The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-01-21
HOW GEN. LEE ACQUIRED
HIS WAR HORSE TRAVELLER"
Ex-Governor Hayward Gives Inter-
estins Account of Famous Charg-
er's History as Told to Him by
Man Who Raised "Traveler" and
and Sold Him to Lee.

At the request of the Sunday News
and Courier. Ex-Gov. D. c. Heywaro
consented to give for publication on
Gen. Robt. E. Lees birthday an ac,
count of a singular coincidence which
occurred two years ago and which
throws new light on the history OF
Traveller, the famous horse which
Gen. Lee rode throughout his cam
paign in Virginia.
The facts concerning Travellers
history which are here given have
never been published before. Gov
ernor Hayward is confident of their
accuracy, but, as will be seen, they
are not based on his own personal
knowledge, but were given to him
by the Virginian.
"About two years ago." said Gov
ernor Hayward yesterday, "while Wis
iting the little town of Lewisburg.
the county seat of Greenbrier county.
1 happened to be in a store one morn
ing when was introduced to Capt.
James w. Johnston, an >elderly gen.
tleman who was farmer in Green
brier county. He inquired where l
was from and on being told that l
came from South Carolina, he re-
,rked that he had once visited that
state. I asked him when he had
been in South Carolina and he re-
piled that it was during the war. In
answer to another question, he stated
that he had been in the neighborhood
of Yemassee, McPhersonville and
Coosawhatchie.
"Some strange reason, his men-
ton of the name of Coosawhatchie
led me to remark that it was at Coo
sawhatchie that Gen. Lee bought Ira
weller and more in spirit of fun
than for any other purpose Il sought
to make much Of the fact that the
great soldier had come to my state
to buy his horse. The old gentleman,
however, said at once that I was mis-
taken and on my asking him how he
knew that was wrong, he replied
that he himself had raised Traveller
in Greenbrier county, which was then
a part of Virginia, and that he had
delivered the horse to Lee at Coosa-
whatchie. 81 delivered him to him
there" he said, "but, I raised him
here"
"Being much interested, I asked
him to give me all the facts in regard
to the horse and how and where
Gen. Lee had obtained him. This he
very kindly proceeded to do. I have
every reason to believe that his ac-
count is absolutely correct since
Capt. Johnston is a highly reputable
citizen of Greenbrier county and
since he is known by everyone there
as the man who raised Traveller. !;
"Capt. Johnston told me that at
the time Gen. Lee first saw the horse
he (Johnston) was a private in the
6Oth' Virginian infantry and was in
camp in Fayette county. Being IA
miliar with the country he was detail
ed to recruit horses for the army
and, having much riding to do in the
performance of this duty, he wrote
home to his father on his farm near
Blue Sulphur Springs and asked him
to send him a gray colt named jeff
colt which had been given to him
by his father. 1t was at the camp
in Fayette county that Lee first saw
e colt, which was then four year
old. Lee was very much struck with
him and wanted to buy him, but
Johnston informed the general that
he had already promised to sell the
horse to Capt. Jos. Broun, the quar-
termaster Of the regiment, that a
price of SITS had been agreed upon
and that he was to deliver the horse
to Capt. Broun as soon as he John
ston) had finished his task of secur-
ing horses for the army. Feeling
flattered, however, that the COM
manding general of the army had ad-
mired the horse so much that he
wanted to buy him for use during
tba r,or Johnston uopt IN Cant