Sherman General Sherman's Horsemanship

lelliott19

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"General Sherman was a nervous and somewhat careless rider. He wore his stirrup-leathers very long, seeming to be almost all the time standing in the irons. This appearance was intensified by his habit of rising in the stirrups on reaching a turn in the road or some advantageous point of observation. While always careful of his animals, Sherman did not appear to have that fondness for them that is so common among good horsemen.

He was constantly on the go, and his eye seemed to be everywhere except where his horse was treading. Sherman's rein was a rather loose one, for he trusted apparently, the natural sagacity of his steed, rather than to his own guidance. Seen at the head of a column of troops, or giving orders for their disposition on the field, Sherman presented a remarkable figure. Riding along the road, he was constantly gazing about him, noting the lay of the land passed over, as if internally planning how a battle could be fought there. After his retirement from the army, General Sherman seldom mounted a horse, for he said he was getting too old; and had had enough of such exercise."

Excerpted from "Generals in the Saddle: Famous Men in Both Armies Who Were Good Horsemen" from The Rider and Driver, 1892, page 88. https://play.google.com/books/reade...ec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA95

Sherman on horsebackjpg.jpg

http://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/43593
 
Interesting! I can believe it, looking at that photo. That's not a great seat and his weight is on the balls of his feet, not his heels.
 
No kidding @Allie. Looks like be lacks a secure seat and exhibits a completely ineffective leg. My instructors would have had a conniption fit!!!!:bounce: Wonder what his horsemanship grades were at West Point? :frantic:
 
Agreed @diane I really like the look of that horse he is on. Is it Sam? Although the head is unrefined and the throatlatch seems a bit thicker than it should be compared to his neck, the hip and gaskin combination is pretty impressive. I also like the shoulder and the forearm - looks like he could get his knees up above his elbows when needed to clear anything in front of him.
Ive always been a sucker for a long sloping shoulder like that even though I no longer do any jumping. :bounce:
 
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Agreed @diane I really like the look of that horse he is on. Although the head is unrefined and the throatlatch seems a bit thicker than it should be compared to his neck, the hip and gaskin combination is pretty impressive. I also like the shoulder and the forearm - looks like he could get his knees up above his elbows when needed to clear anything in front of him.
Ive always been a sucker for a long sloping shoulder like that even though I no longer do any jumping. :bounce:
I kind of like his head. He looks honest.

Do we know what horse that is? I don't know much about Sherman's horses.
 
I dont know what horse it is. Im hoping @diane will chime in and tell us.
EDIT: I found the photo here http://melpor.hubpages.com/hub/American-Civil-War-Generals-and-Their-Horses with the horse identified as "Duke"


But I did find this really interesting article about "Sam" who was one of Sherman's horses acquired after Shiloh.

"He was always hungry and fat -- never got lame and was never on the sick list," Sherman wrote after hearing of the horse's death, according to the book "Citizen Sherman," published in 1995 and written by Michael Fellman. The general described Sam as so steadfast that even when a musket ball passed through the horse's neck, "he didn't complain and went right along at his work as though he was used to it."
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-01-31/features/0801290319_1_horse-historic-site-famed-war
 
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It might be Duke, but I believe the horse in the picture is Lexington, a famous Kentucky thoroughbred who won many races. Cincinnati, Grant's favorite, was his son. Sherman's horses during the war were Sam, Duke, Dolly and one other I can't remember! He liked Sam the best, though, and rode him through the march. Dolly was temperamental. She was stolen at Collierville during a raid and Sherman, when told of it, said, "Well, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing she will break the neck of the first rebel who tries to ride her!"
 
I dont know what horse it is. Im hoping @diane will chime in and tell us.
EDIT: I found the photo here http://melpor.hubpages.com/hub/American-Civil-War-Generals-and-Their-Horses with the horse identified as "Duke"


But I did find this really interesting article about "Sam" who was one of Sherman's horses acquired after Shiloh.

"He was always hungry and fat -- never got lame and was never on the sick list," Sherman wrote after hearing of the horse's death, according to the book "Citizen Sherman," published in 1995 and written by Michael Fellman. The general described Sam as so steadfast that even when a musket ball passed through the horse's neck, "he didn't complain and went right along at his work as though he was used to it."
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-01-31/features/0801290319_1_horse-historic-site-famed-war

Ah! It is Duke! :thumbsup:
 
It might be Duke, but I believe the horse in the picture is Lexington, a famous Kentucky thoroughbred who won many races. Cincinnati, Grant's favorite, was his son. Sherman's horses during the war were Sam, Duke, Dolly and one other I can't remember! He liked Sam the best, though, and rode him through the march. Dolly was temperamental. She was stolen at Collierville during a raid and Sherman, when told of it, said, "Well, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing she will break the neck of the first rebel who tries to ride her!"
My relative CSO Rice was at Collierville! Funny to wonder who ended up with Sherman's horse.
 
Agreed @diane I really like the look of that horse he is on. Is it Sam? Although the head is unrefined and the throatlatch seems a bit thicker than it should be compared to his neck, the hip and gaskin combination is pretty impressive. I also like the shoulder and the forearm - looks like he could get his knees up above his elbows when needed to clear anything in front of him.
Ive always been a sucker for a long sloping shoulder like that even though I no longer do any jumping. :bounce:
This post made me laugh because this city-bred girl didn't know that horses had elbows and forearms. I had to google throatlatch and gaskin.
I learn something new every day on CWT and not all of it has anything to do with the Civil War, except tangentially. :giggle:
 
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Lexington is still with us, at the International Museum of the Horse in Lexington Ky:

http://imh.org/collections/natural-history/lexington

One of his offspring was Preakness, after whom is named the famous race in Pimlico. He sired some good'uns! He's also the model for the top of the Woodlawn Vase. He was retired from racing in 1855 because of poor eyesight - which is a reason Sherman didn't ride him much. One of his previous owners had been Abe Buford, a Confederate general under Forrest, whose cousin was the Union cavalryman John Buford.
 
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