The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-07-03
THE SOLDIERS DOG.

A common soldier in the italian regi
ment of the Veliti of the guards had,
when at Milan, dog that was much at
tached to him, following him to all his
various military duties, and invariably
mounting guard with him, and sharing
his sentry-box whenever he stood sentry
at the gate OF the vice-regal palace.
In 1872, at the time of the disastrous
Russian campaign, among the numerous
regiments composing the fine Italian
army that marched with the Viceroy of
Italy. Eugene Beauharnais, went the
| Velitia, and with them the master of the
dog. Tofno, who was already well known
| to the soldiers, marched after his master,
and crossing the Alps and traversing a
great portion of the European continent,
/ finally arrived at Moscow.
| When the armies of Bonaparte were
obliged to withdraw from the capital in
flames, Tofno still followed his master,
and went through all the horrors of that
memorable retreat. He was at the MUIR
derous battle of Malorajoshlewitz, where
the Italians behaved gallantly, and suf-
fered great loss. The Viceroys Veliti,
though they had suffered tremendously,
had still the consistence and appearance
of a regiment when they reached the
Berezina; but on the fatal passage of that
river, where so many thousands persisted,
they lost more than half their remaining
men, and the master of poor Tofino was
among the number.
After that passage there was no order
preserved in the retreat the fragments
of the Veliti were mixed up with the
fragments of other regiments, and all
went on in fearful confusion. Tofno,
however, who had crossed the river in |
safety, and had fingered some time on
the bank, barking and moaning as though |
he missed somebody, was soon after seen
trotting after some of the Veliti; and so |
he continued to be seen, day after day, |
and week after week, keeping up with
the retreating soldiery, and always close
to those who wore the uniform of his I'M
fortunate master. The circumstance ma
turally made an impression on the men
and some of his masters comrades in the
midst of their own miseries and priva-
lions, attended to the wants of the dog,
who showed such fidelity to the regi-
ment.
But in spite of these cares and their
caresses, Tofino would never exclusively
attach himself to any one man; on the
contrary, he always looked out for the
greatest number OF the Veiiti, and where
they went he followed, regardless of the
individuals who would have retained
him by their particular kindness. In
this manner from Moscow he reached
Wilma, then traversing the rest of Lithua-
MIA and Poland, the kingdom of Prussia,
~ fho fof IF hQ /
federacy of the Rhine, Bavaria, the
Tyrol and the Alps-in short, after hav-
ing performed journey of more than
two thousand five hundred English miles,
Tofno again entered Milan in the Sum-
mer of 1913, in the rear of small body I
Of the Veliu. How this poor Italian dog I
had travelled through regions and swan
over freezing rivers, where the very hor-
ses of the country had died, was marvel
10 all who witnessed the tragical retreat.
As soon as he was within the walls of
Milan, Tofno went straight to the bar
racks which the Neliti had occupied, and
after waiting there some time, he trotted
10 the sentry-box by the palace gate,
where he had so often mounted guard ,
With his master-and he never more !
moved hundred yards from it! The :
irst two or three days he was heard to ,
lowl and moan, but this sad mood passed, !
md he occupied his corner in the sentry {
)ox in silence. The interesting anecdote s
cached the ears of the Viceroy, Beau |
larnais, who ordered that poor Tofno G
hould be kindly treated and well fed,
md considered as a pensioner of the '
State. But there was no need for these q
whole army, the whole peo t
BE of Milan, regarded the dog almost as t
sacred animal, and were accustomed to
how him to all strangers as one of the 1
wonders of the city. c
In 1914, when the French were driven r
'ut of Italy, Tofno fell, with all Lombar- I
ly and the States of Venice, into the t
power of the Austrians, who (whatever +
hey did with the human beings that re- '
urned to their yoke) treated the dog as
,indly as ever ;. he still occupied his cor t
Ter of the sentry-box, and was pointed a
,ut as heretofore. Toino lived several
months under the regime of the house OF c
Austria, and then died full of honOrs and i
Ieeply regretted by the Milanese. a
Totino had nothing striking in his out {
ward appearance; he was mongrel; r
ough-haired, clumsily made and about u
he size of our common breed of terriers. d
J. ]. B.