Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1906-01-31


til another horse was supplied, when he
was again turned out to do as he pleased.
He pleased to follow the army to Wash
ington. through the city and out into
MARYLAND. to South Mountain and An
tietam, all the time growing fatter and
apparently happier But when the army
returned to Virginia, after Antietam, "Old
Billy" disappeared. The boys in the bat
terry always suspected that some one
had stolen him, and always hoped that
the thief would be good to him.
1t that same battle Of Bull Run
horse belonging to Lieut.. James Stewart
of battery B, Fourth artillery, was struck
by cannon ball which carried away his
tail and gouged out many pounds of his
flesh Tartar" that was this war
horses rame-had been with the battery
la long time. He went with it to Salt
Lake City in 1860, when the Mormons
needed looking after by detachment of
the United States army under Gen. john
son, and naturally was a favorite, but
everybody in battery could see that his
days of usefulness were over. He was
turned out, as it was supposed, to die,
while the battery joined the army IN
hurried retreat to Washington. While
the brigade to which battery B was at
tached was in camp near Halls hill,
few miles from Washington Tartar"
marched into camp and readily found his
way to his old battery. The brigade
heard a lusty cheer over in battery b.
Some one wondered what general was
passing. A messenger was sent over to
find out. He came back with the remark:
IIsC IL. l. 4
that cheer; old Tartar has Joined the
battery, and the boys say he shall 60
with them if they have to make a horse
ambulance for him.
Veterinary surgeons were set to work
to dress the sufferers CHASTITY wounds,
and when the march through Washington
occurred probably no one thing attracted
more attention and caused more COM
ment than poor old Tartar with his
wonderfully bandaged body. No horse
in the battery received more care nor had
better rations than Tartar from that
time until he had fully recovered Though
he was tdiiiess, and bore the marks of
two wounds into which the latest man
in the battery coulu lay his arm, he was
one of the sprightiest animals in battery
from that time until the end of the
was given honorable burial, and his loss
was Seenly felt by the whole command.
| am sorry to have to tell an unfavor-
able story about an army horse. The
late Gen. John A. Kellogg, the last COM
mander of the Iron Brigade, who led that
force in Gen. Grants closing campaign in
Virginia, had a large, beautiful roam of
which he was very proud. But the roam
proved to be a dress parade soldier At
the battle of White Oak Road and GRAY
ely Run, severe engagement, the first
in which Kellogg had directed the move
ments of the brigade, his big, handsome
horse retreated without orders at the
first volley The general sawed on the
bits and yelled whoa in vain. The roam
fairly flew from the firing line carrying
the brigade commander away from the
battle Finding that he could not halt
the animal Gen. Kellogg slid off behind
just as Billy Holloway, his orderly, rode
up Taking Holloway's horse he rode
back to the brigade in time to save his
reputation and win promotion.
1t was only necessary, after that, to
mention the roam to bring forth from
Gen. Kellogg an grafton specked with
the audience into convulsive roars.
The roam was the only really bad horse
ever connected with that brigade.
In that same battle my Charley" as
manageable and gentle in battle as the
gentlest of carriage horses, was shot. [
was riding from the center of the brigade
to the right to give directions to change
position. When the Tide was nearly COM
pleted Charley dropped to his knees, but
was up in an instant, and the next in
slant twenty Or more men in gray were
demanding my surrender, the guns of
some of them being within few feet of
my body. McGowan's confederate divi-
sion had driven back the right of our
brigade, giving me a chance to ride
through thick underbrush into the con-
federate line, then advancing 1 was too
young to die, or thought [ was, and Just
as [ dismounted Charley" fell on his
side, dead. He had been shot when he
fell to his knees The war correspond
ents spoke kindly of old Charley" la
mented his death and incidentally men
toned the death of the brigade's adjutant
general, bit the latter was only pris-
oncr.
The loss OF Charley" and my prison
ership, DIT so inopportune time, reduced
the pleasure experienced six weeks later
when the general told me that he had
recommended captains shoulder straps
i'll place of my first lieutenant's straps.
That was nearly forty one years ago. It
may be that my admiration for ''Charlev''
and his good conduct, that day, explain
why he has never had g, successor.