Unsung Hero: The Story of the Horse in the Civil War

Kent Masterson Brown's documentary focuses on the millions of horses that participated in the War Between the States, during which as many as 1.5 million possibly died. Written and narrated by Brown, Unsung Hero relies largely on shots of battlefields and loads of vintage photographs (with the pans and zooms so common to the historical genre), coupled with stories of famous steeds such as Old Baldy, Cincinnati, Winchester, and Traveller, which are sometimes told via excerpts from soldiers' memoirs. Interviews with a farrier (whose company is one of the film's sponsors) and some Civil War re-enactors are interspersed throughout. It's hard to imagine the vast problem of feeding the animals once they were separated from the supply wagons, some of which traveled in caravans 50 miles long. Starvation was unavoidable and widespread; after Gettysburg alone, Union Gen. George Meade's army lost 15,000 horses due to a lack of fodder. The horses also perished in battle: the dozens required to pull cannons were essentially tethered victims once the barrages began. Offering a decent tribute to its titular subjects, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Gardner)