General Winfield Scott and Glencoe

[donna]

As posted in thread on favorite horses of General John Hunt Morgan, Glencoe was mentioned. He was the big beautiful thoroughbred given by A. Keene Richards to Morgan in 1862. He replaced Black Bess. Morgan was riding Glencoe when he surrendered in Ohio. The horse was given to the Federal troops to care for him. Later Glencoe was sent to Washington DC and given to General Winfield Scott.

At first historians were not sure what had happened to Glencoe. Then the paining by renown horse painter Edward Troye was found. Troye had been selected to paint General Scott on a horse. The horse was Glencoe, Morgan's horse, which at first was Richards' horse. The painting was hung in the Capitol in Washington for years. It disappeared. The painting was found by Mr. Henry Smith, an expert on the paintings of Edward Trope. He inspected the painting and authenticated that it was General Scott on Glencoe.

As far as it is known it is still in storage at the capitol. Maybe someday it will be hung so all can see.

Information from:

March 1. 1939 Harness Horse at:
http://www.mi-harness.net/publct/hh/hrcorrespondents.html

 

[donna]

Since there is thread on General Morgan and his Ohio raid, thought bring this thread back up.

Morgan was riding Glencoe when he surrendered. Here is part of Glencoe's story. He was a fine and handsome horse.

 

[donna]

General Morgan's horse, Black Bess was recently mentioned. Thought I would bump this thread on Glencoe, another favorite of Morgan's.

 

[dlofting]

So now I'm curious.

Glencoe is in the Scottish highlands about 30 minutes by car from Fort William. It's a beautiful spot. In 1692 approximately 35 males of the MacDonald clan were massacred by government soldiers acting on orders from King William. The soldiers were all Campbells. To this day, apparently, there are MacDonalds and Campbells in Scotland who refuse to speak to each other....at least that's what our host in Munlochy, near Inverness, told us. So why did Morgan name his horse Glencoe? As far as I know Morgan is an English name. Did he have Scottish ancestry or is this all just a coincidence? Maybe the horse was named when he acquired it.

 

[cake1979]

So now I'm curious.

Glencoe is in the Scottish highlands about 30 minutes by car from Fort William. It's a beautiful spot. In 1692 approximately 35 males of the MacDonald clan were massacred by government soldiers acting on orders from King William. The soldiers were all Campbells. To this day, apparently, there are MacDonalds and Campbells in Scotland who refuse to speak to each other....at least that's what our host in Munlochy, near Inverness, told us. So why did Morgan name his horse Glencoe? As far as I know Morgan is an English name. Did he have Scottish ancestry or is this all just a coincidence? Maybe the horse was named when he acquired it.

There is also a little town in Kentucky named Glencoe, obviously named after the Scottish locale. With Richards and Morgan being Kentuckians, the horse's name could be that simple.

 

[John Hartwell]

So now I'm curious.

Glencoe is in the Scottish highlands about 30 minutes by car from Fort William. It's a beautiful spot. In 1692 approximately 35 males of the MacDonald clan were massacred by government soldiers acting on orders from King William. The soldiers were all Campbells. To this day, apparently, there are MacDonalds and Campbells in Scotland who refuse to speak to each other....at least that's what our host in Munlochy, near Inverness, told us. So why did Morgan name his horse Glencoe? As far as I know Morgan is an English name. Did he have Scottish ancestry or is this all just a coincidence? Maybe the horse was named when he acquired it.

Sir Walter Scott was one of the most popular literary figures in antebellum (and later) America -- particularly in the South, with its "cavalier" pretensions. The Scottish writer's novels and poems were very widely known. I very much expect that Morgan (or whoever originally named the horse ... or the town) was well acquainted with the story of the tragic events in the remote Highland glen, which Scott wrote of more than once: most notably in his Poem "On the Glencoe Massacre".

Oh! Tell me, Harper, wherefore flow​

Thy wayward notes of wail and woe​

Far down the desert of Glencoe,​

Where none may list their melody?​

Say, harp'st thou to the mist that fly,​

Or to the dun deer glancing by,​

Or to the eagle, that from high​

Screams chorus to thy minstrelsy?​

 

[donna]

I believe the horse already had name when given to Morgan. Richard had the horse and wanted Morgan to have a fine horse to replace Black Bess.

I have several books on Morgan and will look into it further.

 

[ErnieMac]

So now I'm curious.

Glencoe is in the Scottish highlands about 30 minutes by car from Fort William. It's a beautiful spot. In 1692 approximately 35 males of the MacDonald clan were massacred by government soldiers acting on orders from King William. The soldiers were all Campbells. To this day, apparently, there are MacDonalds and Campbells in Scotland who refuse to speak to each other....at least that's what our host in Munlochy, near Inverness, told us. So why did Morgan name his horse Glencoe? As far as I know Morgan is an English name. Did he have Scottish ancestry or is this all just a coincidence? Maybe the horse was named when he acquired it.

A couple photos of the Highlands near Glencoe. The site of the 1692 village was a few miles downstream.

 

[cake1979]

A couple photos of the Highlands near Glencoe. The site of the 1692 village was a few miles downstream.

Well that's just breathtaking. What a beautiful place! I'd name a horse after it too......

 

[donna]

The horse was named before he received it. Have to check on why horse was named Glencoe.