The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-07-17

is to be remembered that, added to
the generals weight must be taken
into account the saddle, blanket and
other necessary accountrement, which
must have weighed something over
100 pounds. Nevertheless it is stated
that he did all these things and came
out of the service sound, as far as
limbs and wind are concerned.
Stonewall" Jackson was as pic->
turesque i'll the saddle as he was on
foot. The grim old Presbyterian ell
der had riden in his youth in West
Virginia in races for an uncle, Of
which act in later years he was not
proud. At the beginning of the
Civil War or thercabouts, some Of his
admirers presented him with Il war
charger suitable for man of growing
fame and bright military future. He
had been riding up to that date
rather underSiZcd sorrel gelding of
very meek appearance, which was one
of carload captured by his command
at some point on the Baltimore s.
Ohio Railroad and consigned to Wash
ington. This particular animal the
general gave the name of Fancy, al
though from all accounts of Confed-
crate soldiers it fell far short of the
| title in equine attributes, except in
one respect, he had fancy whenever
the command halted for lying down
and rolling like dog. What the
general liked most about him, aside
from his quiet manners was his gait,
which he himself described as being
as "easy rs Il cradlc.' Evidently the
animal was of the hobby horse spec
les.
The mount scleced for Jackson
was quite another animal in blood,
disposition and spirit. On certain
review the general, dressed in new
uniform in the place of the dingy
gray he had long worn, appeared on
charger, but when the band struck
up "Hail to the Chief" and his men
burst into loud cheers, the horse
bolted, threw "Old Jack' and trailed
the new uniform in the dust. Fancy
was never thereafter displaced in his
affection and esteem. He rode him
in his valley and peninsular cam
paigns and was on his back on the
evening of May 2, 1868, at Chancel-
lorsville, when he received the wound
which resulted in his untimely death.
For Il long time Fancy was lost after
the above event, hut was finally found
by a Confederate soldier, and subse-
quently given home in the family of
Jackson 5 father-in-law, DR.. Morrison,
Lincoln county, N. c. Fancy lived to
Il most extraordinary age, dying about
1S years ago. His skin was prepar-
ed by an expert attached to the Smith
sonian institute and is now on eXhibi-
tion at the Confederate Soldiers
home, Richmond. Va.
The black gelding Sheridan rode in
his campaigns in the Southwest and
in Virginia was Michigan bred ami
NAL, and must have come from good
stock to have performed such long and
arluous service. Those who know
Sheridan best admit that he was a
hard taskmastcr. "Little PHILIP was
a human dynamo. The nervous ener-
gy confined within his compact frame
was sufficient to stock the organism,
of half dozen commonplace beings
Champions of the Morgan breed of
| horse have olWaVS maint aimed that
Sheridan s favoritc war charger was Il
Morgan and from the description
Sheridan gives himself of his charac,
teristics and general conformation it
is quite possible that they are cor
rect Despite brevity of stature Sher-
ilan was an inspiring figure on a
horse. Nature east soldier afte,
her own heart where she forth
forth Sheridan. Wherever and when
ever he appeared in public no placard
needed to be pinned to his back to
tell one he was soldier. He was wa,
incarnate in war times, and whether
in peace or war he was man of ac-
tion---a man who did things. Time
the crucible in which public reputa-
tions are tested, will demonstrate that
in the facility to use infantry and
cavalry effectively at the psychologist
cal moment but one other ever existed
worthy Of comparison--Napoleon
Rienzi, Sheridan's war charger, also
lived to ripe old age, proving that