Traveller and Lucy et al

Salvete omnes,
  so today a little foray into the American horses' history of Civil War 1861-85, and the famous war leader  & general on the rebel side  Robert E. Lee  who had many horses during the war of rebellion as any war leader must.
Perhaps it was  the most famous Civil War horse, that is  general Lee's horse, a grey American saddlebred  named Traveller.

During the  Civil War general Lee had four other mounts in his 'remuda,' 
a mare -Lucy Long -
-bay Richmond, a  stallion that died from his wound after the battle of Malvern Hill in 1862.
- brown The Roan, went blind in 1862, Lee gave him to a farmer who promised to care for the blind horse.
-a sorrel Ajax - seldom used being too tall for the general, remained in his care after the war.
the following  pages, describing Lee's horses, come from the  Southern Historical Society Papers available on Archive -

  





After this death, especially during the later XIX century and first half of the XX century Lee has been subject of many public artworks etc. One of them is an equestrian monument in Richmond. It was created by Antonin Mercie in France and unveiled in Richmond in 1890.
There, at 1700 Monument Ave in Richmond  idealized Lee sits astride his idealized war steed (they claim it is not Traveller) and until June 2020 this pair was resplendent in their setting and scope.
Since then it has been the subject of a political and media dispute including the  current Virginia governor. The monument has been defaced by the opponents.
Perhaps it will be removed as the political voices against this artwork are powerful and vocal.



valete