32 SIDELINES APRIL 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Fred McWane
T
he Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is one of the country’s
oldest equine friendly military colleges and is still putting
“hooves on the ground.” This history rich state college
nestled in the foothills of the southern Shenandoah Valley has
used horses as part of its program since its founding in Lexington,
Virginia in 1839. VMI initially struggled to acquire horses for cadet
instruction. They were scarce before, during and after the Civil
War. Many cadets brought horse experience to the Institute from
their farms and when horses became available they made good
use of them. Farm experience was also a great advantage during
the Mexican War (1846) and the frst half of the Civil War (1861-
63).
VMI’s requirement to train cadets in horse artillery sometimes
necessitated innovation – horse artillery without the horse. One
VMI horse artillery tactics instructor was Major Thomas J. Jackson
- a rather “peculiar” fellow who was a target of the cadets’ ridicule
and pranks. Major Jackson had horse artillery students push four
heavy cannons around the drill feld, as the horses would have
done.
To support this training, in 1848 the War Department delivered
four six-pounders on lighter carriages to VMI, to be known later
as Jackson’s Battery. But the cadets still struggled to move these
lighter pieces from one position to another and cadets being
cadets, would fnd ways to force rest breaks. One trick involved
removing linchpins from wheels so they would come off on sharp
turns; another, attaching small bells to the cannon which tinkled
un-militarily forcing breaks to locate and remove them.
One cadet was particularly offended playing draft horse and
refused to march at a specifed “gait.” Major Jackson put him on
report for not “trotting” properly. The cadet’s offcial response was
that he was, “a natural pacer (not a trotter).” Another cadet gained
local fame by painting the Superintendent’s horse white with red
zebra stripes. This clown, Ben Ficklin, class of 1849, was better
remembered for later establishing the Pony Express. The “peculiar”
instructor became General Lee’s best Corps Commander,
General “Stonewall” Jackson. Volumes have been written on the
accomplishments of VMI grads in wartime cavalry and artillery
operations, and on the cadets who left before graduating to fnish
elsewhere, like Gen. George S. Patton at West Point.
After VMI’s ROTC program was upgraded with the assignment
e
Horses In History
The 1930’s VMI Cadet Corps marches onto the parade ground
in the shadow of House Mountain, followed by the horse artillery,
with Jackson’s statue and a portion of Jackson’s Battery in the
foreground.
Major Thomas J. Jackson had his students drag these very
same four six-pounders around the parade feld for horse artillery
tactics classes.”
They were later used in the Civil War by units
including the famous Rockbridge Artillery, whose commander
William Pendleton, an Episcopal minister, named them Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John. They were restored in 2000 to the
original colors, and now stand in front of the revered statue of
General Stonewall Jackson and Jackson Arch in cadet barracks.
Photo by Fred McWane
Prepare to Mount!
The Virginia
Military Institute
Continued on page 34