Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-05-25
HORSES OF THE WAR.
FAMOUS CHARGERS RIDDEN BY
GREAT GENERALS.
BATTLE STEEDs OF GRANT AND SHEER
IDAN-PHIL. KEARNY'S MOS
COW HORSE.

facts and preserved for the future much
valuable information concerning the
horses rode by the generals OF the civil
war Cincinnati, the famous battle steed
of General Grant, was presented to him by
u citizen OF Cincinnati, who on his death
bed sent for the general. then on visit to
that city after the successful siege of Nicks-
burg, and gave him the horse on condition
that he should always be treated kindly
Grant accepted the horse, naming him
Cincinnati. 1t is claimed that he was
son of the thoroughbred and great four
mile runner, Lexington, that he had run
in several races, had fast record, and
that the general was subsequently offered
Slo. 600 for him This WAS the bay horse
that Grant rode almost constantly during
tho campaign Of the Wilderness.
Soon after the close of the war Cincin-
uati was retired to farm In Maryland
where the general frequently saw him and
where he died in September, 1874.
During the war Grant also rode thor.
oughhred from southern Illinois named
Egypt, and one called jeff Davis, which
was captured on Davis plantation in Mis-
sissippi
When Sheridan took his famous ride in
the valley of the Shenandoah, immortal
lied in verse by L. buchanan Read, he
rode black horse, with small star, years
old, named Ricnzi, which had been pur
chased in Michigan by an officer of tho
Second Michigan cavalry and was present
cd to Sheridan when he became colonel of
that regiment in 1862. After the famous
ride and the battle of Winchester the name
of the horse was changed to Winchester
During the war he was in 80 battles and
several times slightly wounded
Writing OF him in 1876. Sheridan said:
He is over II hands in height. power
fully built, with a deep chest strong
shoulders, has a broad forehead, clear
eye, and is an animal Of great intelligence
rode him constantly from 1862 to the
close Of the war, in all the actions and in
all the raids, as well hs campaigns, in
which took part He was never III, and
his staying powers were superb. Al pres
ent he is little rheumatic, fat and lazy,
and SO long as live he will be we'll taken
care Of"
That brave officer General Philip kear
ny, rode handsome and spirited white
horse named Moscow, but generally called
by the soldiers Whitley. kearny lost an
arm in the Mexican war. and when wish
ing to draw his sword would take the
reins between his teeth. The general also
rode light bay called Decatur, which was
shot through the neck at the battle Of Fair
Oaks, and n brown, known rs Bayard,
which the daring soldier WAS riding at the
battle of Chantilly, when he came sudden
ly upon Confederate regiment, and, turn
ing to escape. was struck by IA bullet ut
the base Of the spine, killing him almost
instantly.
Old Spot, an Arabian and Beppo, u
chestnut and a superb jumper, were the
two famous war horses OF General judeun
Fitzpatrick At the battle OF Aide the
general rode Boppo and there the noble
animal fell dead, shot through the heart.
Spot was captured from IA Confederate
colonel during the second year Of the war
Sheridan once referred to him as "kilpat-
rick S celebrated calico horse.
General Custer was one of the most nc
complshed riders of all the generals of the
army, and in his four years service in the
civil war he had seven horses killed under
him, which 1t is believed is larger mum
Der than was lost by any other leader OF
northern troops engaged in the war. Dur
ing tho war Custer rode II great many
horses. Among them was n thoroughbred
stallion OF great speed and spirit named
Don Juan. Jack RuCkcr was "a beautiful
bay, which the general acquired while in
command Of the Michigan brigade, and he
rode him in IA large number OF battles.
Custer rode Jack Rucker at the battle OF
Five Forks and was on him when he de-
manded Of General Longstreet the surren-
der OF the southern army. Dandy, horse
purchased in Kansas, was special favor
lite with Custer and ridden by him on
most of his Indian campaigns The last
horse which Custer rode, when at the head
OF part Of the Seventh United States cav
airy in the horrible massacre OF the Little
Big Horn, Juno 25 1876, was n chestnut
thoroughbred named Vic, from Kentucky.
After the lalnentable death Of the flaxen
haired soldier General Clusters father at
his home in Michigan, would spend hours
at time in the stable with one of the
horses his brave son had ridden during the
| war
General Robert f. Lee had one favor
lite war horse Traveller, which he rode
| throughout the entire war having pur-
chased him in 1861, and he rode him on
the day Of the surrender at Appomattox
Sheridan, who saw Traveller that day, de-
scribed him to General Wilson as chunky
gray horse, yet he is said to have been
over l6 hands high, little above half
bred, of great courage and kindness, not
possessing speed and carrying his head
well up. For five years after the war,
while General Lee was president of Wash
ington and Lee university at Lexington,
Traveller was ridden almost daily by the
illustrious soldier OF the Confederacy.
General j. +. b. Stuarts chief war
horse was the thoroughbred marc Vir-
ginia, which he rode during the battle Of
Gettysburg. In the generals last battle,
where he was mortally wounded, he rode
gray horse. Another he had was a hand
some bay called Bullet.
General Wade Hampton had several
horses killed under him during the war
Described as one Of the finest horses in the
southern army was Beauregard magnif-
cent animal Of great boldness and spirit,
1917 hands high. OF him the general