Favorite Horses

I was most interested in riding the fine horses they had. General Perry's finest mount was a thoroughbred dark sorrel, "Selim", that Alfred gave him, but was stolen that winter when a young Swede courier deserted in fear of punishment for accidentally killing a negro camp servant with an angry blow on the head.

General Perry then bought Gen. Turner Ashby's famous black charger "Othello" that was sold after Gen. Ashby's death for fear of losing the horse by raiders. My brother Jim had two fine bay mounts -- "Bones", so named because he was so mettlesome he never got fat, and "Beelzebub", a splendid large animal of perfect action and disposition, that was killed under his owner by a grapeshot while they were serving with an escort bodyguard for Gen. Jeb Stuart investigating a Federal battery on Jackson's front at Sharpsburg -- rather unsafe company, that! My brother Zach also had several excellent mounts -- "Shark", a coal black mean-tempered tireless creature that could swim like a boat, and "Old Charlie", a chestnut sorrel that survived the war and was an all 'round invaluable animal at any service. My brother Lewis also had a roan Indian pony that our oldest brother John had brought him from Kansas, named Billie, that was rather small for cavalry service but a famous quarter horse never beaten in a race, I believe, an animal of tireless spirit and energy that the boys rode till he went blind and then traded him for a larger horse.

But Alfred's thoroughbred bay "Redeye" colt, "Rebel", was worth all the others put together for splendid dare-devil looks and action, only he seemed perfectly senseless of fear and needed constant control. He was the only horse in the command that voluntarily cleared the high breastworks under fire at Chancellorsville, without his rider, my brother, having to dismount and lead him over, after which he sent "Rebel" home for fear of losing him, and got another mount.