Near Affton in St. Louis County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Changes at White Haven / ~150 Years Ago - Grants Horses
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2017
1. Changes at White Haven / Grants Horses Marker
Changes at White Haven (left panel)
The end of the war brought many changes to the White Haven estate. The previously enslaved African Americans were free and appear to have left the area. Labor was now provided by German and French immigrants. Ulysses S. Grant now owned the property and planned to raise horses. While President he ordered construction of new stables, barns, and other structures. This stable was built to house his thoroughbred horses.
150 Years Ago – Grant’s Horses (right panel)
Transportation during the Civil War was primarily done by horseback. A natural horseman from a very young age, Ulysses Grant excelled in the saddle. He was often found moving between and amongst his troops.
Near the end of the war he had three favorite horses, Egypt, Jeff Davis, and Cincinnati. Egypt was a gift from a group of prominent businessmen in the Egypt region of Southern Illinois. Grant used this tall dark bay throughout the Virginia campaign. Jeff Davis, a small horse confiscated from Jefferson Davis' older brother's estate, was the horse Grant rode when fighting in dense forested areas. Cincinnati is probably the best known of Grant's horses. He was a very tall horse at nearly 17 hands or 5 ½ feet at the shoulder. Ulysses S. Grant was mounted on Cincinnati the
this page online
Erected by Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Animals • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #18 Ulysses S. Grant series list.
Location. 38° 33.083′ N, 90° 21.135′ W. Marker is near Affton, Missouri, in St. Louis County. Marker can be reached from Grant Road, 0.3 miles north of Gravois Road (U.S. 30), on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on the grounds of the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, along the walking path at the west side of the visitor center, overlooking the visitor center west doorway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7400 Grant Road, Saint Louis MO 63123, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Grant's Departure / ~150 Years Ago (here, next to this marker); Working Plantation / ~150 Years Ago - Emancipation (within shouting distance of this marker); A Slave Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker); White Haven (within shouting distance of this marker); A Place Called Home / ~150 Years Ago—Petersburg
2. Marker detail: Frank Leslie’s illustration of the barn and stable on President Grant’s farm
More about this marker. Marker is a large composite plaque, mounted horizontally, at waist-level, on short posts, atop a stone pedestal.
Also see . . .
1. Ulysses S. Grant: His Horses. You’d know Cincinnati from the photograph, the famous one where General Grant stands with one hand on his neck. Grant appears quite small, and though his stature (lack thereof) is well known, it was only pride in his war horse that kept him from suppressing wide release of the likeness. Finest of battle chargers, seventeen hands tall, Cincinnati carried Grant to Appomattox. Grant let no one to ride him, save Lincoln, who did so every day in the last weeks of his life. Of course, he didn’t know those were the last weeks. (Submitted on August 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Grant the Equestrian. General Grant loved horses and was probably the greatest Equestrian in US history. He was a fearless rider with phenomenal endurance and speed.
CSA General
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
3. Marker detail: Ulysses S. Grant, full-length portrait, standing alongside his war horse, "Cincinnati
Grant at West Point: “In horsemanship, however, he was noted as the most proficient in the Academy. In fact, rider and horse held together like the fabled centaur...”
Frederick Grant, son of General Grant:
“My father was the best horseman in the army, he rode splendidly and always on magnificent and fiery horses when possible to obtain one. He preferred to ride the most unmanageable mount, the largest and the most powerful one. Oftentimes I saw him ride a beast that none had approached. This is another instance of his physical strength.” (Submitted on August 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2017
4. Changes at White Haven / Grants Horses Marker (wide view; visitor center west doorway behind)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 24, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 274 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
