As you might imagine, it would be difficult to play drums while mounted on a horse. Cavalry commanders used bugle calls to issue directions.

As for horses, these were normally the personal property of the men. As the war went on, cavalrymen were obliged to requisition fresh mounts from homes along their line of march. I'd imagine the Perrin family owned several fine horses, and young George probably stabled his at the University of Alabama while attending school there. This mount would have been his during the war as well.

The agricultural census for Greene County (1860) includes a record how many horses each family owned.

Before I forget, here are my summary notes on Company "H":

Company “H” of Greene, Perry and Marengo Counties

Capt. James Harrison, formerly a member of Company “D”, 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment. Wounded and captured at LaFayette, Georgia, June 24, 1864. Released at Johnson’s Island, Ohio, June 14, 1865.

On March 4, 1864, officers and men held elections at Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the company letter designation being “I” until April 26, 1864.