Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-01-06
WAR "REMINISCENCES.
A FouR-FooTED WARRIOR.

The Bravo Dog who Went with tho
Brigade Into Battle.
The deepening danger grew tragieal-
ly intense, for there was nothing to be
done except to stay and confront it.
At last, to the manifest relief of the
long, long llne the orders were to adj
vance, and as we stepped forward
somewhat blithely, we noticed, moving
directly in front of us, a little more
rapidly than ourselves, a small body of
glittering cavalry escorting group of
gorgeously appointed staff officers. We
also noticed that they had u most en-
thusiastic companion. A large dog,
with shaggy, jet black curly hair and
most musical voice, followed the caval-
cade closely, barking sonorously, as
though he felt his duty to be akin to
that of bugler. His superb waving tail
moved high in air in Rhythmic cadence
with the marching men who were be-
hind him, rather than in time to the
gathering hoofs and chaos of sound
which preceded him. The awful peril
of our own situation did not prevent us
from wondering how the noble beast
had managed to get there, and what
would be his fate if he renamed. We
could not learn, even, whether he be-
longed to any of those who were actors
in the fearful drama before us; but pre-
sumably this was the case, for there
was that in his movements betolSening
dog who felt himself to be at home,
rather than the vagrant canine who
had run away whittier he had no busi-
ness to CO.
Still on and on, as the brigade ad
vanced, went the delighted dog, ccca-
sionally raising his head yet hi~her, as
if for the purpose of throwing his voice
farther, while his ever swaying tail re-
sponded to the cadenced step of the
dear dogs fellow countrymen. How he
loved the scene! l have often been
charmed with the delight shown by
dogs when there is dancing or other
frolics going on; their emotional nature
fairly reveling in movement of any
kind. The least sociable dog is always
ready for a run or a romp with the
least congenial companion, and there
is no being to whom the infection of
gayety is so generously contagious
All through the desolate two hours oc-
cupied by this engagement, the first of
the war, our friend still pursued his de-
lighted tactics-an example of glowing
fearlessness why" exclaimed SOL
dier, hes better than brass band to
keep our spirits up" We were all
young then, the group surveying that
ecstatic dog, and much nearer to college
and classic phraseology than most of
us have ever been since, and SO when q
recent graduate cried: We'll done,
Gaudia Certaminisr the refrain was
taken up by all who could translate it
and by great many who could not,
and Gaudia Certaminis the dog re-
maind throughout his martial career.
Later on, as one by one the various
regiments were drawn off from a field
now deemed impracticable, we could
see our handsome friend holding his
ground among the very last, until, in
the deepening twilight, he was OBJ
served striding majestically after his
cavalry escort, as we now called 1t, on
the way to the rear. All, then that
swaying tail, which an hour before had
moved in joyous unison with the SOL
diery, had fallen to a discontented