The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-12
G!le GRtelLiqettGaE.
omCsr Nos, sS and ~ Fourteenth street.
THE WAR SETTLED THRsI,
The Dogs that Couldn't Stand the War
Racket,

NAN HNkN hAAAN khAANAN 0hAAA tAN NhE
Atlanta COa,iitpiisa.
Did you ever hear Of the wild dogs Of
AtlantsH At one time the country around
here was almost at the mercy Of these
savage animals, Horses, elephants and
camels can be, made to take IN almost
human interest in war, but dogs cannot
stand the racket. The din OF battle and
the smell Of vlllRinous saltpetre breaks
them up entirely,
Our dogs had a hard time during the
Siege. There were thousands OF them in
those days, and when the season Of short
raIlons set in they were the fret to feel 1t,
In many instances they were abandoned
by their reiugeeing owners, and had 10
literally forage for living,
The thunder OF the big guns, the un.
earthly Bhrieks Of the shells, the noise OF
falling buildings, the rattle oil musketry
and the heavy tramp oil marching soldiers,
all struck terror to tho canine contingent,
Toward the close OF the siege nearly every
dog In the city was half rabid or in the
last stage OF nervous pTostration. The
wTetChed brutes sought shelter under
houses and in bombproois. Majestic mas.
tits and surly bulldogs Curled their tails
between their legs and yelped mOurnlully
at every unusual sound, Hundreds OF the
holder ones made frantic break over the
breastwoIks and bitches, and III lde their,
way through the lines oiboth armiea, never
stopping until they reached the woods,
II was even worse after ShermRn's army
entered the place. The citizens were
out in such q hurry that they had no time
Ito think Of their pets aud no means OF
transportation fer them, Later the de.
struclion Of the city by hre and the gener,
al pandemonium that ensued scattered
the few remaining dogs.
These innocent victims OF the ravages
OF war had q terrible experience during
the rigorous winter OF -lS64-5. Their
misery drove them to form strange part.
nelships, and it was a common sight to sea
them rowing in bands Of dozen or more,
The old saying: "Banish the dog from his
kennel and you have vol" was illustrs.
ted in this case. In the course OF live or
six months the country for fifty miles
around were spinning marvellous yarns
about "them wild dogs from Atlanta"
The dog belongs to the genius which
produces the vol, hejaCkal, and the fox,
Tame dogs, OF course, lose many Of the
characteristics Of these animals; but when
persecution and misery cause them to re-
lapse into q wild state they take the ap.
pearance, the habits, and the tastes OF
wolves and iaCkAls. Such was VIGOROUSLY
the fact with the Atlanta dogs. They lost
every trace Of domestiCity, They grew 10
enormous size, with savage eyes and cruel.
looking fangs.
Occasionally gang Of these ferocious
beasts would swoop down on farm'yard,
devouring chickens and pigs, aud attack
ing men when they stood in their way. 1t
took the liyeliest kind oil shooting to drive
them OF. Sometimes they would sur.
round lonely cabin and wait for the in.
mates to come out. They even made raids
into little villages, forcing the inhabitants
to shut Themselves up III their houses
The disappearance OF many negro in
those perilOuS times was fully accounted
for when his skeleton was found with
every particle Of flesh gnawed of, aud
with tho ground around showing evidence
OF q desperate struggle.
EHly III loVvi VIVA " ASW tptukSop pe-
gan returning to Atlanta, they had to
struggle with these wild dogs fol the pos.
session OF the ruins. bloody encounters
occurred among the ash'henps and piles
Of debris. Every cellar and hole in tho
ground held these ravenous brutes, and
they leaped upon men women and chill.
dren without the slightest proyocation.
At time 1t was dangerous 10 ride or drive
out In the country. On the main road
between here aud Decatur, In broad day,
light, dogs were known to attack horses
attached to buggies, forcing their drivers
to open q hot iusilade with their reyolvers.
Alter getting this taste Of a wild life
the Atlanta dogs went to the bad together.
They never reformed. A relentless war.
fare was waged upon them from the Stone
Mountain to Kenesaw, and one by one
they bit the dust until they were all
wiped out. The reader at distance,
must not Jump to the conclusion that this
indiscriminate slaughter has caused an
unusual scarcity Of dogs In this region.
Thanks TO the universal human weakness
for pets, we are abundantly supplied with
bench-legged fees, terriers, pugs, New.
ioundlands, mastitIs and bulls. II some
unexpected calamity should cause them
all to go wild, after the fashion Of their
predecessors, they would be an unCom.
monty tough crowd to deal with.
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