The Horse in the Civil war

Great post ExNavyPilot. ONLY 4 gallons of water a day? Those were some tough equines. I wonder how often they actually received the 12 # of grain and 14 # of roughage? Its incredible, to me, that, on an average, they lasted as long as 8 months. Yes, horses and mules are what moved the armies.
 
No mention of artillery horses? They weren't glamorous but in their anonymity were essential for the movement of the "long arm of the army."

According to the 1864 Field Artillery Tactics manual, each (Union) battery had about 110 horses; six for each gun carriage/limber and each caisson (normally six guns and at least six caissons per Union battery) plus horses to pull the battery wagon and traveling forge. Each horse could pull about 1,600 lbs for 23 miles per day, while an average march was 16 miles in 10 hours. For all this work, the horses were supposed to get 12 lbs of grain (oats, barley, corn), 14 lbs of hay, and 4 gallons of water. There was one driver for every two horses in the battery. The rest of the battery personnel normally marched to ease the load for the horses; when speed was necessary over short distances, the cannoneers could ride on the limbers and caissons but this wasn't done often due to the drain on the horses. Each battery was allowed a couple of farriers to keep the horses shod (using the traveling forge.)

Due to hard work and disease, life expectancy for the battery horses was under 8 months. In battle, the horses were a prime target of the enemy infantry; shoot the horses and the guns couldn't be pulled away quickly, so the battery could be overrun easier and the guns captured (a feat valued as much as capturing an enemy flag). At Chickamauga, my ancestor's battery (3rd Wisconsin) lost 33 horses and 5 guns; at 6 horses per gun, you can see why 5 guns would be left behind. As caissons were normally placed behind the gun line, their horses were less likely to be killed.

After Chickamauga, the seige of Chattanooga ensued. Per the 3rd Wisconsin Battery history:

Immediately our horse feed became scarce and grazing was soon used up; some of the boys would crawl through the lines and pull grass to feed, while they would be in the shelter of anything to screen them from sharpshooters. They would put the grass in corn sacks and drag them in behind themselves to our own lines. The rebels were in a short range but never shot anyone, undoubtedly thinking it was surrender or starvation in a short time. The little corn soon disappeared and the horses in the best condition were sent to Bridgeport [sic] to save their lives; many had already died tied to trees or posts, which they knawed as long as they had strength. During the siege 10,000 horses and mules died of starvation.

My ancestor was detached OCT-NOV 1863 from the now useless battery (one gun left) to take the remaining horses to Stevenson, AL (possibly Fort Harker) where adequate feed was available to keep them alive. Family lore says that PVT Massuere was a quiet and unassuming farmboy who apparently enjoyed the company of his horses more than that of many of his battery mates.

My praise and honor goes to those unsung animals of countless artillery batteries on both sides of the fight.

And the Artillery horses were all deaf from the roar of the guns
 
Lexington was the horse of General William Tecumseh Sherman during the Civil War. A famous Kentucky racehorse, Lexington was relied upon for his speed during the war. Lexington carried General Sherman through Atlanta in 1864 and to Washington for the final review of his army. His son, Cincinnati was a gift to General Ulysses Grant.

General Ulysses Grant’s favorite war horse was named Cincinnati.. He was the son of Lexington, one of the fastest racehorses of the time and property of General William Tecumseh Sherman. General Grant was given Cincinnati as a gift in 1864 and rarely allowed anyone else to ride him. General Grant rode Cincinnati throughout the war and to his surrender meeting with General Robert E. Lee. The horse stayed with Grant at the White House after he became president and lived until 1878. Grant’s other horses included Methuselah, Rondy, Fox, Jack, Jeff Davis and Kangaroo.

I don't believe that Sherman's horse was the Lexington, sire of General Grant's Cincinnati. The famous Lexington was purchased by Mr. Alexander, of Woodburn Stud, in 1856 from Mr. Ten Broeck for the sum of $15,000 and Lexington was owned by Woodburn Stud till his death. So he was never the property of William Tecumseh Sherman. I can find that Grant received a gift in 1864 of a fine young stallion (J.C. records indicate he was f 1860 and sire was Lexington, dam unnamed) who he named Cincinnati. From all accounts I can find (late 19th and 1st two decades of 20th century), Cincinnati was a death-bed gift from a gentleman to General Grant. It is said, and I have no doubt, that Grant was offered 10,000 dollars in gold for Cincinnati.

At one point, Morgan made a raid up into Kentucky and Lexington was taken by Woodburn and hidden until the threat of danger was over. Several Woodburn stallions were taken, but there is no record of Lexington being taken by either side. Lexington wouldn't have done much good on either side as he was going blind by 1856 when Mr. Alexander purchased him.

Sorry, we portrayed Col and Mrs Bruce for the Woodburn Stud sale event a few years ago, and this just didn't ring true, so I quickly did a little refresher course. :wink:
 
Not that it's any great shakes, but being a fan of the great Lexington, and General Grant -- I did a little research and found this interesting. Any large animal vets out there who wanna take a stab at what afflicted this family of horses?

It's interesting how Lexington’s blindness appeared to be hereditary. Lexington’s gg granddam was blind, and his great grandsire Sir Archy was known for having blind offspring, though apparently was not blind himself. Sir Archy sired Timolson who also was not blind but sired blind offspring – most notably Boston. Boston went blind later in life, as did his son Lexington.

I found this interesting about Lexington from a book written in 1869, by John Henry Walsh. “Lexington, the sire of more winners than any other horse now in this country, is blind; his sire, Boston, was blind; and many of the Lexington colts go blind at an early age. In 1868 two of his get were foaled blind. Yet the best thoroughbred mares are bred to him, because the progeny will probably keep good sight until five years old, before which age nearly all the racing is done. If he were a trotting stallion breeders would not use him, because his colts would go blind before they had attained their greatest usefulness.”

A later book seems to indicate that there is no record of any of Lexington’s get being born blind, or having a history of blindness. However, that is not true. Col. Bruce, in his American Stud book, now used as the official records of the American Jockey Club, states that in 1861 a mare Polly Elliott, produced a filly by Lexington that was foaled blind. Ah, the difference the internet makes in being able to document things. :wink:

Apparently Cincinnati was never affected, in 1865 (when the war ended) he had just turned five. There is no record of his going blind later, and I believe that would have been a big deal!
 
Planning on seeing the new Spielberg movie, "Warhorse," this next weekend. Okay, so it takes place during WWI, not the Civil War, but is supposed to be very good. Per the iTunes movie trailer synopsis:
"DreamWorks Pictures' "War Horse," director Steven Spielberg's epic adventure, is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. "War Horse" begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets--British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter--before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man's Land. The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse--an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure. "War Horse" is one of the great stories of friendship and war-- a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is arriving on Broadway next year. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by one of the great directors in film history."​
Trailers available here http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/warhorse/
 
Your money won't be wasted--and the parallels to the Civil War are numerous. Take a towel if you like horses.

It's not a perfect film, but it's a dadgum good one. And you can take the entire family.
 
Neither Cincinnati nor Lexington were "war horses." They were photo props for photo ops, parades, and reviews.

Little Jeff was Grant's favorite ride, but he must have looked a bit silly on so small a horse.

Sherman himself mentioned that he had at least three horses. In that remuda was at least one that wasn't skittish when guns were going off.

From this observation, I can't really tell whether Lexington or Cincinnati were actually skittish, but one doesn't drive a Ferrari in a demolition derby.
 
I forget which horse Grant used in battle (Egypt?) but it definitely wasn't Cincinnati. Sherman used Sam, because Lexington was skittish. Sam certainly was not. He simply grazed. He was shot straight through the neck and never missed a bite!
 
An inspiring but sad story comes from the Hartford, Ct., Columbian Register, of 15 October, 1862:


“Sgt. Charles E. Legg of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry writes concerning a horse belonging to the Magruder Battery (formerly commanded by the rebel general of that name) as follows:

“‘The old horse was sent to James Island, but was so wounded as to be unfit for battery use; he was turned loose, and, as the battery refused to own him, he hung around our camp, eating with our horses when they were fed. When we went out to drill or to ride on the beach, he would trot along beside us. One day when the battery was out drilling he fell into the ranks on the gun he used to drill and went through the whole exercise. They intended to leave him on the island when we left, but the patriotic veteran had no idea of following the example of his former commander and going over to the rebels, or being taken by them, and so he crowded in with the other horses when they were put aboard.’”



We can only wonder what eventually became of the poor old animal, who had come to know no life but that of a battery horse, but was no longer fit for service. Thus far he had been tolerated, treated with sympathy by the men of the 1st Mass. Cavalry. But, a war was on, and surely that could not last.
 
I don't know if this should go here are in a separate thread.
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University of Maryland, Baltimore County - http://contentdm.ad.umbc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/civilwar/id/27/rec/59
 
Sad letter about Smith's horse. Letter written by James P. Smith on Feb. 14th, 1863:

"General Johnson lost a fine horse under him. I rode my captured grey Bristow that day. As he has a bullet in his shoulder he does not like the sounds of battle. I had hardly finished a letter to General Johnson under heavy fire when a ball passing very near my head - he wheeled an ran off in the most un-war-horse-like manner."

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