11 December 1997
Importance of the Warhorses Under Robert E. Lee’s Command
Importance of the Warhorses Under Robert E. Lee’s Command
Many successful generals throughout history had memorable horses – Alexander the Great’s Bucephalus, Napoleon’s Marengo, “Stonewall” Jackson’s Old Sorrel, and General Robert E. Lee’s Traveller. Lee’s warhorses, both personal mounts and cavalry horses, affected his success as a General of the Confederate Army and were integral components of his strategies during the United States Civil War. Horses were important to the people of the South during the 1800s and demand increased for suitable horses for use in the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee recognized that his personal mounts and cavalry horses were highly
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The troops relied heavily upon the horses and mules for transportation of men and equipment. Draft horses pulled the ambulances to aid wounded men and wagons which contained the soldiers’ supplies, personal baggage, and medical supplies. The horses were able to transport the artillery such as cannons quickly. The horse provided a swift transport from battle to battle. One example is when Union Major General Phillip H. Sheridan rode 22 miles from Winchester to Cedar Creek on his horse Rienzi to fight in the Battle of Cedar Creek in a single day.
One aspect of the role of the horses was to provide protection. The horses provided swift transport during battle and their riders often used them as shields. Captain George Baylor from the 12th Virginia Cavalry stated “the cavalryman might lie low on the neck of his horse as the missiles of death hissed about him.” As an important Confederate General, Lee was targeted by Federal sharpshooters. In one charge in the Wilderness Campaign, the men of the Texas brigade refused to advance unless Lee went to the back of the charge instead of leading
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General Lee prized certain attributes in his horses that enabled him to concentrate on the surrounding circumstances and lead his troops more effectively during the Civil War. The battle horse had to trot and gallop easily with smooth, even gaits. If the rider had to kick constantly to move from place to place, then they wasted energy and concentration that would have been better spent engaging their enemy. Lee described his favorite horse Traveller as having “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.” Ideally, artillery horses were about 15 to 16 hands high, a hand being a unit of four inches, with a strong build and large shoulders for fitting the collar. Strong legs and short backs allowed the artillery horses to pull the heavy loads with efficiency and lengthened the use of the horse. A warhorse, whether it carried a rider into battle or transported artillery and supplies, was required to not be
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