Cincinnati

Cincinnati was Ulysses S. Grant's favorite warhorse — a magnificent Thoroughbred who carried the general through the final campaigns of the Civil War and later became a celebrity in his own right.

Cincinnati was a gift to General Ulysses S. Grant from a group of admirers in St. Louis during the Civil War. Grant was an exceptional horseman — he was considered one of the finest riders ever to hold the presidency — and he immediately recognized that Cincinnati was a horse of extraordinary quality. The Thoroughbred stood over 17 hands high and was known for his speed, stamina, and calm temperament under fire.

Grant rode Cincinnati throughout the final campaigns of the Civil War. The horse carried him from the Wilderness to Appomattox, where Grant accepted the surrender of Robert E. Lee. It was on Cincinnati's back that Grant rode into the pages of history. After the war, Grant brought Cincinnati back to his home in Galena, Illinois, and later to the White House when he became president.

Cincinnati was famous for being gentle despite his size and power. Grant's children rode him around the White House grounds, and he was even known to let the president's grandchildren climb on his back. Grant was deeply attached to Cincinnati and refused many offers to buy him, including a reported offer of $10,000 — a fortune at the time.

Cincinnati lived at the White House stables throughout Grant's presidency. In one of the great oddities of presidential pet history, Cincinnati was once ridden by a visitor to the White House: a young man named Buffalo Bill Cody. The famous scout and showman later said it was one of the greatest honors of his life. Cincinnati died in 1878, a year after Grant left office, and was buried at the Grant family home.

Cincinnati — Grant's Warhorse · legendary

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