St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-07-30
DOGS OF MILITARY CAMPS.
Some Of the smart Canine Pets That
Soldier Boys Take Pride In
Pampefing.

Some Of the smart Canine Pets Tha,
Soldier Boys Take Pride In
PamPering.
There is one class of dogs concerning
which history has been silent--the dogs
of the army. Probably there is nc
United States regiment in existence
which docs no: possess two or three
and there are no dogs in the world NOR.
interesting. To see these canine sol
,diers at their best, one must visit the
great infantry camp at Tampa. There
one of the first dogs to excite interes,
and attention is "Jo."
"Jo" is a dog with history, and q
sergeant, who stood at attention, while
visitor at the camp tried TO win jos
interest and good win, told little oi
his pets trials. tribulations and fidelity
to his human friends.
He came TO us first at Camp Merritt
Indian agency, Montana" said the ser
geant. "We go; him from the Indians
when he was little pup, but when we
went to Fort Yates the Indians stole
him. We Travelled nearly 400 miles to
another station, but about six weeks
after that 10 came trotiing into camp
We don't know how he found us out
nor how he got away from the Indians,
nor where he'd been; except that one OF
the farmers told us he'd stayed with
him 90 days. Ever since that, though.
he has been with us. The day that we
reached here the Twenty-second regi-
ment got of at Tampa and the cavalry
went on to Port Tampa. .Jo saw the
train going on, and then he got little
mixed. He though: we were still in the
COACHES, SO be ran and jumped onto the
back platform as the train moved off.
just in a moment he found he was with
the wrohg boys. for il was a cclored
troop-the Ninth cavalry. Well, we
were disgusted to think that Jo would
desert us for the niggers, and we said
he wasn't fit TO associate with us; but
pretty soon, in q few days, Jo appeared
in ore Of our tents. The men down al
Port Tampa had tried to keep him, bu.
he slipped off and found us somehow.
"Well, for three or four days after he
go: back that deg was so ashamed he
just skunk round. and wouldn't look
anybody ib the eye, he was so mortified
that bed made such a mistake"
"Does he know any tricks?" some one
asked.
Indeed he does" observed a lieuten.
ant who stood near. ''Tbose boys have
taught him to wag his tail at private
and growl at an officer, and he does i.
every time"
The sergeant grinned, and !. was self.
evident that 10" paid no attention te
anyone in the group except the ser.
geant. This trait seems TO be peculiar
to all the army dogs. The soldiers take
the greatest pains to instill it into them
The first thing that they are taught
is to display complete indifference tc
civilians, except, sometimes. to avoid
them; commissioned officers and the
p.ivates are their masters and their
heroes. Life would not be worth living
with any other people.
"Jo" knows all the bugle calls. When
reve:lle sounds he gets up for the day;
when drill sounds he doesn't move, for
that is something in which he recog-
nizes he is not allowed 10 join, but when
the bugle for dinner reaches his ear
there is not a man in the regiment tha, |
responds quicker, and that is saying a
good deal.
The only other dog of the Twenty
second regiment is named "Skate," but
"Skate" was left in Nebraska. 1t is saiG |
that "Ska.e" is fond of posing himseli
under stacked muskets and likes moth
ing better than to be photographed that
way.
Th. Thirteenth regiment possesses
something unique in the way of dogs
"Flossie" is her name. .Flossie" is .
long, wigg!y dog, much smaller than
Curly" or "Jo," and anyone on firsi
sight of her is apt TO exclaim: That's
the queerest looking dog ever saw!'
But that is before having seen Spot
"Flossie" is ''Spot's" mamma; his papa
Is dog which also belongs to the regi-
ment. but was left behi.d. This dog.
mother ("Spot's" grandmother died
while he was an infant. At this critical
juncture he would have perished had
not d motherly cat come to the rescue
and reared him. "Spot" has certainly
Inherited some of his leading character
istics.
Now il does seem that nothing more
freakish could possibly exist than
"Spot" until soldier comes up with
PATSY" PATSY" mas been with the
regiment IA years and has gone with it
everywhere. PATSY" resembles pig
and no other animal OF any species.
probably, ever had such tail! 1t i.
really surprise to hear Patsy" bark
instead Of squeaA While these three
dogs certainly stand head and tail be.
yonc all others in regard to the pecul
iarity of their physical features, the
most intellectual dog of which the regi-
ment boasted has been left behind in
New York. This is "Sneezer," the prop
erty Of the bugler. "Sneezer' is two
years old. When asked his name he
sneezes. He stands upon his hind legs
and salutes and goes through other mil
itary motions, just like the men. His
proud master carries about tintype OF
'Sneezer" to show inquiring friends.
and this picture shows veritable mon
grel, but one not calculated TO attract
particular attention at Barnum's or
Buffalo Bilrs, as "Flossie," ''Spot," and
PATSY" would. |,
1t seems that the Thirteenth regiment
vas at Seagirt last year at the same I
time as the militia, and, to the intense
lisgust Of the soldiers (whose contempt
Tor the militia is amusing to witness), {,
some of the militia tried to steal ''Flos-
iie." Never was kings treasure more
or zealously guarded. and I
'flossie" was saved.
They say that love begets love. The 1
logs are devoted to the soldiers because I
he soldiers are so absolately devoted to
hem. 1t is more than amusing, 1t is
ouching, to see them together, and /,
rom the close companionship the dogs /,
eem to take on the nature of the men. Z
they are soldiers straight through. and
I has been proved. when taken from the
or the camps, from their war Z
ior friends and from The sound Of
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