Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-02-16
REAL DOGS OF WAR.
Four-Footed Soldiers Enlisted IL
European Armiea
They Arc Trained to Perform valuable
service 90 Employed as Dispatch
Hearers aud In the Hospital
Curps-A Police Sergeant.

The pages of history from the ear
liest times record with honorable men
ton the services of dogs AS auxiliaries
in war. They were utilized in the
Greek and Roman armies, and Corinth
Is said to have been saved by fifty war
dogs King Henry VIII. employed
bloodhounds In France, and the Earl
of Sussex had no less than eight hum
drcd Of them in Elizabcth's army in Ire
land. St Malo, when il formed sep
arate republic, was guarded by three
hundred dogs, Philip ", in 1909, at
Mount Ph!llippi and at the fort of
Etoile, fed the dogs which were at the
gates and which remained uncared for
by the Austrians, and afterwards
turned them TO useful account as auxil-
larry sentinels and for accompanying
the patrols In 1878 the Turks were
greatly helped by dogs both at the
siege of Dubitza and at Gino Bcrdo
They used them us "a Gordon to guard
their camps aud later TO track the I'M
fortunate inhabitants of the countries
they were devastating. There is fine
for killing u dog in Turkey, and 1t is
cxncted us follows: The dead dog Is
tied up by the tail with his fore
paws touching the ground, aud the fine
consists of as much corn as will cover
the dog in that position.
During the siege of Sebastopol the
French on several occasions received
alarms of sortics through the watchful-
ness of dog called Mincttc. The fame
Of the French military dog Moustachc
Il p1 t.stf
his regiment before Alexandria, the
first night he was the means Of detect
ing n surprise; he fought at Marcngo,
and saved the standard Of his regiment
at Austcrli,z, for which service he was
| decorated on the battlefield by Marshal
Lanncs. lie captured al Austrian ser.
gcant, and brought two pri-
Yates rs prisoners into camp. lie
served also in the Spanish cam
paign and was the means OF dc.
tccting several nmbushcs. AZ dress
parades lie invariably appeared ut the
head Of the regiment, conducting HIM
self with soldleriy dignity. lie bore
on his body many honorable Gears of
hot encoantcrs, and was finally killed
by bullet directly after the siege of
Badnioz.
Gen. Sliobelcir, in Asia Minor, had
corps Of dogs instructed rs sentrics,
and they are now used IN the artillery
and other branches Of the service. Z he
Germans began experimenting with
dogs in 1855, instructIng them ON out.
post duty. A jaeger battalion has about
twenty dogs OF all sizes stationed with
the advance guard, The Germans
dress men in French and Russian uni
forms land the French have recourse to
similar tactics) who lie IN wait and
brighten the dogs, so rs to impress
them at once with the appearance OF
an enemy. A wcll-traincd collie in u
German regiment on the approach of
anyone he does not know, will hide In
the nearest ditch and will wait until lie
passes, the dog will then continue his
journey only TO repeat tho process
should he be again interrupted.
II was n maxim with Frederick the
Great that 1t was pardonable to be de-
ieuted, but never to DO surprised. When
troops are wearicd by long marches,
and scntries besides being iatigued
have in addition To struggle against
hunger and severe cold, in such cases
the aid Of wcll-trained military dogs
would be appreciated BY any prudent
commander. 1t has been asccrtuincd
that on calm night dogs can with Ger.
tainty detect the approach uf strangers
up to five hundred yards, and in stormy
weather they will scent an enemy
within two hundred yards and eau
distinguish friend from foo.
Regarding the breed Of dogs best
adapted for military purposes, II is con.
coded that the farmers sheep dog has
the finest qualities This retriever
makes good war dog, and spuuiels
have much TO recommend them. In
Germany they are considered second
to the sheep dog. BloodhoundS have
no superior when II comes to tracking
In Austria the Dalmatian has been
trained; Russia prefers the Caucasian
dog; Turkey selects the Asiatic sheep
dog, and Italy, like England, is expert
meutins with various breeds,
On the wall of the rcading-room of
Bow street police Office, London, hangs
the portrait of remarkable dog One
day in August, 1857, an old, starved,
homeless animal took up his quarters
on the steps Of u seldom. used door con.
nected with the Office. As neither dog
nor man had right to loiter in that
doorway, the superintendent gave or.
ders that he should be made To move
on. As often as he was driven on
however, he reRppeared. The men OF
the division became at last very much
attached to the dog and adopted him il
the corps, bestowing upon him Tn,
name Of Charlie, At quarter befor,
six every morning the first day relic
was paraded In the yard Of the station
previous to setting out on duty at six
At that hour, and at every parade, day
or night, Charlie was always present
marching up and down in front OF tn,
line with all the importance OF
drill sergeant Parade over, Char
lie would head the relief in IL
march round tho beats aud thel
went On u tour Of inspection
walking for awhile with this o
thaG specially favored policeman
Charlie was also known as the whit
| nj