Introducing Friends of the Blue and Gray.
I’ve gotten a lot of requests to talk about the animals of the Civil War, so I figured it’s time to start a series. I’ll try to do this once a week either Saturday or Sunday. Welcome to Friends of the Blue and Gray. Let’s jump right in!
In a chaotic war, sometimes a man on a horse makes the difference, not a strategy or battle plan.
That horse was Rienzi, a sleek black gelding gifted to, at the time, Colonel Philip Sheridan in 1862 by officers of the Second Michigan Cavalry. Rienzi had three white fetlocks, and a presence that turned heads. Sheridan named him after the Mississippi town where he received him, and the two would become one of the most iconic rider-horse duos of the war. Actually this name will change, but we will get to that!
Rienzi carried Sheridan through nearly 50 engagements, including 19 major battles and two cavalry raids. He wasn’t just a mode of transportation, but he was a warhorse through and through: steady under fire, powerful under strain, fast when it mattered, and loyal no matter what.
On October 19, 1864, Rienzi earned his legendary status. Sheridan had been away in Winchester, Virginia, when Confederate troops launched a surprise attack on his army encamped at Cedar Creek. The Union lines were breaking. Morale was slipping. Panic was spreading. Sheridan got word and mounted Rienzi.
What followed was a ride that would live on in poems, paintings, and battlefield legend…. and internet blogs (shameless shoutout).
Sheridan and Rienzi covered 12 miles in under two hours, galloping past retreating Union troops, shouting them back into formation, rallying them to stand and fight. The sheer sight of Sheridan charging onto the battlefield on Rienzi likely lit a fire in the ranks. The men turned, re-formed, and counterattacked.
The Union not only held the line but they won the battle.
A New Name
After Cedar Creek, Rienzi was renamed Winchester, in honor of the town from which he launched that legendary ride. Sheridan never rode another horse into battle. Rienzi had earned that place for good and rightfully so, Rienzi was a faithful companion (one would say a Friend of Gray).
Winchester stayed with Sheridan until the horse’s death in 1878. The general had his body preserved and mounted, and today you can still see Winchester on display at the Smithsonian, standing in quiet tribute to one of the most pivotal rides in American military history.
This wasn’t just a warhorse. He was a friend, a companion and a sign of hope. He was part of the moment that changed everything that day in 1864.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I actually really enjoy this new theme. Feel free to shoot me a message or an email if you want me to cover something specific.
Make sure you check out these sources. Great reading!
Sources:
Smithsonian Institution – Winchester (Rienzi) Smithsonian Magazine – “Philip Sheridan’s Valiant Horse” Emerging Civil War – “A Horse Named Rienzi” American Battlefield Trust – “Sheridan’s Ride”
Image credits :
Image 1 (Color painting of Sheridan rallying troops): American Battlefield Trust – https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/sheridans-ride
Image 2 (Black & white illustration of Sheridan’s ride): Library of Congress – https://www.loc.gov/item/2005681732/
Image 3 (Preserved horse at the Smithsonian): Smithsonian Institution – https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_439678
