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General R. E Lee's war-horse: a sketch of Traveller by the man who formerly owned him.
It has been incorrectly stated some time ago that
General Lee's famous war-horse ‘Traveller,’ was formerly owned by
Captain ‘
John S. Brown.’
He was owned by
Major Thomas L. Broun, of
Charleston, W. Va., and the following sketch of the horse, written by that gentleman for the Richmond Dispatch, in 1886, is worthy of reproduction:
In view of the fact that great interest is felt in the monument about to be erected to
General Lee, and many are desirous that his war-horse should be represented in the monument, and as I once owned this horse, I herewith give you some items respecting this now famous war-horse, ‘Traveller.’
He was raised by
Mr. Johnson, near the
Blue Sulphur Springs, in
Greenbrier County, Va. (now
West Virginia); was of the ‘
Gray Eagle’ stock, and, as a colt, took the premium under the name of ‘
Jeff Davis’ at the
Lewisburg Fair for each of the years; 1859 and 1860.
He was four years old in the spring of 1861.
When the ‘Wise Legion’ was encamped on
Sewell Mountain, opposing the advance of the
Federal Army, under
General Rosecrans, in the fall of 1861, I was major of the 3rd Regiment of Infantry in that Legion, and my brother,
Captain Joseph M. Broun, was quartermaster to the same regiment.
I authorized my brother to purchase a good, serviceable horse of the best
Greenbrier stock for our use during the war. After much inquiry and search he came across the horse above mentioned, and I purchased him for $175 (gold value) in the fall of 1861, of
Captain James W. Johnson, son of
Mr. Johnson first above mentioned.
When the
Wise Legion was encamped about
Meadow Bluff and
Big Sewell Mountain, I rode this horse, which was then greatly admired in the camp for his rapid, springy walk,
