The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-10-08
Civil War Stories

howl beganY'
Il can," said DR.. Carlson, one of a
party Of six In a game of clnch.
Then DR.. Carlson told story that
will interest all classes of readers, be-
cause stories about army pets never
fail to interest.
Our regiment was camped at Pine
Hill, Ark, for long time. One day
there marched into our regiment a
peculiar looking dog, cross between
gray and brown, with very large ears
that hung down like a hounds, large
limbs and a head unlike a hounds,
but with bay that was houndish. AT
once it became a pet. One morning
our pet showed us nest Of puppies.
The news of the event went through
the brigade within an hour, and hun
dreds OF the boys dropped around to
see and welcome the newcomers. For
one reason or another, probably be-
cause the little fellows were handled
and petted so much, all but one of
them died within a month. Not long
after that. not seeing the mother max
ing the rounds of the tents on her GUS
tomary morning calls, one of the boys
went to dog headquarters and saw
the surviving puppy sitting on his
launches mournfully whining and
! looking at it's motionless mother.
"Our company pet was dead.
THAT afternoon the dog was given
suitable military burial and We
turned our undivided attention to
bringing up the puppy. 1t was taken
into one of the tents and cared for as
tenderly as q mother-would care for
her baby. 1t was necessary to keep n
constant supply of milk. Milk was not
an army ration. We had plenty of the
condensed sort, but the surgeon said
that that would soon make the little
one join his mother, brothers and sis
tiers, so one of our company volunteer
ed to forage for milk. Stringing on
was gone two hours, and when he
came back he had plenty Of milk, but
had had to travel, going and coming,
over four miles. Every drop Of that
precious milk was saved for the young
dog. The little fellow thrlved. There
! was no lack of volunteers to go in
| search of milk. He was well fed on
that ration until he was large enough
to feed on army rations, like the rest
of us, and then he was constantly in
danger of being overfed.
when six weeks or two months old
it was decided to give the new pet a
name. All Of the regimental geniuses,
and we had our full quota of them,
were invited to the tent where the dog
was an honored guest, and the matter
OF name was animatedly discussed.
One of them wanted to call him Gov
ernor. That proposition was quickly
abandoned when a Pewaukee member
said: For heavens sake, don't do
that; he might turn out as worthless
as some governors
what do you say to calling him
Generaly said a town of Vernon ran.
'''There Is the same objection to
that as there was to his being called
] Governor, 1t seems to me- said the old
man.
arkansas was proposed. Not by a
blank sight, said John Carrier. If
he is given the name of a state 1t shall
be a union, not a rebel State
I'VE had visitor from Company r
| pn1a 10
to suggest name. Call him Calam-
ity.'
"a little further discussion, and II
was agreed that that should be his
name, and from that day to this the
Twenty-eighth's pet dog has been call
ed Calamity Like his mother, he
became a large, awkward, good-na-
tured, serviceable animal. He was
perfectly at home with any man in
the Twenty-eighth, and friendly with
every man i'm the brigade, from the
general commanding to the kicking
| cook.
Calamity was more than an orna-
ment and a plaything. We found him
very useful during the balance Of the
war, particularly when meat rations
were short 1t seemed to be as nat
ural for Calamity to catch pigs as
it is for a water spaniel to swim.
Ion march our boys were supplied
with fresh pork through the energy,
skill and generosity of Calamity He
had his preference In the matter of
breed. The razorback species were
'Calamltys' special delight. This breed
of swine ran wild in portions of Ark
ansas. Whenever we reached piece
Of timber Calamity would trot along
the line with knowing look and a
dog laugh for the men, and then sud
denly dart out into the woods. The
next news we had from Calamity was
q squeal from raZOr-back, and that
was the signal for an outburst from
all Of the men who heard It, II the
game was not too old and ugly Gala n
ity' had comparatively little difficulty
I'm conducting 1t to the neighborhood of
the marching line, when a glistening
] pd.Out Was ltduy W give OdldIully
lift. If 1t was large, ugly beast the
squeal grew less plain or remained
stationary. In either case, unless the
officers were unnecessarily watchful,
you could see from one to dozen men
drop out of the line and run in the
direction Of the noise, and when they
rejoined us it was with cutup razor,
back, and Calamity very weary but
with the same old glad smile.
'IIe fought until the end of the war
and grew more and more favorite
When news OF the surrender of Lee to
Grant reached us the command was
hilarious. Calamity was foremost IN
these demonstrations. When he wearied
Of short, sharp barks he sat up on his
launches and howled. l think Of Ca
lamity's' bowls in these times when GER
tain leaders Of certain political parties
sit on their launches and howl 'Calam-
fly. Calamity