If Americans were asked to name the first animal that comes to mind when asked to think of an animal used in war, the most common answer would most likely be "horse". Horses are often depicted in American battle scenes, and in 2011 an entire movie about the role of a horse in WWII came out titled "War Horse." Before trains, telegraph lines, and accurate firepower, horses were vital to any military commander. The cavalry, with the speed and power of their horses, was often used to break enemy lines, allowing holes for infantry to go through. Calvary was vital for reconnaissance and keeping their commander informed of enemy troop movements. The cavalry often shielded troop movements, raided enemy lines, and used to protect retreating infantry. A cavalry man is often depicted as the dashing hero, brave and gallant. The vital role of the cavalry during the Civil War can be perfectly depicted by the loss of communication with Confederate cavalry commander J.E.B Stuart and Robert E. Lee during the Gettysburg campaign. The Confederate Army ran into the the Union Army largely because Lee's knowledge of Union troop movement was outdated since he had lost communication with Stuart, and Lee was not expecting the Union Army to be anywhere near Gettysburg. Lee then fights the first day of battle essentially blind, because he still has no communication with Stuart. Throughout the day Lee asks multiple times to various members of his army "Have you heard from Stuart? Do you know where Stuart is?" When Stuart does finally arrive, feeling triumphant for having captured Union wagon trains, Lee is less than impressed. He tells Stuart the wagon trains are nothing but a hindrance to him now, and that he had asked Stuart to help him whip these people. This was harsh admonishment from Lee and Stuart would spend the majority of the rest of his time in service trying to make this blunder up to Lee.
However, reaching back to ancient times, and in areas of the Pacific, there was another animal that was considered essential to military commanders. That animal was the elephant. War elephants can be traced back to Roman times, and are believed to have been first introduced by the Greek kingdom of Epirus. King Pyrrhus of Epirus brought twenty elephants to attack the Romans at the battle of Heraclea in 280 BC, leaving some fifty additional animals, on loan from Pharaoh Ptolemy II, on the mainland. The Romans were unprepared for fighting elephants, and the Epirot forces routed the Romans. The next year the Epirot forces would again use elephants against the Romans, but this time the Romans would be prepared. They had ox carts with long spikes that could injure the elephants, they have fire weapons to scorch the elephants, and also had soldiers to throw spears at the elephants. Although the Epirot army would again defeat the Romans thanks to a final charge from the elephants, the Epirot army would this time suffer heavy causalities. After capturing elephants in 275 BC, the Romans would use them in military campaigns for years to come.
On February 14, 1861 The King of Siam sent letters to then American President James Buchanan, offering gifts such as elephant tusks, and a greatly decorated sword. Perhaps most humorously to us today, the King also offered stock of elephants from which the United States could produce their own elephants. However, to the people of Siam, it would have seemed completely logical to offer elephants to a country that was about to be engaged in war. In south-eat Asia, elephants were used in war up until the end of the 19th century. One reason for this was the difficult terrain of the region and the ability of elephants to be able to cross it more easily than horse cavalry. In fact the Siamese Army continued utilizing war elephants until the Franco-Siamese War of 1893, almost 30 years after the end of the American Civil War.
These letters and tokens from the King of Siam, although addressed to President Buchanan did not reach the United States until 1862, leaving it to the now President Abraham Lincoln and his secretary of state, William Seward to find a diplomatic way of rejecting the King of Siam's generous offer. Below is the response letter from Lincoln to the King of Siam, dated February 3, 1862.
To the King of Siam February 3, 1862
Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America.
To His Majesty Somdetch Phra Paramendr Maha Mongut,
King of Siam,
Great and Good Friend: I have received Your Majesty's two letters of the date of February 14th., 1861.
I have also received in good condition the royal gifts which accompanied those letters,---namely, a sword of costly materials and exquisite workmanship; a photographic likeness of Your Majesty and of Your Majesty's beloved daughter; and also two elephants' tusks of length and magnitude such as indicate that they could have belonged only to an animal which was a native of Siam.
Your Majesty's letters show an understanding that our laws forbid the President from receiving these rich presents as personal treasures. They are therefore accepted in accordance with Your Majesty's desire as tokens of your good will and friendship for the American People. Congress being now in session at this capital, I have had great pleasure in making known to them this manifestation of Your Majesty's munificence and kind consideration.
Under their directions the gifts will be placed among the archives of the Government, where they will remain perpetually as tokens of mutual esteem and pacific dispositions more honorable to both nations than any trophies of conquest could be.
I appreciate most highly Your Majesty's tender of good offices in forwarding to this Government a stock from which a supply of elephants might be raised on our own soil. This Government would not hesitate to avail itself of so generous an offer if the object were one which could be made practically useful in the present condition of the United States.
Our political jurisdiction, however, does not reach a latitude so low as to favor the multiplication of the elephant, and steam on land, as well as on water, has been our best and most efficient agent of transportation in internal commerce.
I shall have occasion at no distant day to transmit to Your Majesty some token of indication of the high sense which this Government entertains of Your Majesty's friendship.
Meantime, wishing for Your Majesty a long and happy life, and for the generous and emulous People of Siam the highest possible prosperity, I commend both to the blessing of Almighty God.
Your Good Friend, ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Washington, February 3, 1862.
By the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State. Annotation
The writing of this letter is depicted in the 1956 film "The King and I". This movie, based on a novel of the same title, which was a romanticized version of real life experiences of Anna Leonowns, tells the story of a British widow who moves to Bangkok to tutor the wives and children of the King of Siam. In the movie, the King summons Anna late at night, as he needs helps drafting a letter. That letter is his letter to the President offering two FEMALE elephants to the American President, to which Anna proceeds to point out that sending only female elephants may not workout the way that the King intends. Although this scene is one of my favorite of the movie, it is clearly incorrect in that the King drafts and sends his letter in 1861, prior to Lincoln becoming President. However, this scene was the first time I ever heard of this letter, and it was fun to realize that it was actually based on a true event, although not depicted factually.
However well intention the King's offering of war elephants was, it would have taken diplomatic skill to reject, yet not offend, the King's offer. I think the letter written by Lincoln shows his ability to tread lightly when needed, to not create new enemies. However, I wonder how different the war would have been if either the Union or the Confederate armies, or both, had taken the King of Siam's suggestion, and utilized war elephants.
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