Recently, we’ve noted how horses built a commander’s reputation. For Confederate General John C. Breckinridge, his reputation as a battlefield commander in Virginia was enhanced by his horse – or more specifically by the color of his horse.
It’s quite a story, and today we’ll share some facts about Breckinridge’s horse: Old Sorrel. Continue reading
Turner Ashby served most his Civil War battles and skirmishes as a colonel, but he was promoted to brigadier general about two weeks before his death. Ashby is a controversial figure among some historians. However, I think it’s relatively easy to agree that his horses helped create his image and his legends. Numerous accounts mention Ashby’s horses and one of his favorites was a big white stallion called Tom Telegraph. Continue reading
Horses! They seem to be everywhere and yet forgotten in some Civil War studies. Just for fun, we thought it would be nice to spend a whole month of Fridays talking about some horses of the Civil War era that belonged to famous generals.
Of courses, horses had many tasks during the conflict – pulling artillery, supply wagons, ambulances, cavalry mounts, officers’ steeds. Horses are immortalized in the statues that grace battlefields, memorial parks, and cities. And – still we focus more on the man than the beast. That’s natural – after all, the generals fight the battles; the horse just carries them so they can see the battlefield and plan the strategy. But it’s time for some of those horses to get some extra attention and love!
Starting January’s historical theme of the month is General Robert E. Lee’s most famouse horse: Traveller. Continue reading
Gazette665 