Phoenix weekly herald. [volume] (Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Territory) 1896-1899, 1898-01-20
THE WAR HORSE.
Remarkable Intelligence of Horses on
the Battle Field.

help of animals, such wars as have |
been waged since the beginning of |
history would not have been possible. |
Every agent which man has pressed |
into his service for the purposes of
peace has been turned to account in
war We read in the bible spirited
eulogies of the war horse, and the an
clients not only rode upon elephants in
battle, but actually trained them TO
take an active and intelligent part in
the strife. The use of cavalry is of
very recent date, and is certain to re-
main feature of great armies, while
the modern adoption of artillery to
field service has brought so extensive
an introduction of draught horses up
on the scene of carnage that the
slaughter of these noble animals in
modern campaigns is appalling. There
were notable examples of this in the
civil war.
In spite of the horror with which we
contemplate the sacrifices of Bige-
lows Ninth Massachusetts battery in
the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg dur
ing Il crisis in battle, we can but adj
mire the heroism of the gallant sold
ierS who stood at the guns until half
of their number had been shot down.
3ut what of the horses? The battery
was hurried to the front to check the
II
who were dashing forward to Little
Round Top. Halt there said Capt
Bigelow; double shot with canister
and lay the contents of your Timber
chests by your guns for quick work.
\ regiment of Mississippians charged
in among the tuberculosis upon the
right flank of the battery, which stood
in the TrOstle house yard, partly shelf
cred by buildings. They first shot
down the horses attached to the limb
ers and in few minutes % out of IS
belonging to the battery lay dead or
wounded in their traces. In Il similar
fight at Iulza. Miss the Eleventh Ohio
battery lost 60 out of - horses killed
and wounded These famous actions
were in the nature of forlOrn hopes.
and it is needless to say that they
would have been possible except for
the fact that the horses were there to
haul the guns to the places where
they could do the most good. In the
noted Confederate Washington Artil-
lery Battalion. of New Orleans. there
was one company known as the White
Horse Battery, famous for the awful
havoc which took place around its
guns on the most noted battlefeldS of
the west, beginning at Shiloh and end
ing at Atlanta This company lost
43 men killed i'll battle and 100 dis
abled by wounds. 1t was under fire
121 days and a nights, including p
regular battles and fifteen engage
ments. Its guns We're several times
knocked to pieces and replaced by
others In the course of its three
years service II battery horses were
killed in action.
Ii is Il saying among men who have
become hardened to the carnage of
10
an omelet without breaking some
soldiers who risk their own lives for
the flag they love will hesitate at the
thought of the possible slaughter of
the dumb creatures which share their
fortunes. Care for the welfare OF
horses in the army has its practical
side. SO far rs possible. men selected
for the cavalry and artillery are choS-
en- from among those who have been
accustomed to the use of horses at
home Any man who is worthy to be
so called learns to appreciate the noble
qualities of the animal which is his
daily companion. The A.ap is not
alone in his love for the horse; that
trait is generally developed by the
ownership of animals of good blood
The SOutherners who rode with "Jeb
Stuart and Forrest on their wild raids
depended almost wholly for food for
themselves and their Steeds upon the
country through which they passed.
In the end supplies became very
scarce. but the first thought of the
soldiers was always to get corn for the
horses. and in their forgetfulness of
self they were often compelled to
share their own rationS with their
dumb comrades.
Sometimes mans love for his horse
makes him almost forget the terrors of
the field An Irish teamster attached
TO the famous battery of flying artil-
lery belonging to Joe ShelDys cavalry
brigade once hurried to his Captain
during Il bloody contest at close quar-
tiers with a pathetic appeal on the be
half of the patient and helpless ami
mails falling all around him. Cap
tain. dear" said he with agony in his
tones. IF we stay here much longer,
sure livery horse of Il Swil be kilt en-
tirely, so they will A teamSter in
battery of artillery considers the hors-
eS as essential Il part of the company
as the men at the guns; they are his
constant companions in the bivouac
and on the march, and it is not to be
wondered at if he learns to love his
animal comrades. Cavalrymen say
lhat horses on the field will never step
Intentionally on Il man who is down.
1t is Il standing order in the mounted
service that if Il man Is diSmounted by
a shot he is to lie down and keep per-
fectiy still. If he does so an entire
cavalcade of iron hoofs may pass over
him, and he will not be injured In
juries are inflicted by horses on the
field only when the animals are blind
ed by excitement or from the pain of
wounds.
In cavalry fighting the loss of horses
is severe, just as in artillery lighting.
The sharpshOoters make it point to
cut down all the horses of the enemy's
batteries in order to disable them from
action: so the first object in cavalry
fighting is to shoot down the oppon-
entS' horses and so to cripple the
service of their riders.
In battles with Indians on the plains
the horses of the regular sOldiery are
the first to go down before the say |
age markSmen- When the Indians sur |
prise a camp of white men, they dash |
for the corralS and stampede the /
horses if they can; but when they can
not get near enough to cut the ropes,
they shoot the horses down at long
.ange In the Custer massacre the
Sioux passed by the ranks
If soldiers who had diSmounted to re
list the onslaught, rushed to the COW
rs where the horses We're. and quick
V dispatched them so that their in
ended victims could not possibly re
rain the saddle and escape. Again,
when small battalions have been sur
ounded by hordes of hoStilcs in open
eld. it has sometimes been necessary
or the soldiers to kill their own hOrs-
IL n1.r.sf- al