Sherman List of Sherman's Horses

frontrank2

Captain
Forum Host
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Location
Mt. Jackson, Va
It’s not everyday that I find a letter by a Civil War general, specifically answering the question “which was your favorite horse?” But today, we got lucky! Matter-of-fact Union General William T. Sherman clearly stated in 1888 which warhorse was his favorite.
Meet the horse that entered Atlanta and probably took the general on the March To The Sea: Duke.
As I started poking around online sources looking for some reliable information about Sherman’s horses, I noticed that the names of several of those horses are recorded. Since I wasn’t able to track down a good, reliable story about the origins of Duke’s name, I thought it might be nice to mention some of the other horses that Sherman rode during the Civil War. The General admitted that he changed horses frequently during the conflict, which likely accounts for the many stories about his equestrian “friends” or “enemies.”
Sam – one of the several Sherman horses wounded at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862. This horse was described as “always hungry…never lame.” Sam recovered from the Shiloh wound, and some sources say he was Sherman’s second favorite horse.
Lexington – this horse is sometimes mistakenly identified as the famous racehorse who also had the same name. After checking some articles about the racehorse, it seems unlikely that famous horse got near a battlefield. However, Sherman’s Lexington may have been the general’s mount at the Grand Review in Washington in 1865.
Dolly – a feisty, temperamental mare. When she was captured during a Confederate raid, Sherman supposedly announced that he was pleased to contemplate the idea that she’d break the neck of the first Rebel who tried to ride her. Clearly, she was never a “favorite horse.”
And then there was Duke… continued: https://gazette665.com/2018/01/19/shermans-duke/

duke.jpg

Uncle Billy astride Duke
 
Back
Top