The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-06-10
NUMBER 40.
From Chambers journal. |
Animal Volunteers,

In the course of duty have several times
day to pass a cavalry barrack gates, with an
entrance to the hospital on the opposite side of
the road. Not long since, observed a rather
handsome-looking shaggy terrier standing he
side the sentry who was posted at the gate Of
the latter At the first glance, one might have
concluded that the animal belonged to the sol
dler on guard, but rs he is relieved every two
hours, It could not be the property of them all.
9tlll he remained for several days together,
except at brief intervals, when, | suppose, it
was needtul to seek Refreshments At last,
inquired OF the sentry if he knew whether the
dog had a master in the regiment
NO. sir, replied he; ''but I'm thinking he
wants TO enlist. Dogs often come to us in this
way"
Whether that particular candidate for Il nil
itary course Of life had his wish gratitie,l | can
not say, for lost sight of him. There are also
instances Of dogs which quit the service of
private owner, and enter that Of the public of
their own free-wl and accord.
A soldiers wife once appealed to an officer
for the price OF Il shoulder Of mutton which she
said his dog had stolen from her. II assure
YOU. my good woman" replied he, "that dog
has never once been in my quarters for the last
sin months, nor has he taken the least notice of
me. He was we'll fed, and comfortably lodged {;
but as he prefers to be on his own hook really
cannot be answerable for such vagabond's
doings." Ills was literally true For the sake
OF liberty, the animal choose rather to put up
with Il precariouS kind of living among the chill
dren. or the chance Of feast, now and then.
bv predatory means. than submit to the restraint
Of confinement, to which il would have been to
a certain extent subjected by its owner. BY
way of eNtenuation. however, let me say. it
was currently reported, that instead Of claim
ing the value Of Il shoulder of mutton it should
have been the remains of one and no great
loss either. II was generally believed.
When the "Spankers" We're in the Crimea-
they We're light dragons in those days and not
hu>sars, rs at present-;l large dog, don't eX-
actly know of what breed, but universally ad-
mlred for beauty and Intelligence, attached
himself to that particular corps. Wherever
the regiment marched, he invariably accompa-
MED the troopers. Several times he went into
action, and WAS once seriously wounded with
the point of i lance. 1t would have been uni
yersally regretted had poor Lutfin's wound
proved fatal. one Of the farrcrs undertook to
dress it, so that, with a little care. he soon got
well again Where the dog came from, or who
was his original owner, nobody knew. He
would never follow an individual soldier be-
yond the balraCk gates, however kindly he
might he invited; but when the men We're in
full dress. whether mounted or on foot. prOvid-
ed they Wcnt out i'll 4 body, Luttin insisted on
taking up his proper position. one thing was
very rcnarkable-he had sufficient discernment
to enable him to distinguish ''churth pa
rate" from any other. He never showed any
desire to attend public worship.
At the beginning of his military career. he
had to pick M his living as best he could lie
waS accustomed at mtai-times to 90 from hut
10 hut. or amongst the tents, when the men
were under canvas In some of these habita-
tous he met with GOOD treatment. and a supplv
of food but from others he wasnot unfreuuent
IL >ummarlv and ignomniou,v elected. How
ever, Lutfin in course of time was allowed reg
ular raions at the regimental expense. towards
which all the members of tcorpS contributed a
share, from the colonel to the drummer, The
noble animal must have been aware of hi, pro
motion. for it was observed that he never went
a-bcgging" after one of Iuifin'~ marks of
HIGH Intelligence cannot personally youcb for
fnit | have been assured of its truth. II WAS
.ai1. and generally believed. that he was in the
constant habit Of visiting the ,epries ,uring
the NIGHT e,prciaIlv in tie Crimea. TO see if fLe
mon wer,. al their po,t. aud on the Alert. The
reader must he told that, turing a campaign,
thr troops arc often 50 much harassed and ia
tiuued that sentres will occasionally fall aslcep
as they ,tan,t--:tu act. however. which is looked
upon as one of the orayest of military offences
If Latin found A man asleep, he sat before him
in silence: but the slightest sound of apprOach-
ing footsteps was sufficient to make him apprise
the sleepcr Of the danger to which he NaS ey-
nosph lie Woul1 Then rrot OF 10 thr novt:nost