Tom Telegraph

lelliott19

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The image is entitled "Knight of the Valley" by John Paul Strain and purchase information is available here http://www.johnpaulstrain.com/art/knight-of-the-valley.htm

"Tom Telegraph" - magnificent white war horse of Turner Ashby.

I found this info while answering a trivia Q submitted by @57th Indiana Infantry. The question has been scored and posted now so I thought I'd share this additional info. Perhaps no one else will be interested in Tom Telegraph's pedigree except @diane @Allie and @FarawayFriend but Ill include it anyway. :bounce:

If horses aren't your thing,:nah disagree: just skip down to the **********************

Tom's sire was reportedly a 15 hand brown Morgan stallion named "Old Tom Telegraph." Old Tom was an 1840 model, bred in Vermont. Col. Richard Henry Dulany bought Old Tom while on a visit to St Albans, VT. He immediately brought Old Tom to Loudoun County, Va. Col Dulany bred Old Tom to a number of local mares including one gray saddlebred mare owned by James Hathaway. The resulting offspring was the colt, "Tom Telegraph."

By 1859, Tom Telegraph had made a name for himself at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show (founded in 1853 by Col Dulany) ....
"For many years past much attention has been bestowed on breeding horses for the saddle, and such a commingling of pure riding blood was never known in any other country. Hiatoga, Robroy, Saltram, Tom, and Tom Telegraph hold place in affection of the people, and each is highly esteemed by his friends. It is a wonder that the product of such moving crosses ever stand still enough to get a saddle on." (Upperville Union Colt Club, The Southern Planter, August 1859, Vol. XIX, p. 477)​

Tom Telegraph sired at least three recorded offspring - all mares who would go on to produce foals: Kate (aka Kate Telegraph), Lizzie, and Bird.
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Hathaway gifted the gallant white stallion to Turner Ashby. According to "I Rode With Stonewall" upon giving the horse to Ashby, Hathaway said: "You know how I prize my white stallion...and of my intention not to sell him. You will make your mark in the coming war. I desire you to ride the horse for my sake."

Tom Telegraph was admired by all who saw him - and not just because of his beauty. He was described as being "disciplined like his master, to the accomplishment of the most wonderful feats. He will drop to the ground in a flash, at the wish of his rider, and rise again as suddenly, bound through the woods like a deer, avoiding trees and branches, clearing every obstacle, jumping fences or ditches with perfect ease." Marginalia; Or, Gleanings from an Army Note-book, Felix Gregory De Fontaine, page 47.
 
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Great story ! Loved it. :thumbsup:

Unfortunately, Tom Telegraph was killed in action during the retreat from the Valley.
On April 17, 1862, a Union cavalry charge against Ashby and a small number of his men led to hand-to-hand fighting. In the midst of the skirmish Tom was shot in the flanks but still managed, while bleeding profusely, to jump two fences before falling to the ground. Ashby paused briefly to pet the horse's mane. "Thus," an eyewitness wrote, "the most splendid horseman I ever knew lost the most beautiful war horse I ever saw." Souvenir hunters almost immediately descended on the dead creature, plucking all the hairs from its mane and taking at least one hoof. Less than two months later, Turner Ashby would be killed in battle at the age of thirty-three. http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/media_player?mets_filename=evm00001631mets.xml
 
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Great story! :D

That's one of the sad things among many sad things of that war - Southerners like Ashby had beautiful horses, and were very excellent horsemen. Many of them came to war just like Ashby, on their best. Too many were killed and many bloodlines were wiped out entirely. But they needed them! Stuart, for instance, was saved from capture at Hanover by his excellent bay horse Virginia, who took a fifteen foot jump over a ditch as if it was a bunny hop - several feet to spare, too.
 
Great story! :D

That's one of the sad things among many sad things of that war - Southerners like Ashby had beautiful horses, and were very excellent horsemen. Many of them came to war just like Ashby, on their best. Too many were killed and many bloodlines were wiped out entirely. But they needed them! Stuart, for instance, was saved from capture at Hanover by his excellent bay horse Virginia, who took a fifteen foot jump over a ditch as if it was a bunny hop - several feet to spare, too.

There is a beautiful pewter statuette, titled "Rally them, Blackford" depicting that jump. I am most fortunate to have been given that one as a gift!
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