Famous Cavalry Horses plus GIVEAWAY

by Kathleen L. Maher

Some years back I had the privilege of visiting the Smithsonian in Washington D. C. for the first time. I was in my early twenties and already smitten with the Civil War, so a tour of the collection at the National Museum of American History held a special thrill. A sight I will never forget is the preserved taxidermy of Union General Phil Sheridan's famous horse, Rienzi, (AKA Winchester) This horse made the famous forty mile ride, carrying Sheridan after the Battle of Cedar Creek down the Shenandoah Valley to rally the flagging Union troops. He served the general in over forty battles, and was even present at the signing of Lee's surrender at Appomattox. His fame was set to poetry and painting, and the famous cavalry horse was immortalized in a tribute to the enduring sacrifice and service of these military equines. 


Cavalry--from the French cheval for horse-- is just one example of service that horses provided for the military. Other uses include artillery and pack horses, mule trains, and draft animals--even in dire times serving as food. A town close to where I live named Horseheads honors the pack horses of the Revolutionary War who served under General Sullivan. But among war horses, the cavalry mount was the A-lister. Famous, glamorous, most visible, the public hailed the courage of these steeds and celebrated them by name. 

General Lee's Traveller is another example of a beloved cavalry horse. In Lee's own words from a letter he wrote to his daughter, he describes affectionately the horse that accompanied him through almost the entirety of the war:

If I were an artist like you I would draw a true picture of Traveller — representing his fine proportions, muscular figure, deep chest and short back, strong haunches, flat legs, small head, broad forehead, delicate ears, quick eye, small feet, and black mane and tail. Such a picture would inspire a poet, whose genius could then depict his worth and describe his endurance of toil, hunger, thirst, heat, and cold, and the dangers and sufferings through which he passed. He could dilate upon his sagacity and affection and his invariable response to every wish of his rider. He might even imagine his thoughts, through the long night marches and days of battle through which he has passed.
But I am no artist; I can only say he is a Confederate grey. I purchased him in the mountains of Virginia in the autumn of 1861, and he has been my patient follower ever since...

General Grant had his Cincinnati, the son of famous racehorse Lexington, and ridden by Abraham Lincoln. Stonewall Jackson rode a homely, runtish horse named Little Sorrell who was beloved all over the South. General Meade had a horse named Old Baldy, who took a bullet for him five times.General Nathan Bedford Forrest had 39 different horses shot from under him. 

No war horse was more famous than Comanche, survivor of the massacre at Little Bighorn. Seventh Cavalry farrier John Rivers, who looked after Comanche in retirement, described the gallant animal's ordeal to the Bismarck Tribune: 

He was found ... in a ravine where he had crawled, there to die and feed the Crows. He was raised up and tenderly cared for. His wounds were serious, but not necessarily fatal if properly looked after...He carries seven scars from as many bullet wounds. There are four back of the foreshoulder, one through a hoof, and one on either hind leg. On the Custer battlefield three of the balls were extracted from his body...

Comanche was one of only four horses to be given full military honors at his funeral.

Napoleon Bonaparte had a celebrated stallion named Marengo who carried him through many campaigns, including Waterloo, where the French general was defeated, and the horse was captured and kept by a British officer for the rest of the horse's life. 

But no telling would be complete without mentioning the mighty Bucephalus. The massive black stallion had been presented to King Phillip of Macedonia as a gift, but no one could manage him, according to legend. At thirteen years old, Prince Alexander observed something no one else had about the horse's seemingly wild behavior--the horse spooked at his own shadow. Alexander boasted he could tame him, and proved it, turning the stallion toward the sun so he would be vexed no more by the shifting dark patterns about him. From there, Bucephalus became inseparable to Alexander the Great, carrying him through one battle after another until the pair conquered the entire known world of their time.

Today I am giving away a copy of my brand new Civil War romance, The Abolitionist's Daughter, to one lucky commenter who answers this question:

Do you have a favorite book or movie that depicts a strong bond between hero/heroine and an animal? If so, what?

The Abolitionist’s Daughter by Kathleen L. Maher

1860-1864 Shenandoah Valley, and Elmira, NY
The crusading daughter of a Washington politician comes between twin brothers as the country plunges toward Civil War. Horsemen from Virginia, the twins would defend their livelihood from her meddling kind. When love ignites, friends become enemies. Can the very girl who divided bosom brothers unite them again?

I will be drawing a winner by random.org on Friday. Earn *Bonus entries* if you share this post on FB, Twitter, Pinterest, or other social media sites. Be sure to leave your email addy in comment and tell me how many entries/sites shared.

Good luck!

Kathleen L. Maher has had an infatuation with books and fictional heroes ever since her preschool crush, Peter Rabbit. She has a novella releasing with BARBOUR in the 2018 Victorian Christmas Brides collection, featuring her hometown of Elmira, New York. Her debut historical, Bachelor Buttons, blends her Irish heritage and love of the American Civil War. She won the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest for her Civil War story, releasing this summer under a new title The Abolitionist’s Daughter. Kathleen shares an old farmhouse in upstate New York with her husband, children, and a small zoo of rescued animals.

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