Horses of Gettysburg - CIVIL WAR
MINUTES®
IV Public Television Edition DVD
Chapter List
1. Introduction
Humans have been relying on horses since the dawn of
time. By the onset of the Civil War in 1861, horses were
a staple in daily American life. The history of the
Battle of Gettysburg is well known, but often overlooked
are the stories of the estimated 72,000 brave horses and
mules that fought in the battle.
2. Buying and Selling Army Horses
In 1861 along with war fever came horse fever, and
horses of all shapes and sizes were in great demand. The
Union Army had strict guidelines for purchasing and
training its animals, while Confederate cavalrymen
provided their own horses. Historians estimate that
between one and two million horses may have served on
both sides of the Civil War.
3. The Army Mule
The mule was another vital component for the Union and
Confederate Armies and was used to pull heavy loads and
deliver ammunition. Renowned for their stubborn
temperament and strength, mules were used in different
capacities than horses.
4. Custer vs. J.E.B. Stuart at the East Cavalry Field
8,000 men and 8,000 horses from the Union and
Confederacy's mounted armies met in one of the largest
cavalry battles of the Civil War. Years before his
famous stand at Little Big Horn, General George
Armstrong Custer was known as a fearless cavalry
commander. His encounter with the forces of Confederate
General J.E.B. Stuart on the East Cavalry Field helped
to determine the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg.
5. Pickett's Mounted Officers
Pickett's Charge was a charge on foot yet thirteen brave
Southern officers rode their horses into the brutal
fray. Through their heroic actions, the Confederate
warhorses proved themselves equally as brave as the men
who participated in Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg.
6. The Great Equestrian Statues
Gettysburg National Military Park has become a virtual
art museum of American sculpture honoring those who
fought in the three-day battle. There are more than
1,400 monuments, markers and memorials, the most
magnificent ones honoring the men on horseback. Each
statue has a story. General George Gordon Meade riding
"Old Baldy," General John Fulton Reynolds, General John
Sedgwick and "Handsome Joe," General Henry Slocum,
General Winfield Scott Hancock and General Robert E. Lee
mounted on his horse "Traveller."
