The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-07
Queer Pets of Soldiers.

Queer Pets of Soldiers.
The love of animals is national pas
sion among all the subjects of Queen
| Victoria, without distinction of age or
rank. 1t is manifested to such an ex-
tent among the soldiers of the British
regiments that, if the higher authori-
ties displayed less vigilance, all the
barracks of Great Britain, Ireland, and
India would soon be turned into menag-
cries.
1t may be difficult to understand why
the soldiers of the United Kingdom
take 80 much pleasure in training ami
male. Very likely men submitted to
rude discipline and obliged to lead a
life that knows no home feel the need
of having companions and pets from
the domestic Preside. To this perhaps
must be added considerations of another
and purely military kind. A young re-
cruit feels no desire to teach an animal,
but for an old soldier who has worn
the uniform for long time there is no
greater pleasure than the training of a
dog, a goat or a bear. The adoption
by the regiment of an animal carefully
trained and forming as it were part
of the troop presents feature in the
collective life of soldiers serving under
the same officers and under the same
colors.
According to universal legend
among sailors, every ship has q soul.
This fiction becomes a reality when we
speak of the soul of regiment. That
soul has its heroic qualities as we'll as
its little weaknesses. 1t lives not
alone in the glorious recollection of
battles, the names of which are written
upon the fag-it is also manifested in
all sorts of pets. Every English regi-
ment that respects itself must associate
it's destiny with some domestic or train
ed animal which in time of peace and
in time of war shares its fatigues, its
hardships and its exploits.
In the military annals of Great Brit
ain there are legions of heroic dogs.
Jack was under the walls of Sevastopol
with the Scots Guard. At Inkermann
he fought like lion, and was wounded
in the right fore foot. When he return
ed to England he received the Victoria
Cross and the Crimean medal.
In 1879, Bob, the famous dog of the
Seventh Battalion of the Royal Berk-
shire Regiment, went through the war
of Afghanistan and covered himself
with glory at the battle of Maiwand.
He was badly wounded in the back, but
with great medical care he was at last
cured. When he returned to the me-
| tropolis he trotted at the head of his
battalion under the eyes of the Queen,
who herself tied to his neck the medal
commemorative the campaign.
Tiny, who belonged to the engineers,
was wounded at the battle of Tel-el-
Kebir; he received the Egyptian medal
and the star of the Khedive, but it is
hardly necessary to add that the sover.
eign of the land of the Pharaos had
nothing to do with his decoration.
But these brilliant services did not
prevent the dogs from losing high favor
which they enjoyed formerly in the
British Army. Now they are out of
fashion, and the fancy of Queen Victo.
ria has contributed somewhat to re-
place them by goats. The Queen Of
fered a magnificent goat to the Argyll
and Sutherland Highlanders and a
white goat to each of the three battal-
ions of the Welsh regiment. Each of
these three Welsh goats was named
Taffy, and each wore the number of his
battalion. Agile, sober and easily fed,
these animals are able to endure all the
fatigues of a campaign, and the esprit
de corps is not wanting in them. During
the recent manGuvres Taffy III. knew
the difference between regular soldier
and volunteer, as the English call
their National Guard. Angered at the
appearance of those second rate SOL
diers, the goat never missed a chance
to make them feel their inferiority to
the regulars. He amused himself by
butting them and chasing them around.
Unfortunately Taffy was utterly want
ing in that most indispensable of mill
tary virtues, discipline. One day the
colonel, in full uniform, was talking
with his officers and was about to
mount his horse when the goat, without
any respect for the principles of mill
tary hierarchy, charged him and
stretched him at full length on the
ground. This outrage of course mer-
tied an exemplary punishment, but the
colonel could not very we'll make com.
plant against white goat, and espe.
cially one that wore upon his forehead
silver plate upon which was engraved
the following inscription: "Taffy, a gift
to the Third Battalion of the Welsh
Regiment by her Majesty the Queen,
1894"
Deer are also difficult to discipline
Mick, the name given to the deer OF
the Royal Scotch Fusileers during theil
stay in Ireland, was guilty on several
occasions of breaches of discipline. He
was rude with officers and soldiers, an6
loved to chase children, and fought fu
rious battles with dogs. Mackenzie
Ill, given by the Queen to the Sea
forth Highlands, was not fond of fun
He was a melancholy and somewhat
savage animal and very difficult to ap