As we stood by “Copenhagen’s” grave in the summer of 1872, the duke
said to me:
Several years after my father’s death an old servant of the family
came to me in the library, and, producing a paper parcel, spoke as
follows: “Your Grace, I do not believe that I have long to live,
and before I die I wish to place in your hands what belongs to
you.” With no small degree of surprise I inquired what it was, and
when he opened the package and produced a horse’s hoof he said:
“Your Grace, when Copenhagen died I cut off this hoof. None of us
imagined that the duke would trouble his head about the body of
the war-horse, but, to our great surprise, he walked down to the
stables on his sudden return from London to see him buried. He
instantly observed that his right forefoot was gone, and was in
a fearful passion. No one dared tell him how it happened. I have
preserved the hoof carefully for thirty years, and I now return it
to your Grace.”
[Illustration: GRANT’S THREE FAVORITE WAR-HORSES: “EGYPT” (ON THE
LEFT), “CINCINNATI” (IN THE MIDDLE), AND “JEFF DAVIS” (ON THE RIGHT)
By permission of “Harper’s Weekly”