The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-14
REAL DOGS OF WAR.
Four-FOotod Soldiers Enlisted In
European Armies.
They Ago Trained to Perform Valuable
Service = Employed az Dispatch
Bcarcrs nnd In the Hospital
Corps-A Police Sergeant

The pages of history from the err
lest times record with honorable men
ton the services of dogs as auxiliarics
IN war They were utilized in the
Grcck 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 hun.
drcd of them in Eliza bcth's array in Ire.
land. ST Malo, when it formed Il sep
aratc republic, was guarded by three
hundred dogs. Philip ", in 1902, at
Mount Ph:llippi and ut the fort of
Etoilc, fed the dogs which were at the
gates and which remained uncared for
by the Austrians, and afterwards
turned them to useful account as nux;l-
larry scntincls and for accompanying
the patrols. In 1873 the Turks were
greatly helped by dogs both at the
siege of Dubitza and at Gino Bcrdo
They used them rs Il Gordon to guard
their camps and later to track the I'M
fortunate inhabitants of the countries
they were devastating. There is IL fine
for killing Il dog in Turkey, and it is
cxacted as follows: The dead dog is
tied up by the tail with his fore
paws touching the ground, and the fine
consists of as much corn as will cover
the dog in that position.
During the siege of Scbastopol the
French on several occasions received
alarms of sortics through the watchful-
ness of dog called Mncttc. The fame
OF the French military dog Moustachc
is renowned. When cncamped with
his regiment before Alexandria, the
first night he was the means of detect
ing surprise; lie fought at Marcngo,
and saved the standard OF his regiment
ut Austcrlit2, for which service he was
decorated on the battlefield by Marshal
Lannes. He captured an Austrian ser
geant, and brought two pri-
Yates rs prisoners into camp He
served also in the Spanish cam
paign and was the means OF dc
tccting several ambushcs. At dress
paradcs he invariably appeared at the
head of the regiment conducting him
self with soldcrly dignity He bore
on his body many honorable scars of
hot cnco"ntcra, and was finally killed
by Il bullet directly after the siege of
Eadaioz.
Cen Slobclc1f, in Asia Minor, had a
corps of dogs instructed rs scntrics,
and they are now used III the artillery
and other branches of the service. The
Germans began experimenting with
dogs III 1850, lnStructlnE them on out
post duty. Jaeger battalion has about
twenty dogs of all sizes stationed with
the advance guard. Tho Germans
dress men i'll French and Russian uni
forms land tho French have recourse to
similar tactics) who lie in wait and
brighten the dogs, so as to impress
them ut once with the appearance of
an enemy. A well-traincd collie in a
German regiment on the approach of
anyone he does not know, will hide in
the nearest ditch and will wait unit! he
passes, the dog will then continue his
journey only to repeat the process
should he be again Interrupted
1t was a maxim with Frederick the
Great that it was pardonablc to be de-
featcel, but never to be surprised When
troops are wcaricd by long marches,
and sentries besides being fatigucd
have in addition to struggle against
hunger and severe cold. in such cases
the aid of well-trained military dogs
would be appreciated by any prudent
commander 1t has been asccrtaincd
that on calm night dogs can with GER
tainty detect the approach of strangers
up to five hundred yards, and in stormy
weather they will scent an enemy
within two hundred yards and can
distinguish friend from foe.
Regarding the breed of dogs best
adapted for military purposes, it is con-
ccded that the farmers sheep dog has
the finest qualities The retriever
makes good war dog. and spaniels
have much to recommend them. In
Germany they are considered second
to the sheep dog Boodhounds have
no superior when it comes to tracking.
In Austria the Dalmntian has been
trained; Russia prefers the Caucasian
dog; Turkey selects the Asiatic sheep
dog, and Italy. like England, is expert
mcntiug with various breeds
On the wall of the reading-room OF
Bow street police Office, London, hangs
the portrait of 4 remarkable dog One
day in August, 1867, an old, starved,
homeless animal took up his quarters
on the steps OF q scldom-uscd door con-
ncctcd with the Office. As neither dog
nor man had q right to loitcr in that
doorway, t:c superintendent gave or
Icrs that he should be made to move
on. AS often rs he was driven off,
however, he reaprcarcd. The men of
the division became ut last very much
attached 10 the dog and adopted him in
the corps, bestowing upon him the
name Of Charlie AT a quarter before
six every morning the first day relief
was paraded in the yard of the station,
pIov,ous 20 setting out on duty at six.