Grey Eagle; 1835 - 1863

[Bob H]

I don't know where else to ask this, I hope somebody will be able to recognize this photo or the breed of horse. The photo is from the early 1860's, and is labeled "Grey Eagle". I have not been able to find any good images of the famous Grey Eagle to compare this with. If you think you could recognize Grey Eagle or tell if the horse pictured is a race horse, could you please take a look at the image I have posted on my blog at:

http://familypaper.blogspot.com/2006/06 ... photo.html

The famous Grey Eagle lost to Wagner in 1839 in what may have been the most talked about race of the 19th century. If you can help, please leave a comment there or here on the Pedigree Online message board.
Thank you very much.

[Lucy]

Well, I've never seen a photo of Grey Eagle, but I was able to find a physical description of him.

Turf writer William T. Porter, in his account of Grey Eagle's match race vs. Wagner, wrote of his "lofty carriage and flashing eye", and stated "a finer specimen of the high-mettled racer was never exhibited...a magnificent grey, nearly sixteen hands high with the step of a gazelle and the strength of a Bucephalus." That does seem consistent with the horse in the photograph, but again, I have no way to confirm. Can't find any mention of another 'Grey Eagle' from that era, either.

I'd be interested to see if Mahubah & Pan Zareta concur. Ladies?

[Pan Zareta]

If you think you could recognize Grey Eagle or tell if the horse pictured is a race horse

Hard to tell. Imho, the horse in the photo could be Grey Eagle, but he was so named b/c he had two dark more or less wing-shaped spots on either side of his withers, and those are clearly visible in mezzotints of the 1841 painting done by Troye (destroyed when the Mississippi riv. steamer named after the horse burned). Do you see anything like them on the photo? (I'm not seeing anything on the scan, but am on an old laptop w/ small screen, and the spots may have greyed out by the time the photo was made, anyway.) At the time his portrait was done by Troye the horse's mane and the base of his tail were still dark, and he had dark areas on his legs. Right now, all I can offer for comparison is a thumbnail of the mezzotint (my flatbed is non-operational). Needless to say if this can be proven to be a photo of Grey Eagle 1835 x Woodpecker you have a great find.

[Bob H]

Ladies, thank you very much for looking and for responding. You have given me a lot of interesting info, and I am grateful. I don't see the dark spots on the horse, but the photo is faded like many I've seen from this era.

I haven't seen the mezzotint of Grey Eagle, but I'm looking for a copy of it.

Does the striped cloth or blanket to the right have any significance?

[Lucy]

Does the striped cloth or blanket to the right have any significance?

A blanket with the horse's stable colors (usually either folded in the corner, or lying across the manger as it is here) is a common motif in racehorse portraits. However, the photo's in black & white, so it doesn't help much!

[Pan Zareta]

I haven't seen the mezzotint of Grey Eagle, but I'm looking for a copy of it.

This is a 3x blowup of the thumbnail of the mezzotint. Not great, but the best I can do at the moment.


It's reproduced in several sources, most recently (and probably the most readily available) Mackay-Smith's 1981 treatise on Troye, The Race Horses of America.

[ragsdaj1]

Interesting research project. The Database shows that Grey Eagle was born in 1835 and carries two pieces of information in the comments.

The first, it confirms the race you referred which says that this is the correct pedigree and horse you are searching for.

The second says that Grey Eagle was the sire of Robert E Lee's horse Traveller. This is useful because Traveller is buried at the college where Lee was President. I believe if you google Traveller you'll find the college quick enough, but if not let me know and I'll go back through my notes and find it for you. The college is very proud of Traveller and may be able to provide you a picture of Grey Eagle, possibly confirm what you have is "the" Grey Eagle you are looking for. Colleges usually have a research librarian that would have mutual interest in finding the information you need. I suspect the school paper would love to write an article if it turns out to be Traveller's sire.

My second option would be to check with the Thoroughbred Horse Museum. I did a search there but nothing about these two came up, but I'd write an email to them for assistance.

JonR

[ragsdaj1]

But what is a surprise is how well what is now called Washington and Lee University has preserved his legacy, which survives in everyday interactions on the campus as well as in a small but rewarding museum in the chapel that Lee built. At a time when many colleges struggle to give students any sense of connection to those who preceded them, Washington and Lee seems to do so comfortably and as a matter of course.

http://chronicle.com/temp/reprint.php?i ... hk3dsdpkp0

Nice article about Lee's influence on the college. Sentence above from the article. This article doesn't mention it but Tarveller's bones were on display in their museum until 1970. He was then buried next to Lee.

http://www2.wlu.edu/ is the college earl (url).

JonR

[Bob H]

Washington and Lee University sounds like a good approach, I will give that a try... maybe the museum as well. Thank you JonR

Thanks also to Pan Zareta, for the old image.

Bob H.

[ragsdaj1]

At the College you have four approaches.

The Museum Curator could possibly have information.
The Reasearch Librarian should be interested in your project.
The Head of the History Department may be knowledgeable or can direct you to faculty member who is.
School Newspaper may be interested in doing some investigation.

Not sure how you would locate a Robert E Lee historian, but that might be an approach to chase down as well.

Traveller is listed as a Saddlebred. Dont know if saddlebreds have a website, but maybe a large saddlebred club in Va or the registry could provide info as well.

Luck,

JonR

[charlie]

There is a plaque on the stable where Traveller was kept at Washington and Lee, the stable was connected to the house that Lee lived in, or maybe adjacent to it.

[nferro9925]

I found a small tidbit on google -

Grey Eagle was sold to a stud in Ohio and died the day after
the Battle of Gettysburg.