Lee Clipping from Traveler

[AndyHall]

According to the donor in 1919, this lock was clipped from Traveler at Appomattox. Collection of the Rosenberg Library, Galveston. Currently on exhibit.

 

[TinCan]

Poor Traveller, his bones had a pretty rough time of it until he was finally allowed to rest with the general.

 

[Karen Lips]

Makes me wonder why and who would clip hair from Traveller at Appomattox.

 

[diane]

I think somebody might do that. Lots of the men were crowding around and touching Lee and Traveller both. Maybe someone did it while he was inside the house with Grant.

Looks lighter than I'd thought, though!

 

[Stony]

After the war, Traveller accompanied Lee to his post at Washington College. The horse lost many hairs from his tail to admirers who wanted a souvenir of the famous horse and his general. When General Lee died in 1870, Traveller marched in his funeral with reversed boots in his stirrups. The faithful horse did not outlive his master by long. In 1871, Traveller stepped on a nail and developed lockjaw, a condition also known as tetanus that causes muscle spasms of the head, making it difficult to take food into the mouth and chew. The veteran was euthanized to end his suffering. His bones were displayed at Washington College until the 1970's when Traveller's remains were buried at the college, not far from General Lee's final resting place.

 

[Drew]

I sort of scratch my head over why Traveler's lock would be interesting to anyone, so I guess my interest is over the interest? We've a weird history about hair, that is for sure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_of_hair

 

[Karen Lips]

After the war, Traveller accompanied Lee to his post at Washington College. The horse lost many hairs from his tail to admirers who wanted a souvenir of the famous horse and his general. When General Lee died in 1870, Traveller marched in his funeral with reversed boots in his stirrups. The faithful horse did not outlive his master by long. In 1871, Traveller stepped on a nail and developed lockjaw, a condition also known as tetanus that causes muscle spasms of the head, making it difficult to take food into the mouth and chew. The veteran was euthanized to end his suffering. His bones were displayed at Washington College until the 1970's when Traveller's remains were buried at the college, not far from General Lee's final resting place.

I wonder if Traveller fathered any colts.

 

[AndyHall]

Looks lighter than I'd thought, though!

Lee described his mane and tail as black, so that's a good point.

 

[Stony]

 

[diane]

Lee described his mane and tail as black, so that's a good point.

Always a little skeptical of pieces like that - not to say it isn't, just a bit wary. Biographers of Nelson say there's enough bits of his hair to thatch every house in England! After he died they went for some major clipping but so far the pigtail and two other pieces are all that have been authenticated. Don't know how you'd authenticate Traveller's hair!

 

[Frederick14Va]

Makes me wonder why and who would clip hair from Traveller at Appomattox.

Stranger things have happened.... Little Sorrel.. Jacksons horse was nearly tail less and mane less from all the people plucking a hair memento....

Several accounts at Appomattox give view that don't think Lee had ridden yet out of sight and the McLean's parlor was stripped bear of all its furniture by Federal officers ...

Lets not forget the poor apple tree at Appomattox that met its quick demise... It was simply a message exchange point between the lines... So you had both Federal and Confederate officers standing and milling about it waiting for responses going back and forth between the lines.... Soldiers watching this activity from a short distance... incorrectly assumed it was the official surrender meeting and negotiation itself... Some calling it the surrender tree.... Soon as the officers departed the soldiers raided and consumed the poor apple tree into small memento fragments and splinters... some say not enough for a tooth pick remained of it by dark....

 

[mikekj]

DNA!!!!!
Clone him!

 

[donna]

Just so glad Traveler at peace now buried near General Lee. They belong near each other.

As to hair, I guess it could be from him but doesn't look dark enough. People will collect anything belonging to famous people and animals. It hard to understand but there is a big demand for these things.

 

[alexjack]

Lee described his mane and tail as black, so that's a good point.

Maybe the age of the clipping?

 

[Ed McCaul]

It is hard to name something that someone does not collect.

During the 1800's it was common for soldiers to carry clippings of their wife's or girlfriend's hair and women often carried clippings of their husband's or boyfriend's hair.

Traveler's hair could have bleached out over the years.

 

[diane]

That's true - over time things fade, especially if they haven't been properly preserved or cared for. Horses' hair, though, is somewhat notorious for not doing that.

 

[Frederick14Va]

Grey horses manes and tails tend to be varying mixed shades of a darker grey hairs.... in contrast to the color of the body of the horse may seem to be black(ish).... If it may have been exposed to extended periods (years) of light, especially natural UV light... it can indeed fade over time....

Just as an example... we took some tail and mane hairs and made them into small tassel's for some folks that do the western forte decorations... having one made from their own horses etc... One person hung the tassels from her vehicle mirror... One horse a dark bay thoroughbred... which had jet black mane and tail... after a couple years of exposure has turned a medium dark grey color.... another horse was a dark chestnut (dark reddish brown color)... it faded out to a medium tan color....

 

[diane]

Grey horses manes and tails tend to be varying mixed shades of a darker grey hairs.... in contrast to the color of the body of the horse may seem to be black(ish).... If it may have been exposed to extended periods (years) of light, especially natural UV light... it can indeed fade over time....

Just as an example... we took some tail and mane hairs and made them into small tassel's for some folks that do the western forte decorations... having one made from their own horses etc... One person hung the tassels from her vehicle mirror... One horse a dark bay thoroughbred... which had jet black mane and tail... after a couple years of exposure has turned a medium dark grey color.... another horse was a dark chestnut (dark reddish brown color)... it faded out to a medium tan color....

That's a good point. Improper storage and so forth. Nelson's pigtail is reddish blond. The other samples are light brown! The brown bits came from the part of the head under his hat - the pigtail was wrapped up but exposed to a lot more sunlight. I have some items that have done a fade like that over the years - the original animal was dark but now its hair is light! They weren't stored correctly, just left in a barn for many years.

 

[28thNewYork]

Pardon the 20th century example, but I believe it's "on point":

Prior to WWII, a stuffed bison from the collection of the Buffalo Museum of Science was placed in the Great Hall of the Buffalo Central Terminal. During the war servicemen passing through are reported to have rubbed its nose for good luck (my mother attests to this) , leading to so much damage and hair loss that the Museum removed it at the end of the war, never to permanently return.

 

[E_just_E]

I sort of scratch my head over why Traveler's lock would be interesting to anyone, so I guess my interest is over the interest? We've a weird history about hair, that is for sure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_of_hair

These type of objects were extremely popular during the war, and the taking and keeping of or working with hair locks to transform them into daily objects was a very common practice:

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