Eyes for the Armies

Eyes for the Armies. . Today this busy travel corridor roars with the noise of modern freight trains and automotive traffic. In the summer of 1864, the noise came from steam locomotives bringing supplies, mingled with the snorts, neighs, and pounding hooves of warhorses., The area northeast of the railroad line was one of the few places where soldiers on horseback fought in the Battle at Kennesaw Mountain. Although both Union and Confederate armies had cavalry units, most did reconnaissance or guarded rail and communications lines instead of combat. The Union Army provided horses for its cavalry, but Confederate cavalry had to provide their own., "Our cavalry must be kept on the grand flanks and on our communications." , , General William T. Sherman, (caption) In art, charging into battle on horseback often looks beautiful and heroic. The reality was different: Many horses were ill-fed, overworked, diseased, or injured, and veterinary care was rarely available. By some estimates, more than a million horses and mules were killed in the Civil War., (caption) Maintaining a well-fed cavalry was expensive. A typical Union cavalry horse weighed 950 pounds and stood 15 hands, or 60 inches, high at the shoulders. Such a mount needed 10 pounds of hay and 14 pounds of grain a day.