"Horses and Mules In The Civil War" by Gene C. Armistead

donna

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
Horses and mules served during the Civil war in greater number and suffered more casualties than the men of the Union and Confederate armies combined. Using firsthand accounts, this history addresses the many uses of equines during the war, the methods by which they were obtained, their costs, their suffering on the battlefields and roads, their consumption by soldiers, and such topics as racing and mounted music.

The book is supplemented by accounts of the "Lightning Mule Brigade", the "Charge of the Mule Brigade", five appendices and 17 illustrations. More than 700 Civil War equines are identified and described with incidental information and identification of their masters.

As the author states: "The Civil War could not have been fought for so long a period over so extensive an area without horses and mules. Their experiences must have been equally compelling as those of the men." This book tells their story.
 
Sounds interesting. Can you all promise me we will not digress in to enlargements about Horse Confederates or Mule Confederate?
 
One of the horses mentioned in this book, that I had never read before about was "Old Whitey. This horse was rode by Mrs. Mary "Mother" Bickerdyke. This malnourished stray horse with sores on its legs was captured at the 1862 Battle of Iuka, Ms. and nursed back to health by Mrs. Bickerdyke, who used it for the rest of the war. By invitation of Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, she rode Old Whitey at the general's side during the Grand Review in Washington D.C., at the end of the war. She always rode the horse sidesaddle even though she had only a regulation army saddle. page 162.
 
Thank for the reference Major. I had no idea anyone had actually written a book on it. My wife may want to read that one.

Say hi to old KY for me; grew up there (mostly) before leaving on the wagon train headed west.

Say, my dad's family came here from Kentucky! Whereabouts did you grow up? Granddad was born in Louisville.
 
Does this mean we can't talk about THAT HORSE?
That Guy & King Philip by Michael Gnatek:smile coffee:
general-nathan-bedford-forrest-king-phillip.jpg
 
My husband and children were born in Louisville. My family lived there many years. I went to high school there. Met my husband there and was married there. Our son and family still live there. It is a small world.
 
According to this book, King Philip, General Nathan Bedford Forrest's horse, was a large dapple gray gelding. The horse was a gift from ladies of Georgia. This horse was sluggish until it heard firing, when it would become excitable. It was wounded at Okolona (the 3rd horse Forrest used in this battle) and several later times but survived the war and was with Forrest at the surrender in 1865. After the war, it lived on Forrest's plantation at Sunflower Landing, Coahoma, Ms. During one visit by Reconstruction troops, the horse charged the blue uniformed soldiers. When it died, it was buried in one of Forrest's army blankets. page 147.
 
Another of General Forrest's horses was Roderick. He was gift from Mr. Cooke of Tennessee. The horse was killed during the battle of Thompson's Station, Tn. The planned community of Roderick Place, Tn. is named after this horse, and a statue to Roderick has been erected at its entrance. page 170.
 
To make things even, since did two Confederate horses, thought better do a horse that belonged to Union officer.

Sam was half-thoroughbred, dark chestnut bay, 5' 4 " at the withers and weighed about 1000 lbs. The horse was acquired by William Tecumseh Sherman after the Battle of Shiloh to replace a horse that was killed. He named the horse after his friend U.S. Grant. Used thereafter including, it is believed, during the "March To The Sea". It was wounded several times, including once shot through the neck. After the war, about 1870, Sam was retired to the Frankfort, Ill. farm of William Sanger, a Sherman friend. Here it was frequently ridden by Sanger's grandchildren. The horse died in 1874 and was buried on Sanger's farm near a grove of trees. A metal statue of the horse with Sherman and Sanger's grandchildren was placed in downtown Frankfort in 2004. Sherman rode this horse in the Grand Review in Washington after the war. page 171.
 
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