The Real War Horses

Halfway down the trail to Hell,

In a shady meadow green

Are the Souls of all dead troopers camped,

Near a good old-time canteen.

And this eternal resting place

Is known as Fiddlers Green.

Marching past, straight through to Hell

The Infantry are seen.

For none but the shades of Cavalrymen

Dismount at Fiddlers Green.

This is an excerpt from a poem called Fiddlers Green that was used by
cavalrymen to memorialize the deceased. Good morning/afternoon, my name is
Lillian Klosen, and my name is Abigail Rapiejko. We are representing the
Massachusetts 4-H Communications Team. Today we will be talking you on a
nearly 200 year journey through time following the horses that have served our
country. We will uncover the tremendous transformation United States
cavalry as well as the details of the hard working animals roles and
significance to history.

So lets start at the beginning!

The use of horses in war originated Europe and was initially called
the Dragoons. When this mounted unit came to the United States, it was
renamed cavalry which stems from the French word cheval that
translates to horse. To introduce you to the horses of the United States
Cavalry, we have to travel back in time to 1776. It was then when George
Washington assembled the first cavalry division for the United States. It
consisted of approximately 3,000 soldiers, mounted on horseback, ready
to fight Britains 17th Light Dragoons. This mounted unit was used to give
the strategic advantages of mobility, speed, and shock during wartime
battles. The cavalry fought on both foreign and American soil (as seen in
this picture from the Indian Wars) until the 1950s. Improvements in
weaponry such as the creation of the tank lead to the cavalrys eventual
transformation into a mechanized division within in the United States
Army in the Armor Division. Horses still serve our country today, but as
we will see, their role has changed into a ceremonial one.
So Lillian, what are the criteria for an ideal cavalry horse?

Just like a 4-Her, a cavalryman is nothing without his horse. But these horses had to
be able to . . .

Carry heavy weight up to one-third of their total body weight

Sustain condition on a poor diet for long periods of time without
compromising performance
Endure the harsh weather conditions without shelter including deep mud

Physically, the ideal horse tended to be . . .

Approximately 15 to 16 hands tall measured at the withers

Ages 5 to 7 years old which can be shown by their teeth
Compact with well-rounded sides
Sturdy, reliable feet as well as strong, agile legs
Shoulders appropriate for the body
Easy going personality and are not skittish
Quick trot and gallop with fairly smooth gaits
Limited white markings
Common breeds include: Thoroughbred, Morgan, Standardbred, Quarter
Horses, and Mustangs but in reality, especially at the beginning, the cavalry
used whatever was available
Now add a saddle, and we have an ideal CAVALRY horse ready for battle

But Abigail, what if the horse was not exactly a perfect match?

It has been said that great war horses are measured not in hands, but in
heroism. Horses were not exclusively used in direct combat. They had
other jobs including:

Pulling artillery
Moving supplies
Being part of the medical department
o Such as pulling ambulances and transporting the wounded
from the battlefield to the hospital
o Moving medical supplies
Being part of the signal core (corps)
o Moving telegraph wires and batteries with the army

So Lillian, how exactly did an ordinary horse become recruited for the cavalry?

There are a couple different ways horses could become soldiers.

 The quartermaster was part of the army in charge of purchasing equipment
including horses
In private provisioning, generals or officers either bought or were gifted
horses for use in the cavalry
The impressment of horses was a voucher program where horses were taken
from unsuspecting civilian owners
Horses were captured and taken from the enemy and . . .
Appropriated to the victors of battle

Abigail, we know how the cavalry got these animals, but why horses?

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Using horses allows for many advantages in battle

Advantages:

The horses height gives cavalrymen a larger range of vision which

would allow them to see incoming threats
Horses are intimidating to soldiers on foot
Horses are faster and can cover more land than man making surprise
attacks possible
They can also be used to support or interrupt communication in their
favor
Because of their larger size, it would take more to mortally wound
them

But, it is not all positive . . .

Disadvantages:

Horses are expensive (food, shoes, equipment, medical supplies)

Training a cavalryman as well as a cavalry horse takes a long time
Horses are a living creature, not a machine, and can thus be wounded, killed,
or affected by disease, average lifespan of 4 mos once they entered the
cavalry
Horses are not always predicable and have the fear flight instinct
Horses are a bigger target to hit on the battlefield

Now, follow us as we highlight the history of the US Cavalry through

the wars in which they fought. Many of these conflicts were over land
control.

American Revolution (1775-1783):

As previously mentioned, on December 12, 1776 the first cavalry was

formed by George Washington
 The volunteers elected their own officers and used their own horses,
which were work animals used for pulling carts and plowing fields
They lacked weapons, enough horses, discipline and uniforms,
making the first cavalry disorganized and untrained.

With victory came independence, and with independence came the need to spread
the ideals on which this country was founded. So the Mexican-American war came
along and . . .

Mexican-American War (1846-1848):

Stephen W. Kearny led the cavalry down the Santa Fe Trail to successfully
captured Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was accompanied by a volunteer army of
approximately 300 men mounted on mules.
o Mules were often used because they were easy keepers requiring
less food than horse and more surefooted over rocky terrain because of
their compact size and harder hooves
Also during this time period, a branch of the cavalry was formed called the
flying artillery
o Their job was to quickly move around the battlefield and bring guns to
where they were needed
The flying artillery was crucial in many American victories

With American expansion, railroads began appearing across the United

States. This became important for the Civil War because the railroad
moved horses, supplies, and food to sites of battle.

Civil War (1861-1865):

Horses were valuable commodity in the Civil War. 3,000,000

horses outnumbered the men in the service
The cavalry was used on both sides
The Union were highly organized, they brought horse with them
and did have replacements
The Confederate cavalry members were plantation owners, they
brought and used their own horses and did not have any
replacements
Horses were such a valuable, scarce resource that fleeing civilians
were not allowed to bring their horses with them when they
crossed the border into the North or South.

So Lillian, if horses were so crucial in the war and the soldiers spent
so many hours riding, was there any consideration for the horses
needs?
 Actually, yes. General George Briton McClellan of the Union Army was
given the task of designing new cavalry equipment. He introduced the
McClellan saddle for use in the cavalry that would be designed for the
comfort of the horse. This saddle would help prevent soreness to the
horses back and relieve pressure which would help keep the horse sound.
This is necessary for keeping the horse-soldier team functioning.
McClellan saddle
o Lightweight & Sturdy
o Supported gear and rider
o Inexpensive
o Open seat covered in rawhide
o Leather skirt
o (Painters canvas when leather was scarce in the South)
o Woolen yarn girth
o Wooden stirrups
o Saddle blanket
o Saddlebags (typical gear: canteen, curry comb, lariat, nose bag
(feeding), picket pin (ground tying))

The McClellan saddle continued its use during the Indian War era.

Indian Wars:

The Indian Wars that occurred between 1876 and 1890 were fought
because the United States wanted to take lands and contain the
Native Americans on reservations
Interestingly, the Native Americans had horses that were selectively
bred with superior training to those of the cavalry and were highly
desired (for example Chief Josephs appaloosa horses of the Nez
Perce tribe), but in the end it was a numbers game in favor of the
United States
Did you know that the sole survivor of Custers Last Stand was
wounded 12 times and held the title of The Second Commanding
Officer of the 7th Cavalry? Did you also know that survivor was a
buckskin horse name Comanche?
Except for this one blunder, the cavalry very successful due to its
higher level of organization and training of its horses

As you can see, horses are evolving into a strategic asset to the military. Horses are
now capable of being transported beyond American soil to the site of battle just like
any other weapon. For instance,

Spanish-American War:

Horses were transported to Cuba via ships during the Spanish-American War
Sometimes, horses were forced to swim to shore once they arrived
 o Not all survived the swim especially with rough seas
Cavalry unit was under Theodore Roosevelt who rode a horse named Little
Texas
o Actually, he had two horses but one, named Rain-in-the-Face, drowned
during the naval landing
Volunteer cavalry unit was formed called the Rough Riders and they were
very successful in the capture of San Juan Hill, helping to lead to the rapid
end of the war

Following the Spanish-American War, cavalry was transitioning out of use

during World War I because new weapons were created

World War I:

About one million horses were transported to Europe to fight the

war; only 200 returned the rest either were killed or stayed in
Europe
Horses were mainly used for transportation, not only soldiers but
also artillery, ambulances, and supply wagons because they could
travel better in deep mud
Because of the use of mustard gas, a harmful chemical weapon that
caused blisters, lung problems, and eventually death, gas masks
were also developed for the horses during the war
Horses perpetuated the problem of disease. Poor sanitation
coupled with manure and carcasses
Over the course of the war, modern machine guns became favored
over horses and soon tanks would replace the mounted cavalry

This trend continued during World War II.

World War II:

The cavalry division was in charge of border patrol

The mechanized cavalry (which consisted of armored vehicles) took over the
mounted cavalry
The last cavalry battle with horses was a major loss by the Americans to the
Japanese in the Philippines. During the Bataan Death March, the Japanese
forced the Americans to retreat down the peninsula. Sadly, the horses were
used for food by the captured, starving American soldiers
Mounted cavalry was not used in combat after World War II

Even though the cavalry no longer served in active duty, it still has a
lasting legacy today

Legacy and Traditions:

 Order of the Spur is a tradition in which - cavalry soldiers are issued
a gold spur when a cavalryman returned from his first deployment
and a silver for a completion of spur ride - a vigorous test of
leadership and technical and tactical proficiency
Stetson - black Stetson hat is unofficial headgear. They are black felt hats of
the American Frontier Era. On the Stetson hats are Stetson cords.
Stetson Cords - instead of using patches, the cavalry originally used cords.
They were most frequently yellow because that was the color of the cavalry
branch. Legend has it that the ends of the cord has an acorn on it to keep
the cavalryman awake
The United State Cavalry today is ceremonial
Ceremonial cavalry units appear in military funerals, historical
reenactments, and public appearances (like parades)
o One of the most famous examples is Blackjack. He was part of
President John F. Kennedys funeral procession as a riderless
horse. The boots reversed in his stirrups was the symbol of a
fallen leader. He was chosen for the job for his color not his
personality. Blackjack himself was buried with full military
honors.
Some military horses went on to use their training in new venues
Did you know that combined expertise of soldiers and horses in the military
lead to the development of the three phase event which eventually became
an Olympic sport?
Equestrians in the Olympics made their debut in 1912 and only active duty
Cavalry officers were allowed to compete because of this recognized skill
The US Cavalry Museum is located in Fort Riley, Kansas and has artifacts from
1755 until 1950

That was a fascinating 200 year journey through time with horses in
military service. From the founding of this country even up to today,
horses played an influential and highly important role in the United States
military. We began with the origins of the United States cavalry, then we
identified the ideal horse and its function. We then watched as the cavalry
transformed throughout many historic wars starting with work horses, continuing
with trained combat fighters and concluding with their declining use. This lead to
the ceremonial units and legacy that still exists today. These animals have been
crucial in protecting our freedoms just like the men and women who have served
our country. They are more than just animals, they are service horses.

Though some go curving down the trail

To seek a warmer scene.

No trooper ever gets to Hell

Ere hes emptied his canteen.

And so rides back to drink again

With friends at Fiddlers Green.

And so when man and horse go down

Go to Fiddlers Green.

This concludes are visual presentation. Our references include:

A Survey American History by Alan Brinkley

Horses and Mules in the Civil War: A Complete History with a Roster
of More Than 700 War Horses by Gene C. Armistead
http://highbridgebattlefieldmuseum.com
http://www.riley.army.mil
http://breyerhorses.com

But we have provided a complete list.

Are there any questions?