First Civil War horse of George Armstrong Custer.
In May of 1861 the regular class was graduated from the military acadamy at West Point. Because of the shortage of officiers in the U.S. army, it was decided to graduate the class of 1862 a year early. In June the class of 1862 was graduated with Custer standing last. (Custer always claimed that if the 1/3 of the class of Southerners that quit to join the Confederancy graduated, he would not have finished last). The new Second Lieutenant went immediately to Washington D.C. and reported to the War Department. He was sent in to the office of the legendary commander of the U.S. Army, Brevet Lieutenant General Winfield Scott. General Scott was impressed by the young officer and offered him a choice of a training position or a field command. Custer knew that the two sides were preparing for a large battle (The First Battle of Bull Run was fought a few days later), and asked that Scott send him to join his unit, the Second U.S. Calvary. The General agreed and ordered Custer to take dispatches to the commanding general of the field army.
The problem Lt. Custer faced was there was not a single horse available in Washington D.C. to buy or even rent. After searching all over Washington for a horse with no luck, he met a soldier he knew from West Point. The soldier told Custer that he had brought a reserve horse to Washington that had been left behind when his battery was sent to the front. The soldier agreed to have the horse saddled and ready in the morning. When Custer came for his horse he expected little more than basic transportation to the front.
Custer was suprised and delighted when the horse turned out to be Wellington. a horse on which he had trained at West Point and had been a favorite of cadet Custer. He rode Wellington at Bull Run and lead his company with distinction. Even though the the Union army was defeated, Custer held his position and lead his company off the field in good order without suffering any casualties.
In the next two years as Custer became famous and then a legend as the commading general of the Michigan Brigade and then the Third Cavalry Division, he had many fine War-horses. See Don Juan, Roanoke, Lancer & Harry. Wellington was special as both his first War-horse and his favorite training horse.
In May of 1861 the regular class was graduated from the military acadamy at West Point. Because of the shortage of officiers in the U.S. army, it was decided to graduate the class of 1862 a year early. In June the class of 1862 was graduated with Custer standing last. (Custer always claimed that if the 1/3 of the class of Southerners that quit to join the Confederancy graduated, he would not have finished last). The new Second Lieutenant went immediately to Washington D.C. and reported to the War Department. He was sent in to the office of the legendary commander of the U.S. Army, Brevet Lieutenant General Winfield Scott. General Scott was impressed by the young officer and offered him a choice of a training position or a field command. Custer knew that the two sides were preparing for a large battle (The First Battle of Bull Run was fought a few days later), and asked that Scott send him to join his unit, the Second U.S. Calvary. The General agreed and ordered Custer to take dispatches to the commanding general of the field army.
The problem Lt. Custer faced was there was not a single horse available in Washington D.C. to buy or even rent. After searching all over Washington for a horse with no luck, he met a soldier he knew from West Point. The soldier told Custer that he had brought a reserve horse to Washington that had been left behind when his battery was sent to the front. The soldier agreed to have the horse saddled and ready in the morning. When Custer came for his horse he expected little more than basic transportation to the front.
Custer was suprised and delighted when the horse turned out to be Wellington. a horse on which he had trained at West Point and had been a favorite of cadet Custer. He rode Wellington at Bull Run and lead his company with distinction. Even though the the Union army was defeated, Custer held his position and lead his company off the field in good order without suffering any casualties.
In the next two years as Custer became famous and then a legend as the commading general of the Michigan Brigade and then the Third Cavalry Division, he had many fine War-horses. See Don Juan, Roanoke, Lancer & Harry. Wellington was special as both his first War-horse and his favorite training horse.
Bringing the