself flying instead
of wildly running. Every one gave him
shouted that he would give 500 to any one
who would capture that superb animal but
all seemed too much bound UP in admira-
ton of the noble beast to make the effort
and he sped on and disappeared in the blue
distance"