More "Last War Horses" of the Civil War

John Hartwell

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We've seen a number of accounts of "the last surviving war horse" from the Civil War here in Four-footed Friends. Mostly they dated 1885-99, and doubtless the description was accurate for each insofar as the writer could ascertain in his particular time and place.

"Old Dave" is one of these (most of them were called "Old something"), and I don't believe we've heard of him before. He lived in Kaufman County, Texas, the property of "Uncle Ed" King, who he carried through the war and since. "Old Dave" seems to have enjoyed a pampered old age.
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[Atlanta Constitution, Sept. 19, 1890]​
 
"Mrs. Gaines" died in February 1893, at Lenox, Mass., at the age of 36. She is named as "without doubt the last horse left of those that took part in the battles on the Potomac in 1862." The Hartford Courant of February 13, tells us much of her history, and describes her as highly honored and lovingly cared for in her declining years.
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Col. Richard T. Auchmuty, a well known New York architect, died the following July 18th, at his summer home in Lenox, Mass.
 
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There's a photo of one of Meade's horses ( Billy? ) at Schuylkill arsenal post war. It's always bugged me because the old guy is in harness. You'd like to think all of them had the retirement Mrs. Gaines and Old Dave were granted.

These 30 plus year old horses are amazing. Pretty long lived gee whiz. Love to know why we hear of so many 150 years ago- I've seen stables where horses live in climate control, owners bestow every advantage on them from scientifically manufactured diets to heck, dentists ( and it's all so over the top it gets a little silly ). A long lived horse in 2019 might be 25.
 
At Gettysburg, then Captain Richard Tylden Auchmuty (who owned "Mrs. Gaines") was an Assistant Adjutant General on Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford's staff. On July 6, 1863, Auchmuty wrote his mother that Crawford's division arrived on the battlefield at 11 a.m. on July 2. Auchmuty (mounted) was by the side of Crawford just prior to the latter's famous charge of the Pennsylvania Reserves on the evening of July 2, advancing from the north slope of Little Round Top to the eastern edge of the Wheatfield (according to Crawford in an address he delivered on November 28, 1866 in Feller's Hall, township of Red Hook, Duchess County, New York). The implication is that Auchmuty (and therefore also "Mrs. Gaines") participated in that charge.
 
Pennsylvania's "Old Ned" very likely was the actual Federal "Last War Horse" of the Rebellion. He was an incredible 41 years old, when the following story appeared in the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch on November 29, 1896. And, when he passed away the next year at the age of 42, it was front-page news across the country.
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"Old Ned"
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You can read much more about "Old Ned," and "Old Jim" (his Confederate counterpart), and other claimants to the title of "Last War Horse), in the thread "The Last of the War Horses" [which I have been trying to find for two days, but only now succeeded].
 
"Barney," yet another "Last" war horse:
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[Pittsburgh Dispatch, 25 March 1889]
And, just a few days later, "Old Bill" stakes his claim!
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[Cleveland Plain Dealer, 28 March 1889]​

Among several threads in this forum, we've seen over a dozen old war horses, Union and Confederate, presumed to be the "Last" of their kind. It's about time to sift through the 'nominees' and, hopefully, declare the title-holders.
 
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