Rondy

Roanoke · #1 07-20-2006, 02:37 PM

War-horse of General Ulysses S. Grant

This horse was the first one that Grant rode in battle. This is the only thing that I have been able to find about Rondy. If anyone knows anything about Rondy please Post! I would like to know anything: Color? Breed? size? mare/stallion/gelding? More important I would love to know how this animal preformed on the battlefield or any interesting stories about the horse.

I am a member of the Northern Illinois Civil War Round Table and consider myself a serious student of the Civil War. I have a non-serious related hobby. I collect stories about the War-horses of the Civil War. (I call these stores HORSE-TAILS) So if anyone has a "horse tail" about Rondy please let me know? Roanoake

I noticed that #15 posting on this Web site was Grant's horse, Kangaroo.
I thought that readers would enjoy the horse-tail of this unusually named horse. Grant's oldest son, Fredrick Dent Grant told the story.

"At the battle of Shiloh the Confederates left on the field a rawboned horse, very ugly an apparenly good for nothing. As a joke, the officier who found the animal on the field, sent it with his compliments, to Colonel Lagow, one of my father's aid-de-camp, who always kept a very excellant mount and was a man of means. The other officers of the staff "jollied" the colonel about the gift. When my father saw him. he told the colonel that the animal was a thoroughbred and a valuable mount and that if he, Lagow, did not wish to keep the horse he would be glad to have him. Because of his appearance he was named "Kangaroo" and after a short period of rest and feeding and care he he turned out to be a magnificent animal and was used to my father during the Vicksburg campaign."

I love the name Kangaroo and rate it up there with Beppo and Plug Ugly

ole · #2 07-20-2006, 05:15 PM

Shortly after Vicksburg, Grant acquired Cincinnati, Little Egypt and Jeff Davis. Jeff Davis, which he bought for Freddie, apparently had such a smooth gait that Freddy was co-opted. Perhaps Grant continued to use Rondy when there was trouble afoot, much the same as Sherman rode Dolly when it was quiet and Duke when it was not.
Thanks for the thread.
Ole