Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-12-03

Did YOU ever hear OF the wild dogs OF
Atlanta? At one time the country
around there was at the mercy Of those
same animals.
Horses, elephants aud camels can be
made TO take an almost human interest
in war. but dogs cannot stand the
racket. The din of battle and the smell
of yillaluous saltpetre breaks them up
entirely. The dogs had a hard time
during the siege. There were thousands
of them in those days, aud when the
season of short rations set in they were
the first to feel It, La many instances
they were abandoned by their refugee
ing owners aud had TO literally forage
for living. The thunder of the big
guns, the unearthly shrek of the shells,
the noise of falling buildings, the rattle
Of musketry aud the heavy tramp Of
marching soldiers, all struck terror To
the canine contingent. Toward the
close OF the siege nearly every dog In
the city was half rabid or ia last stage OF
nervous prostration. The wretched
brutes sought shelter under houses and
in bomb proofs. Majestic mastias aud
surly bull dogs curled their tails be-
tween their legs aud yelped mourniully
at every unusual sound. Hundreds Of
the bolder ones made frantic leap over
tue breast works aud bitches, and made
their way through The lines of both
armies, aud never stopping until they
had reached the woods.
These innocent victims OF the ravages
of war had terrible experience curing
The winter of 'Gi.65. Their misery
drove them TO form strange partner
ships, and ii was common sight to see
them rov.ng In bands of dozen or
more. The old saying, Danish the Cog
from his kennel, aud you have wolf,"
was illustrated in this case. La the
course of five or six months the coun-
try people for miles around were spin
ming marvellous yarns about them Wild
dogs from Atlanta"
The dog belongs To the genus which
produces the wolf, the jackal and the
fox Tame dogs, OF course, lose many
of the characteristics of these animals;
but when persecution aud misery causes
them TO relapse into wild state, they
take the appearance, the habits aud tho
tastes OF jackals. Such was no,oriously
the fact with the Atlanta dogs. They
lost every trace of domesticily. They
grew 20 enormous size, with savage
eyes aud cruel-looking fangs.
Occasionally gang OF these fcrocious
beasts would swoop down on n farm
yard, devouring pigs and chickens, and
attacking men when they stood Ia their,
way. IL took the liveliesl kind OF shoot
ing TO drive them or. Sometimes they
would surround n lonely cabin, aud
wait for the inmates to come out. They
even made raids Into little villages.
forcing the inhabitants To shut them
selves up In their houses. The disap-
pearance Of many negro In those per-
ilous times was fully accounted for
when his skeleton was found with every
particle OF flesh gnawed OF and with
the ground around showing evidences
OF desperate struggle.
Early In '65 when few refugees be.
gan returning to Atlanta. they bad TO
struggle with these wild dogs for tho
possession OF the ruins. Bloody en-
counters occurred among the heaps and
piles Of debris. Every cellar aud hole
Ia the ground held these ravenous
brutes, and they leaped upon men,
women aud children without The slight
est proyocation. At that time IL was
dangerous to ride or drive out into the
open country. On the main road be-
tween Atlanta and Decatur, In broad
daylight, dogs were known 20 attack
horses attached TO buggles, forcing their
drivers TO open hot tfusilade upon them
with their reyolvers.
After getting this taste Of Wild life.
the Atlanta dogs went to the bad alto
gether. They never reformed. A re-
lentless warfare was waged upon them
from Stone Mountain TO X KeDnesaw, aud
one by one they bit the dust until they
were all wiped out. The reader must
not jump at the conclusion that this In.
slaughter has caused any
unusal scarcity Of dogs IN this region.
Thanks TO the universal human weak
ness for pets, they are abundaDtly sup
piled with bench.leggcd hounds, ter
riers, pugs, observation-disclosures, mastifrs
and bull dogs.