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Traveller’s Final Home

The final home of the most famous horse of the American Civil War.

Lexington, Virginia

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Patrick
Front View of Stable.   patrickboe / Atlas Obscura User
  Internet Archive Book Images/Flickr Commons
  apbreuhan / Atlas Obscura User
Side View of Stable.   patrickboe / Atlas Obscura User
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At Washington and Lee University, not far from where Robert E. Lee and his famous war horse are interred, is the original brick structure that served as Traveller’s final, post-war stable.

Often referred to as the most famous horse from the Civil War, Traveller was a 16-hand, gray saddlebred known for his remarkable speed and endurance. Confederate General Robert E. Lee purchased Traveller in 1862 and they were inseparable until Lee’s death in 1871.

When Lee served as President of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, after the Civil War, Traveller joined him and was allowed to graze around the campus. The horse outlived his master and spent his final days in the stable behind Lee’s university home. Washington and Lee legend states that the doors to Traveller’s stable must always be kept open so his spirit can roam free.

Currently, the home serves as a private residence. 

Related Tags

Horses Civil War History & Culture

Know Before You Go

Visitor parking on the Washington and Lee campus is limited, but Lexington has ample on-street parking and several convenient public parking lots. Lexington and the university are both extremely walkable. 

The stable is private property, please do not trespass or seek permission prior.

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patrickboe

Published

October 6, 2021

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