Dead Horse

Fact or Fiction

   There are many strange and unusual stories from the Civil War, but one of the strangest to me is the battlefield story of the infantry private we’ll call T. J. This private was a foot soldier in Company G of the 3^rd Regiment Mississippi Infantry.  He saw conflict in the war from Snyder’s Mill near Vicksburg to Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia.  Since there is no record of his surrender in Vicksburg, it is assumed that he was not one of the 72 3^rd Regiment members trapped in Vicksburg during the siege.

   The story goes that T. J. was riding a horse into combat and the horse was shot from under him.  When the horse fell, T. J. injured his foot and was trapped on the battlefield.  As the battle raged throughout the day, T. J. took what cover he could find.  As the day was drawing to a close it became evident that the Rebels were losing the field and began to retreat.

   As the Union soldiers moved across the field, doing whatever it is that victors do, T. J. sought a place to hide.  He cut the dead horse open and crawled inside.  When he emerged the next day from his bloody hiding place and made it back to his regiment, the first question asked had to have been, “How did you survive?”  The answer to that question gave T. J. a new name – “Dead Horse.”

   According to the muster rolls for Feb. through Aug., 1864, Dead Horse was absent on order from the regiment surgeon.  Since the August 1864 muster roll is the last one available, Dead Horse may or may not have returned to active duty.  The question arises as to the truth of the story.  Dead Horse was a foot soldier so why would he be riding a horse into combat?  But if he was, where did he get the horse?  Was the original owner shot out of the saddle?  If so, did Dead Horse just take advantage of the moment and grab the rider less horse?  Finally, could it be that Dead Horse was on extra duty with the cavalry?

   Whatever the truth of the situation, T. J. returned to south Mississippi following the war and lived to the ripe old age of 81 passing away on 29 November 1917.

Source: Davis, Mark C. “Dead Horse” Pearl River County Historical Reporter, Vol. 1, No. 5 (July 2008).