The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-09-15
MY WAR HORSE


The story books are full Of ref
erences to a soldiers trusty sword Or
tusty ride ana an that, but tell
you there is nothing so dear to a
cavalryman as his horse. A sword or
a rifle IS an inanimate object but a
horse is living thing, When q man /
IS in d tight place his horse knows it
the same as he does himself, and acts
accordingly. have been lost at night
when | didn't know whether I was
riding into-but I'm getting ahead Of
my story.
When the civil war came ON ] vol L
unteered in the cavalry service and re-
manned a private during the whole
war. don't believe there was another
man-certainly not many-who served
through the war and rode the same 1
horse from start TO finish. It was all /
luck, my getting Browny, as | called |
him because he was a sort Of brown /
chestnut-since I drew him from the |
stock just like any other horse. But |
hadn't ridden him q day before l dis |
covered that I had drawn a prize. l |
was lost one night-as / was saying |
-soon after got Browny, when we
were advancing in Virginia after a
very hard campaign toward Rich
mond. In other words, / got turned
round. l was carrying a message as 4
headquarters orderly between two
corps Of the army, and it was so dark
1 couldn't see the turnpike. For Il
/ 4st.e ,a,,T4 Am v.~oe ~, 81 btr fha
sound Of the horses hoofs on the
stones, but gradually the sounds
ceased and 1 knew I was on the turf.
/ I dismounted and tried to find the pike,
II but couldn't do it. Somehow it was
kind of lonesome out there in the dark,
and Browny knew very well how /
felt for he put his nose over my
shoulder and I embraced him just as
would a human being Finally !
mounted him and was starting of,
as I supposed, in the right direction,
but Browny turned about. / tried my
best to get him to go as I wanted him.
but it was no use. He simply wouldn't
{ While / was struggling with him It
grew lighter and I saw that the way
was trying for was plumb into the
enemy's lines.
This was the beginning of my friend
. ship for Browny For four years be
carried me everywhere. He was twice
/ so badly wounded that l thought I'd
have to shoot i'm, but each time l
stuck to him IT,. got him out of it,
/ though | admit good luck helped me
= BY keeping me in one place for some
{ time after he was struck. During the
whole Of my campaigns the horse
i knew danger as well as l and scented
/ it far quicker than I. But when we
d were in IT. though he didn't like it
never failed to manage him with the
< greatest ease.
7 Wei, we were coming to the last
fight either of us was destined to take
+ part in-that Is, the battle Of Nashville.
. / was serving with my company and
y was detailed on vedette duty. One
L night shortly before the battle I was
4 placed under a tree about which a
q creek wound. It would have been a
good position, being wen screened on
starlight night, but the night refer
= to was dark as Erebus. dismounted
4 and leaned against the tree, with my
!. rifle cooked. As for Browny, left the
e reins over the pommel Of the Mcclellan
D. saddle and let him do as be liked. He
-e had better eyes to see in the dark than
n ]. or a better nose to feel, for | heard
him drink from the creek, then nibble
le the grass within few feet of me. But
l. presently he stopped, and for q time
a didn't hear a sound. Then felt
~ Browny's nose rubbing against me. l
y put my arms around his neck, and for
= d time neither Of us moved. We knew
Il what each was saying perfectly well.
j. This is no fun. old horse, is itY2 |
b. said "Out here, when I should be in
ri comfortable bed, you In a straw coy
cred stall. We're right in the face Of
the enemy, who are liable to come
down on US at any moment and the
first thing either Of us knows we may
& have a whole regiment right on us, for
8 we can't see beyond the tips Of our
n noses. ana they'll come SO slyly that
! we can't hear them"
Then I fancied Browny replying;
II can hear better than you my boy,
q and if I'm not mistaken there IS
= movement out there beyond the creek
n That's the reason I stopped nibblin2
y and came to you You'd save yourself
y and do a service to the command by
i withdrawing and tell them that you
! suspect an attack"
II Il couldn't do that Browny till
: know they re there. I'd be disgraced.'
/. Suddenly Browny raised his head
Il slipped my hand along his ear and
y as / suspected, / could feel that i
was pointed forward Then, with Z
quick movement he sprang forward
or covering my body. AS he did SO saw
de a fash just across the creek, within
y twenty yards Of me, and heard a shot
Browny gave a shrek and fell dead
He had received the bullet intended fol
me.
believed that after the shot Il there
was 4 line Of skirmishers advancing