Our stories relating to the history of the Kent-Delord House always focus on the family, friends, acquaintances, and visitors. However, there were other inhabitants that contributed to that illustrious history—the animals. The Delord property was a working farm for most of the 19th century with the various animals kept on the property essential for the livelihood of the residents. Obviously, pigs and chickens were prevalent on the property, but there also were ducks, a milk cow and usually at least one horse. During the late 1800’s, there was one horse that became a celebrity in Plattsburgh; his name was Zollicoffer.
In 1862 Fannie Delord Hall came to Plattsburgh to care for her ailing grandparents while husband Frank went to serve as Chaplain in the 16th New York Volunteer Infantry in Northern Virginia. As a Chaplain, Frank had to provide his own transportation and equipment to use in his duties at camp. He had been advised to bring “…a good pair of boots with tops to reach the knee, haversack to carry food on the march, three or four of underclothes, and his own saddle.” Frank used a type of saddle designed by General George McClellan and adopted as the standard issue of the US Cavalry. In his journal letters to
Fannie, he wrote:
Dec. 3, 1862 Washington, DC. “…So left for Washington at seven. Very pleasant baggage men. Checked my box right away when I told him it was my saddle & charged me no freight; checked it through.”
That left him to purchase a horse when he settled in with the 16th NY Volunteer Regiment encamped at Belle Plain on the shores of the Potomac outside of Washington, D.C. Three days later he wrote:
Belle Plain VA Dec. 6, 1862. “Early in the morning, I went to the Dr. Crandall’s tent & asked him to let me take his horse old Zollicoffer. We had seen a horse in a stable on the way over & I thought I would go back before breakfast & see if it was worth anything & buy it if it was and it could be bought. I had a splendid ride, my first ride on old Zollicoffer. I went over several miles to Col Corceran’s head quarters & saw three horses or at least found them. The last & only one that was worth anything was Col. Corceran’s head quarters. The saddle horse of a Virginian lady but she looked at me very decidedly & said “no, you don’t have my horse if you pay$1200 for it.” So I contented myself with buying two turkies & a chicken, strapping them over my saddle horn & sailing into camp with them, much to the amusement of the officers.”
And by December 7th. “At breakfast I happened to ask Dr. Crandall, (not supposing that he would sell his horse) . . . what he valued him at. When he said he valued him at $150, I told him at once that I would give him that price for him when to my surprise, a few days afterwards he consented to sell him to me. He said he would not have sold him out of the regiment. It is a great black horse with strong legs & easy gate & very fully quite sound,& about 6 years old. Just what I want & it seems as if God has very surely provided for me. The horse can outrun any thing in the regiment, is accustomed to the battlefield, don’t wind among the cannon &shells, as he well showed shortly after & is finely trained, reins very well & my rig out, they tell me is complete.”
For the next five months Frank and Zollicoffer were inseparable as Frank made the rounds of hospitals and provided spiritual services to the soldiers. The last major event that the duo was involved in was the Battle of Salem Heights, VA, on May 3, 1863. It was during this battle that Frank and Zollicoffer went onto the battlefield to rescue a fallen comrade and bring him back to safety. For this action Rev. Francis B. Hall was awarded the Medal of Honor. Within two weeks of the battle, Frank had mustered out with his unit and returned to civilian life. He did not return alone. He brought both Zollicoffer and his groom, Sam, back to Plattsburgh with him.
After this homecoming, Zollicoffer became somewhat of a celebrity. According to the local papers the horse led every Decoration Day (now called Memorial Day) parade up until his death. He might be the only horse in the area (state?)that was eulogized in the paper after his death. Zollicoffer died at age 30 and was buried in the middle of the garden in the rear of the Delord property. The eulogy maintains that “a bed of white flowers grew upon his grave, a spontaneous floral memorial to the noble pet beneath”
And a little additional irony.
Frank Hall, a Union Chaplain was riding a horse named after a Confederate general, and using a saddle named after a Union general he despised.
Both came home safely and continued to serve their community.
