traveller horse robert e lee

Horse and Man

Exploring the bond between equines and their people..

On Memorial Day, Let’s honor a War Horse Veteran: Traveller. A difficult horse but Robert E. Lee loved him and made him famous.

On this Memorial Day, I wanted to speak about a loved war horse.

ORIGINALLY POSTED AUGUST 4 2011

The reason I chose Traveller is because I know nothing about Southern history and because it seems that Robert E. Lee was in the minority in his love for this particular horse…  Traveller wasn’t your garden variety, easy to love, easy to ride horse.  He was a bit of a pain.  <smiling>

It gives me pleasure to write about a horse that most would dump but that one cherished – and from that, they built a very strong, unbreakable bond.

General Lee and Traveller

From all accounts, Traveller was difficult, high strung, a bit unruly, pranced or jigged wherever he went and was generally on Defcon 1 most of the time.

But, he was also striking and regal.  He wasn’t too tall, conformed well, of good flesh and was a flashy dappled grey horse with a black mane and tail.

Here is how Traveller was described before he was sold to General Lee:

Greenbrier (his name then)… was greatly admired in camp for his rapid, springy walk, his high spirit, bold carriage, and muscular strength. He needed neither whip nor spur, and would walk his five or six miles an hour over the rough mountain roads of Western Virginia with his rider sitting firmly in the saddle and holding him in check by a tight rein, such vim and eagerness did he manifest to go right ahead so soon as he was mounted.

Obviously an artist’s rendition, but fun to see them in color!  Traveller looks asleep… I like to check out the gear!

There are other accounts that don’t hold Greenbrier in such acclaim… Oh sure, he was pretty and spirited, but not that many wanted to ride him, if you know what I mean…

The first time General Lee saw Greenbrier, owned by Joseph Broun, he called the mount, “My Colt”.

I guess you don’t mess with a General when he wants your horse…

Actually, that wasn’t exactly how it happened.  The owner of young Jeff Davis (Traveller’s born name in honor of the Confederate president) was honored to have General Lee take an interest in his colt.

Rare photo of the pair

Luckily, I found a first hand account of that encounter and the subsequent sales transaction.

Here you go:

“In view of the fact that great interest is felt in the monument about to be erected to General Lee, and that 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. Johnston, near the Blue Sulphur Springs, in Greenbrier county, Virginia (now West Virginia); was of the ‘ Gray Eagle’ stock, and, as a colt, took the first premium under the name of ‘Jeff Davis’ at the Lewisburg fairs 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 Rosecranz, in the fall of 1861, I was major to the Third 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, from Captain James W. Johnston, son of the Mr. Johnston first above mentioned. When the Wise legion was encamped about Meadow Bluff and Big Sewell mountains, I rode this horse, which was then greatly admired in camp for his rapid, springy walk, his high spirit, bold carriage, and muscular strength.           

“When General Lee took command of the Wise legion and Floyd brigade that were encamped at and near Big Sewell mountains, in the fall of 1861, he first saw this horse, and took a great fancy to it. He called it his colt, and said that he would use it before the war was over. Whenever the General saw my brother on this horse he had something pleasant to say to him about ‘my colt,’ as he designated this horse. As the winter approached, the climate in the West Virginia mountains caused Rosecranz’s army to abandon its position on Big Sewell and retreat westward. General Lee was thereupon ordered to South Carolina. The Third regiment of the Wise legion was subsequently detached from the army in Western Virginia and ordered to the South Carolina coast, where it was known as the Sixtieth Virginia regiment, under Colonel Starke. Upon seeing my brother on this horse near Pocotalipo, in South Carolina, General Lee at once recognized the horse, and again inquired of him pleasantly about ‘his colt.’   

This is where it happened!

“My brother then offered him the horse as a gift, which the General promptly declined, and at the same time remarked: ‘If you will willingly sell me the horse, I will gladly use it for a week or so to learn its qualities.’ Thereupon my brother had the horse sent to General Lee’s stable. In about a week the horse was returned to my brother, with a note from General Lee stating that the animal suited him, but that he could not longer use so valuable a horse in such times, unless it was his own; that if he (my brother) would not sell, please to keep the horse, with many thanks. This was in February, 1862. At that time I was in Virginia, on the sick list from a long and severe attack of camp fever, contracted in the campaign on Big Sewell mountains. My brother wrote me of General Lee’s desire to have the horse, and asked me what he should do. I replied at once: ‘If he will not accept it, then sell it to him at what it cost me.’ He then sold the horse to General Lee for $200 in currency, the sum of $25 having been added by General Lee to the price I paid for the horse in September, 1861, to make up the depreciation in our currency from September, 1861, to February, 1862.?       

“In 1868 General Lee wrote to my brother, stating that this horse had survived the war–was known as ‘Traveller’ (spelling the word with a double l in good English style), and asking for its pedigree, which was obtained, as above mentioned, and sent by my brother to General Lee.”  

TRAVELLER IN BATTLE

Evidently, this horse may have been spooky and hot, but he was brave.  It is stated that Traveller went into battle more than any other Civil War horse.

In fact, several accounts stated that General Lee’s men had to often grab Traveller and push him to the back of the pack because General Lee could not be on the front lines – even though the horse wanted to be there.

Some of the most dramatic incidents involving Lee and Traveller occurred during the Overland campaign in 1864, when soldiers literally grabbed the horse’s reins to prevent their commander from personally leading attacks on six occasions between May 6 and May 12.

The most notable incident occurred in the Wilderness on May 6, when soldiers of the Texas Brigade surrounded Traveller and shouted, ‘Lee to the rear!’ That day Traveller carried Lee until well after midnight, and when they finally returned to camp, Lee dismounted, and overcome with exhaustion, he threw his arms around Traveller’s neck to hold himself up.

Joseph Broun’s brother, Thomas L. Broun, praised Traveller for needing ‘neither whip nor spur, and would walk his five or six miles an hour over the rough mountain road of Western Virginia…such vim and eagerness did he manifest to go right ahead so soon as he was mounted.’  It was often reported that Lee rode Traveller over 40 miles a day.  In fact, Lee re-named Jeff Davis “Traveller” because of his ability to walk quickly.

Monument to General Lee and Traveller

A BIT DIFFICULT, HOWEVER

As much as Lee loved his horse, Traveller was known to be a bit difficult.  He jigged everywhere he went.  He had to be in the front of the line.  He reared.  He spooked.  He was fussy.

There was the time that Traveller reared and broke both of Lee’s hands… and there was the time that Lee has his son, Robert Jr, ride Traveller.   This was supposed to be an honor but here is the tale described by Junior:

The general (his father) had the strongest affection for Traveller, which he showed on all occasions, and his allowing me to ride him on this long march was a great compliment. Possibly he wanted to give me a good hammering before he turned me over to the cavalry. During my soldier life, so far, I had been on foot, having backed nothing more lively than a tired artillery horse; so I mounted with some misgivings, though I was very proud of my steed. My misgivings were fully realized, for Traveller would not walk a step. He took a short, high trot — a buck-trot, as compared with a buck-jump — and kept it up to Fredericksburg, some thirty miles. Though young, strong, and tough, I was glad when the journey ended. This was my first introduction to the cavalry service. I think I am safe in saying that I could have walked the distance with much less discomfort and fatigue. My father having thus given me a horse and presented me with one of his swords, also supplied my purse so that I could get myself an outfit suitable to my new position, and he sent me on to join my command, stationed not far away on the Rappahannock, southward from Fredericksburg.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

It seems the love and respect for each other was mutual.

Here is how Traveller felt about General Lee:

One afternoon in July of this year, the General rode down to the canal-boat landing to put on board a young lady who had been visiting his daughters and was returning home. He dismounted, tied Traveller to a post, and was standing on the boat making his adieux, when someone called out that Traveller was loose. Sure enough, the gallant grey was making his way up the road, increasing his speed as a number of boys and men tried to stop him. General Lee immediately stepped ashore, called to the crowd to stand still, and advancing a few steps gave a peculiar low whistle. At the first sound, Traveller stopped and pricked up his ears. The General whistled a second time, and the horse with a glad whinny turned and trotted quietly back to his master, who patted and coaxed him before tying him up again. To a bystander expressing surprise at the creature’s docility the General observed that he did not see how any man could ride a horse for any length of time without a perfect understanding being established between them.

Such a sweet expression on that horse.  Nice.

Here is how General Lee felt about Traveller… this excerpt is from a letter to his daughter when she had commissioned an artist to paint Traveller:

If I were an artist like you I would draw a true picture of Traveller — representing his fine proportions, muscular figure, deep chest and short back, strong haunches, flat legs, small head, broad forehead, delicate ears, quick eye, small feet, and black mane and tail. Such a picture would inspire a poet, whose genius could then depict his worth and describe his endurance of toil, hunger, thirst, heat, and cold, and the dangers and sufferings through which he passed. He could dilate upon his sagacity and affection and his invariable response to every wish of his rider. He might even imagine his thoughts, through the long night marches and days of battle through which he has passed.

But I am no artist; I can only say he is a Confederate grey. I purchased him in the mountains of Virginia in the autumn of 1861, and he has been my patient follower ever since — to Georgia, the Carolinas, and back to Virginia. He carried me through the Seven Days battle around Richmond, the Second Manassas, at Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, the last day at Chancellorsville, to Pennsylvania, at Gettysburg, and back to the Rappahannock. From the commencement of the campaign in 1864 at Orange, till its close around Petersburg, the saddle was scarcely off his back, as he passed through the fire of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and across the James River. He was almost in daily requisition in the winter of 1864-65 on the long line of defenses from Chickahominy, north of Richmond, to Hatcher’s Run, south of the Appomattox. In the campaign of 1865, he bore me from Petersburg to the final days at Appomattox Court House. You must know the comfort he is to me in my present retirement….Of all his companions in toil, ‘Richmond,’ ‘Brown Roan,’ ‘Ajax,’ and quiet ‘Lucy Long,’ he is the only one that retained his vigor. The first two expired under their onerous burden, the last two failed. You can, I am sure, from what I have said, paint his portrait. R.E. Lee

An artist’s depiction

RETIREMENT AND DEATH

Lee spent his final years as president of Washington College in Lexington, Va., where Traveller was allowed to graze the campus. He lost numerous hairs from his mane and tail as admirers plucked them for souvenirs.   Ha!  I read a letter from General Lee to his daughter where he stated that Traveller is going BALD from all the students grabbing hair samples!

Lee became ill in September 1870, and on October 12 he died at his home in Lexington.

Traveller walked behind the hearse at Lee’s funeral and continued to be well cared for up until his death in June 1871. After stepping on a nail and contracting tetanus, commonly known as lockjaw, Traveller was euthanized.

Traveller was initially buried behind the main buildings of the college, but was unearthed by persons unknown and his bones were bleached for exhibition in Rochester, New York, in 1875/1876.

In 1907, Richmond journalist Joseph Bryan paid to have the bones mounted and returned to the college, named Washington and Lee University since Lee’s death, and they were displayed in the Brooks Museum, in what is now Robinson Hall.

The skeleton was periodically vandalized there by students who carved their initials in it for good luck. In 1929, the bones were moved to the museum in the basement of the Lee Chapel, where they stood for 30 years, deteriorating with exposure. (So sad…) Finally in 1971, Traveller’s remains were buried in a wooden box encased in concrete next to the Lee Chapel on the Washington & Lee campus, a few feet away from the Lee family crypt inside, where his master’s body rests.

It is tradition for the students to put overturned pennies and offerings on Traveller’s grave.

I love this part…  The stable where he lived his last days (directly connected to the Lee House on campus) traditionally stands with its doors left open; this is said to allow Traveller’s spirit to wander freely as he did when he was alive.

However, the 24th President of Washington & Lee (and thus a recent resident of Lee House), Dr. Thomas Burish, caught strong criticism from many members of the Washington & Lee community for closing the stable gates in violation of this tradition. Burish later had the doors to the gates repainted in a dark green color, which he referred to in campus newspapers as “Traveller Green.”

I guess he was trying to redeem himself… but I like it.

Nice that he is finally buried next to his beloved human companion

WAS TRAVELLER A WALKING HORSE?

Many people think Traveller was a Tennessee Walking Horse.  I’ve heard he was what became a Kentucky Saddler which then became the Saddlebred.

Maybe…  But for sure, his sire wasn’t.  Traveller’s sire was Grey Eagle, a great Thoroughbred race horse who was also grey.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There is a horse for everyone. The great Traveller was considered gorgeous and difficult.  But, he was greatly loved, and still is…

Some say that they were much alike…

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!

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37 comments have been posted...

Beautiful story! They are both in heaven.

Beautiful,excellent,touching article.I learned a lot.Thank you!

I, too thought that Traveller had the characteristics of a hot blooded Arabian type gaited breed, which was the ancestor of the paso fino. Christopher Columbus brought some of them on his voyage to the new world. Having been a showman and breeder of Paso Finos, this horse’s personality reminded me of my very own favorite horse. Though some would have thought him jiggy, I understood his high spiritedness and hot blood… it was part of his nature. He took care of me in the show ring, riding trails, parading, playtime and finally as my trusted steed for my students. Short backed and strong, he reminded me very much of my own sweet boy.

My grandmother was a direct descendant of the lee name and I damn proud of it Jeff Jefferson. That statue was paid for in blood

Was Traveler a gelding? Gen. Lee called him “his colt” but was he? Can’t imagine trying to handle a stallion all that time and constantly moving so many miles.

My two cents.. Those who say Traveller was not a walking horse are correct, the breed specific was,not established then..but his breeding suggests foundation stock, the walkers came from Kentucky saddle horses and saddlebred, somewhere they picked up the gene C RT 3 which all broken gaited. horses have but trotting horses do not. Also that terrible ride described in the article, could have been avoided with some collection and speed control, sounds like a hard pace or a rack which do jar your brains out ! Great story, loved it !

Thank you for such a great horse article. As an avid horse lover and owner, I appreciate such storiss as this that demonstrate what incredible souls these amazing creatures are. Thank you

Wonderful to read such a great feeling article about Gen Lee and Traveller. They were true heroes. Here in Texas (Austin) they are taking the statues of the heroic fighters of the civil war off some college campus because they were confederates. And this is at the COLLEGE level You’d think the folks could see the History involved and not be so petty. I just do not understand. Look forward to reading the book.

I so enjoyed this article about my favorite General and his beautiful mount . I have many prints of Lee and Traveller , that I purchased on campus at Lees Chapel .

Adams [author of “Watership Down”] wrote a wonderful novel which he called simply “Traveller” as if the horse was telling the story of their experiences. I get teary every time I read the ending, particularly Lee’s death through his horse’s eyes which he simply cannot understand. I wrote about this for a column I did for the National Sporting Library a few years ago. .

When I write from my own voice, I use my own references. ‘Defcon 11’ was a reference to the famous line in the movie, Spinal Tap. However, I am happy to change this for you.

I wish I could PM the author and editor. This is a nice article that will inspire more. But there’s one small thing that clangs like an out of tune chime.

A historical article should be accurate, yes? Being an article about a war hero would make accurate military references important, too, yes?

Then, it should be noted that the DEFCON 11 comment is really inaccurate. Being raised with brothers who made it a point that I know these things, this attempt at hyperbole stuck out like a sore thumb to me.

First, DEFCON 1 is the most severe level. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEFCON We want to think the higher the number the more severe.

Second, DEFCON scale only goes to 5, which is the least severe.

If the author and editor wish to be accurate, if they hope to be quoted in the future by a student writing a history paper, this it’d bit should change. Further, it’s never a bad idea to do a little more research for the article.

My understanding was that both “Ajax and “Lucy Long” both, along with “Taveller”, survived the war and, rather than “failed”, died quite some time later. (“Lucy Long” of extreme old age; and the too–tall–for–short–legged–Lee, “Ajax”, like “Traveller”, of an unfortunate accident.

Hi: I am only the blogger and I wrote this piece long ago. I so know that I took all those photos off of the internet. You can easily Google the photos you want and potentially find a page that sells them.

Do you have copies of the pictures with robert e lee and traveller that are for sale and if not, could you recommend a website?

I grew up at the foot of Big Sewell Mountain. The mountain where General Lee camped and bought Traveler has been called Lee’s Tree since he was there. The drive off the mountain is beautiful. There was a restaurant across the road during my youth that afforded a beautiful view of the mountains. We from that area are honored to know that General Lee was there and bought his horse there. West Virginia did not secede from the Union. President Lincoln made a proclamation making it a state. Can you imagine the heartache our families and ancestors felt being separated from their beloved Virginia? I am happy that I came across this blog.

The picture of the General leaning on a tree and Traveller looking on is marvelous. Can anyone give me info about the picture, who took it, where it was, etc.,etc. Its the one with the caption: “Such a sweet expression on that horse. Nice.”

I read a book years ago by an author from England who wrote the story of Traveler from the “horse’s mouth” and with a Southern accent. Does anyone know that author?

Thank you for sharing about your wonderful, long-lived horse!

Thank you for a wonderful article. My first and greatest horse was a Grey TB Ghostbuster born in Argentina and was very high strung, athletic, and a fabulous Fox Hunter who took care of me for many years in Middleburg area hunts. He shared many personality traits with Traveller. He became family and lived to be 31.

Thanks for the article. We’ve always loved traveller, even have a steel engraving of Lee on Traveller in our dining room!

Thank you so much for your article. A couple of comments. Traveller looks to me like he has Arabian blood. His spirit and his face belie the intelligence and good grace of the breed. The rock carving pictured in the article is Stone Mountain in Georgia. It is said that the carving is so large that a bus could be parked on Traveller’s rump! In the laser light shows, the figures do come alive and gallop around the mountain.

It would make sense that Traveller had some thoroughbred/Arabian blood in him. The jigging, stamina, small hooves and ears all point to a hot blood

Thank you, Dawn, for this great article. I’ll post a link on Zenyatta’s blog for all the horse history buffs.

Wonderful account of a great relationship.

i just rescued a horse named Traveller.

“When General Lee took command of the Wise legion and Floyd brigade that were encamped at and near Big Sewell mountains, in the fall of 1861…”

Actually, what happened here is that President Davis sent Lee as an observer to that area in 1861, not as commander. Lee made suggestions, but because he was not the actual field commander, those suggestions were not binding as orders. Lee only took a field command in 1862 when General Johnston was wounded in the opening days of the Seven Days campaign. Had Lee been made field commander in 1861 and placed in command over the Wise and Floyd troops, I have no doubt he would have been able to disrupt the Union’s flow of material and communications between the east coast and Great Lakes basin. That would have been fatal to the Union strategy. As it turned out, the failure of the West Virginia campaign meant that the war would be fought out in Southern territory (for the most part).

God bless General Lee and his eternal friend Traveller. Thank you!

Proud graduate of Gauley Bridge High School (now closed) in Fayette County, WV. We were the Gauley Bridge ‘Travellers’ and everyone there knew the story of this fine animal.

Thank you for this article. It seems that in contrary to popular belief General Robert E Lee did indeed consult Jeff Davis before the Farewell Address. Traveller’s name at birth was Jeff Davis, and the only thing Gen. Lee had to do was to consult his horse.

What a wonderful story. I could relate to it very keenly because I own a difficult horse myself and in a strange way it makes him all the more endearing. Thanks for sharing this.

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You are thinking of “Traveller” by Richard Adams.

Mary Ann, the book is called “Traveller: A Novel” and was written in 1988 by Richard Adams (author of “Watership Down”). I just read it last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, though the narrative style can be a bit difficult to follow. Dawn, you ought to check it out! :-)

Thanks again for yet another interesting horse story!

Does anyone know the name and author of the Novel written about Traveler? Read it YEARS ago and can only remember I loved the story a fictional story told from Travelers point of view….

As someone who grew up in the south and in Dallas, TX, where Lee Park has the big statue you have included in your piece, I grew up in the shadow of Lee and Traveler. We regularly drove by Lee Park. Gotta love that big horse, and Lee, forever the gentleman, bought the horse, did not just take it. What a special bond they had.Thanks for sharing this great story.

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Traveller and Robert E. Lee

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Traveller and Little Sorrel – The War-Horses of Lee and Jackson

February 9, 2014 Mathew W. Lively Blog Posts , Jackson, Thomas J. , Lee, Robert E. 9

Traveller, the war-horse of Robert E. Lee, and Little Sorrel, Stonewall Jackson’s horse, were nearly as recognizable during the Civil War as their owners. Still held in reverence long after the war, both horses’ remains were preserved following their own deaths and placed on display for an admiring public. Their skeletal remains are now fittingly buried in Lexington, Virginia, not far from the graves of their famous owners. 

The gray Saddlebred horse that would become known as “Traveller” was born near Blue Sulphur Springs, (West) Virginia in 1857 and originally named “Jeff Davis.” His wartime owner, Thomas L. Broun, a major in the Third Regiment of the Wise Legion, recalled the sixteen-hand horse being “greatly admired in camp for his rapid and springy walk, his high spirit, cold carriage, and muscular strength.” Robert E. Lee’s initial encounter with the horse occurred in the fall of 1861. Having arrived in western Virginia to assume command of Confederate forces in the area, Lee first saw and admired the four-year-old horse but was unable to acquire it at the time. Then in February 1862, Lee happened upon the horse again in South Carolina and persuaded the owner to sell him the animal for $200 in Confederate currency.

Lee eventually changed the horse’s name to Traveller (spelled with a double “l” in English style) and famously rode him throughout the remainder of the Civil War. 

Following the war in 1865, horse and owner relocated to Lexington, Virginia, when Lee accepted the presidency of the then Washington College. Lee even arranged to have a large brick stable built behind the President’s House for Traveller in 1869.  

After General’s Lee’s death in 1870, Traveller remained at the college, being allowed to graze the campus grounds. In June 1871, while Lee’s daughter was feeding Traveller a lump of sugar, the horse was found to be lame. A close examination revealed a “small nail or tack” in the animal’s hoof, which was removed without incident. A few days later, however, Traveller became ill with tetanus and had to be euthanized. He was buried beneath a tree on the college grounds.

Traveller’s bones were exhumed at some point in 1875, bleached, and placed on exhibit for several years in New York. In 1907, the skeleton was mounted and returned to Washington and Lee University, where it remained on display until 1929. The bones were then relocated to the basement of Lee Chapel and finally reinterred outside the chapel near the entrance to the Lee family crypt in 1971, one hundred years after the horse’s death. 

Little Sorrel

“Little Sorrel” was a Morgan horse, fifteen hands tall, captured in Harper’s Ferry, (West) Virginia by Stonewall Jackson’s army in 1861. Originally intending to give the horse to his wife, Jackson paid the quartermaster $150 for the gelding, naming him “Fancy.” But after riding the horse, Jackson found the animal’s gait so pleasing he remarked, “A seat on him was like being rocked in a cradle.” Deciding to keep the horse for himself, it quickly became known as “Little Sorrel” once Jackson began using it as his regular mount. 

Although not looking the part of the classic “war-horse,” Little Sorrel had the reputation of remaining calm in battle while also possessing remarkable stamina on long marches. “The endurance of the little animal was marvelous,” Henry Kyd Douglas wrote, “and the General was apt to forget it was exceptional.”

Jackson was riding Little Sorrel when wounded on May 2, 1863 at the battle of Chancellorsville. The horse remained on the battlefield after Jackson was removed to receive medical attention and was later found by two artillery soldiers, neither of whom recognized it as Jackson’s horse. One of the soldiers rode the horse for several days until it was discovered to be Little Sorrel, at which point the horse was turned over the Gen. J.E.B Stuart. He in turn gave the animal to Anna Jackson, who took Little Sorrel with her to North Carolina to live at her father’s farm.

In 1883, Anna donated Little Sorrel to the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), where the animal was permitted to leisurely graze the parade grounds for the next two years. The horse was then relocated to the Confederate Soldiers’ Home in Richmond, Virginia, where he subsequently died at the age of 36 in 1886.

Following the animal’s death, the Soldiers’ Home contracted a taxidermist named Frederic Webster to preserve Little Sorrel’s remains. Webster mounted the hide on a framework of plaster, keeping the animal’s skeleton for himself “as part payment for my service.” In 1949, the hide was returned to VMI where it remains on display to this day. That same year, the horse’s skeletal remains were also donated to VMI, but stayed in storage until 1997, at which time they were cremated and interred on the school’s parade grounds at the foot of the Stonewall Jackson statue. 

It was interesting to read that Traveller was from Blue Sulpher Springs, Greenbrier County, WV and General Lee purchased him in South Carolina. Local legend has always held that Traveller was born and then sold to Lee on Gauley Mountain in Fayette County, WV. Hence the nickname of Gauley Bridge High School being the Travellers.

I read some years ago that Lee saw him the first time on Sewell Mountain but did not actually take ownership of him until later in North Carolina. His owner wished to give him to Lee but Lee refused the offer and insisted on paying for him. I do not remember what the amount was said to be. I found this information years ago and don’t remember the exact details. More research may bring further info to light.

As mentioned in the post, Lee first encountered the horse around Big Swell Mountain in (West) Virginia. He then re-encountered the horse in South Carolina where he bought him for $200.

Yes, Rienzi, General Sheridan’s Morgan war horse had competition – from a 14.3 Morgan chestnut named Fancy, aka Little Sorrel, a captured Union Morgan horse that was repurposed as a Confederate war horse. Fancy was the personal wartime mount of CSA General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, (Jan 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863), Brigade and later Corps commander. Jackson was an instructor at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) prior to the War. Fancy was one of two horses Jackson acquired off of a captured Union livestock train at Harper’s Ferry, Va. May 9, 1861. Fancy was the smaller (14.3) of the two and was targeted to become his wife’s (Mary Anna) horse. Fancy was foaled approximately 1850 on the Noah C. Collins farm in Somers, Connecticut and of Morgan descent and purchased by the US Government in the spring of 1861 for war stock. Jackson soon realized the big chestnut stallion was not battle-worthy. Jackson found Fancy to be very easy gaited, strong constitution, easily sustainable in the field and possessed the necessary stamina, endurance and resiliency to persevere the rigors of campaign. Jackson was not an expert horseman but Fancy, or Little Sorrel, took care of his master. Mary Anna Jackson in her “Life and Letters of Stonewall Jackson,” noted, “The horse’s chunky lines were made awkward by an unusually large neck and an undistinguished head. His eyes were his chief beauty, being most intelligent and expressive and as soft as a gazelle’s.” Jackson’s staff officer Kyd Douglas noted that he never observed a sign of fatigue in Little Sorrel. The horse suffered all the privations and stress of war with his master. Jackson found Fancy cool under fire in the heat of battle and blessed with a gait that was as soft as the rocking of a cradle. Jackson rode Fancy into the battles of Manassas, Seven Days, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville. Jackson was mortally wounded and died on May 10, 1863. Fancy survived the tragedy and was returned home to Mary Anna who kept him at Virginia Governor John Letcher’s stable in 1863. Mary’s finances forcer her to transfer Fancy to VMI after which he was transferred to the Old Soldier’s home in Richmond, Va. Fancy became an Southern icon and made many appearances. Most likely his last appearance was at the Exposition in New Orleans, La. in 1885 for he died a year later at the age of 36 and was mounted for display, being only one of two from the CW. His skeleton was returned to VMI in 1947 and in 1997 was cremated and buried there at the base of Jackson’s statue. For sure, Jackson could not have acquired a better warhorse – an amazing example of the Morgan breed at its best.

I am trying to find out information on Ajax. Where he came from and where is Ajax buried. I would also like a picture of Ajax and was Ajax ridden at the battle of Cumberland Church. I would also like a picture of Ajax breast plate. Thanks for any information anyone might have.

My grandfather, a blacksmith in Lexington, VA was rumored to have taken care of Traveller after Lee moved to Lecington. I would like to confirm this, so if anyone has information relative to this, please contact me. Manly Brown, Jr.

What about James Longstreet’s horse “Hero”? Why don’t we ever hear about him?

I know very little about Longstreet’s horse.

Great article. Enjoy learning more about our American warhorses.

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Whatever Became of Traveller?

General Robert E. Lee’s favorite mount was revered almost as much as his master. The American Saddlebred gelding—in Lee’s words “a Confederate grey”—was born in the lush Greenbrier Valley of present-day West Virginia and displayed the best qualities of the breed: well muscled and spirited with an easy gait.

Traveller accompanied Lee into his postwar career as president of Washington College, now Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Va. Souvenir hunters pulled so many hairs from the horse’s mane and tail that Lee remarked, “He is presenting the appearance of a plucked chicken.” The two became a familiar sight on campus and off, frequently riding through the Blue Ridge hills of Rockbridge County.

When Lee died in 1870, Traveller followed the hearse in the funeral procession, his bridle and saddle swathed in mourning crepe and Lee’s boots facing backward in the stirrups, the sign of a fallen soldier. The general was buried on the college grounds in the family crypt beneath Lee Chapel. Traveller died the following year of tetanus; his remains are now interred just outside the chapel. The United Daughters of the Confederacy marked Traveller’s grave with a plaque where apples and carrots are still often left as an offering to, as poet Stephen Vincent Benet immortalized him, one of the “jewels of the horseman”:

They bred such horses in Virginia then, Horses that are remembered after death And buried not so far from Christian ground That if their sleeping riders should arise They could not witch them from the earth again And ride a printless course along the grass….

Originally published in the February 2006 issue of Civil War Times.

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• The Front Line

Lee’s War Horse: Traveller

BY: The Civil War Monitor

Of the several horses Robert E. Lee rode during the Civil War, the one he named Traveller was the object of his greatest affection. Lee, who purchased the grey gelding in 1862 for $200, had bonded quickly with his new mount, whom he gushed about in a letter to his wife’s cousin: “If I was an artist like you, I would draw a true picture of Traveller; representing his fine proportions, muscular figure, deep chest, short back, strong haunches, flat legs, small head, broad forehead, delicate ears, quick eye, small feet, and black mane and tail. Such a picture would inspire a poet, whose genius could then depict his worth, and describe his endurance of toil, hunger, thirst, heat and cold; and the dangers and suffering through which he has passed. He could dilate upon his sagacity and affection, and his invariable response to every wish of his rider. He might even imagine his thoughts through the long night-marches and days of the battle through which he has passed.”

Traveller would remain with Lee through war’s end and accompany him in his return to civilian life. The horse’s popularity remained as high as the former general’s in postwar Virginia, so much so that, as Lee noted in a letter, Traveller’s tail soon took on “the appearance of a plucked chicken,” the result of souvenir-hungry admirers picking hairs from his tail. Lee’s longtime mount would live until 1871, when he was put down after developing tetanus from stepping on a nail. Shown here are Lee and Traveller in a postwar photo.

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Robert E. Lee on Traveller Robert E. Lee on Traveller

Arlington house, the robert e. lee memorial fort myer, va, united states.

This photograph was passed down through the Lee Family.

Lee owned other horses that he rode during the Civil War : Lucy Long, The Roan, and Ajax. But it was Traveller (spelled by Lee with two l’s in the English tradition) who would be most identified with him. Traveller was a nervous and spirited four year-old colt when Lee purchased him from a Confederate officer in the spring of 1862. Soon, the two were inseparable as Lee rode him through the thick of battle after battle.

Lee rode Traveller until the end of his life. Often, to escape the pressures of his work as president of Washington College in Lexington , VA, Lee took Traveller for long rides in the mountains . The horse that was his closest companion during war now became his instrument in finding peace. Not long after General Lee ’s death in October, 1870, Traveller stepped on a rusty nail in his stall and died of tetanus. He is buried within yards of his master, just outside the Lee Chapel in Lexington.

This is the only known wartime photo of Lee on Traveller. It was taken late in the war during the siege of Petersburg .

• Title: Robert E. Lee on Traveller Robert E. Lee on Traveller
• Contributor: Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, National Park Service, Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, National Park Service
• Original Source: http://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/arho/exb/Military/medium/ARHO-5478-Image-of-Robert-E.html
• Source: Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
• National Park Service Catalog Number: ARHO 5478
• Measurements: W 6.2, L 10.2 cm
• Materials: Paper
• Date: c 1860s

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Traveller Hardcover – May 12, 1988

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• Print length 269 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Alfred A. Knopf
• Publication date May 12, 1988
• ISBN-10 0394570553
• ISBN-13 978-0394570556
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alfred A. Knopf; First Edition (May 12, 1988)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 269 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394570553
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394570556
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.44 pounds
• #5,717 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction

About the author

Richard adams.

Richard George Adams (born 9 May, 1920) is best-remembered as the author of Watership Down, but wrote many other novels, short stories, poems and a biography.

He originally began telling the story of Watership Down to his two daughters, Juliet and Rosamond, on a trip to Stratford-on-Avon, to see a play. They insisted he publish the tale as a book. When Watership Down was finally published, it sold over a million copies in record time in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Watership Down has become a modern classic and won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 1972.

Others of his books include Shardik, Maia, Tales from Watership Down, The Girl in a Swing and The Plague Dogs, the last two of which, together with Watership Down, have been filmed. His goal was always to tell a good story, ideally one so good you can't put it down! His last work, 'The Adventures of Eggbox Dragon', which is a picture-book for younger children, will be published posthumously by Hodder in 2017. It was written when he was 93.

During his later years Richard and his wife Elizabeth lived in Whitchurch, Hampshire, very close to Watership Down, and not far from where they had both grown up. He wrote about his childhood and youth, including the time he served in the army in World War II, in his biography 'The Day Gone By'.

During the last year of his life he kept a blog: https://www.watership-down.com/blog/. He died peacefully on Christmas Eve 2016.

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Customers find the story unique, clever, and wonderful. They also describe the humor as humourous, nostalgic, wise, and tragic. Readers describe the plot as realistic, exciting, illuminating, heartrending, and beautiful. They praise the writing style as well-written and informative.

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Customers find the plot wonderful, exciting, and well-researched. They also say the book is truly sweet, terrible, moving, and loving.

"...This book is sad but totally worth your money . 100% recommend it. One of my favorites. This horse is so funny by the way, totally a good book...." Read more

"...It is a clearly well-researched love song to a controversial era, but Adams is careful to not glorify the Confederate South's ideals...." Read more

"...It was not just a book but it was an experience . I am also a horse lover and i know that the bond between rider and horse is very deep and powerful...." Read more

"...A wonderful piece of work . Ocassionaly I walk the boat docks in different city's and towns and find a boat named Traveler...." Read more

Customers find the story unique, clever, and well-researched. They also appreciate the imagination, excellent history, and charm of the book. Readers describe the book as informative, illuminating, tragic, and horrifying.

"...The horse tells the story to a barn cat, with funny words and very detailed descriptions ...." Read more

"...In all, this is a very well-researched novel written in the usual excellent literary style of Richard Adams...." Read more

"...The book is a wonderful interior study of General Lee & narrates the story of the War (Between the States) in the way it isn't often told...." Read more

"...It is a story of hope and courage , love and loss. A most powerful book and a must read!" Read more

Customers find the writing style well-written and informative.

"...He was quite famous and the book was a fast and easy read . I never knew I would be interested in the civil war but this book did that for me...." Read more

"...this is a very well-researched novel written in the usual excellent literary style of Richard Adams...." Read more

"...Richard Adams has done a masterful job of interpreting for us humans the perceptions and emotions of a brave, intelligent creature who doesn't..." Read more

"This book is told through the horse's viewpoint of the Civil War - well written and informative. Enjoyable read" Read more

Customers find the book exciting, humorous, and light-hearted at times. They also mention that it's tragic at other times.

"...100% recommend it. One of my favorites. This horse is so funny by the way, totally a good book. From a 13 year old!" Read more

"... At times light-hearted and at others sad and horrifying, this book describes in detail the major battles, the decision making process for Lee and..." Read more

"...There is humor of a different sort , battles, friendships and jealousy of other horses around, philosophy's of events and celebrations as seen from..." Read more

"...the perspective Robert E. Lee's horse is at the same time exciting, humourous , nostalgic, wise, tragic, yet always with hope for a better day to come." Read more

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Has cancel culture really come for a horse?

Plaques commemorating traveller, the beloved companion of robert e. lee, have been removed from a virginia university.

By Jennifer Graham

According to a student publication at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, cancel culture has come for a horse: Traveller, the gray Saddlebred that was a favorite mount of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee .

Citing confidential sources, the W&L Spectator last month published photographs and a video that the student journalists said showed the removal of plaques honoring the horse. One was at Traveller’s grave.

Another plaque, which was on a brick building that was formerly a stable, said: “The last home of Traveller. Through war and peace the faithful, devoted and beloved horse of General Robert Lee. Placed by the Virginia Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy.”

According to The W&L Spectator, “Every president since Robert E. Lee has lived in the house and used its stables as their garage. Campus tradition dictates that the doors to the stable must remain open for the ghost of Traveller to come and go at will.”

Traveller was euthanized in 1871 , a year after his owner’s death; the horse contracted equine tetanus from what was believed to be a rusty nail. For a time, his skeletal remains were on display, but they are now buried outside a university chapel and museum.

The marker at the gravesite once looked like this:

According to the student publication, the grave now only bears the name of the horse, and the years of his birth and death.

After a 24 hour blitz, university officials have removed and replaced Traveller’s headstone with a new one lacking historical context. Photo Credit: Anonymous pic.twitter.com/vFl6D5m54U — The W&L Spectator (@wluspectator) July 15, 2023

Of course, this isn’t really a case of “ cancel culture ,” in which there is an attempt to damage the reputation or livelihood of a person (or horse) because of something they said or did.

Evan Nierman, the author of “The Cancel Culture Curse,” defines cancellation as “the use of intimidation by a morally absolute coalition to isolate and disproportionately punish an alleged transgressor.” The attempted cancellation of the Budweiser Clydesdales earlier this year more aptly fits that bill.

The debate over how Traveller will be represented on the grounds of the university, if at all, is of a much more serious nature.

A university spokesman told the student journalists last month that the plaques were being relocated to a new permanent exhibit set to open this fall. Another said the campus was in the midst of “ongoing construction projects — including those in University Chapel.”

There is, of course, no way to separate the horse’s fame from that of his owner, who rode Traveller in multiple battles, and also rode him home after surrendering at Appomattox. And Lee, despite his post-war efforts to reunite the country, is persona non grata in much of America today.

In 2021, the university’s board voted to preserve its name despite calls from students and faculty to drop the “Lee.” The school is named for both George Washington and Lee, who was president of what was then called Washington College from 1865 to 1870.

Lee is buried underneath the chapel , near his beloved horse. The chapel was once named for Lee, but has since been renamed University Chapel, amid ongoing controversy over posthumous honors given leaders of the Confederacy.

Virginia has been at the center of numerous controversies, including the removal of Confederate monuments in Richmond, in a push that began after the murder of nine African Americans at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and was renewed after the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Writing on the Traveller controversy, George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley said , “The preserving of such memorials allows for the public to see the full historical continuum, including the painful chapters in that history.”

But, he added, “It can never be forgotten that Lee fought for the South in a struggle against slavery. The stain of slavery in our history is indelible and painful for all of us. However, we can reflect that contextual history and preserve the history ... and spare the horse.”