The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-08-06
ARE QUICK TO LEARN
BUGLE CALLS BECOME FAMILIAR
TO ARTILLERY HORSES.
Respond to the Martial Summons as
Rapidly as Could Their Riders-
Evidence of Their InteIii-
Gence on Record.

Horses chosen for the military
service said an old artilleryman,
"show marvellous intelligence and
quickness in adapting themselves to
it's requirements Every artilleryman
knows that they learn the bugle calls
and the evolutions sooner, as a rule,
than the average recruit.
They quickly acquire uniform
gait, which is about the same as the
route step or usual marching step. It
the horses did not fall habitually into
the same gait as the infantry there
would be varying distances between
the different arms Of the service. IN
the drills in the artillery service the
horses viii preserve their alignment
as well as the infantry ranks.
1T is remarkable how quickly the
army horse learns the bugle calls and
their significance. Let the first note
of the feed or water call be sounded,
and instantly there Will be stamping.
kicking and neighing among the
horses, impatient fer that call to be
answered
Once during a storm at night in
our camp our horses were seized with
! such terror that those Of nearly every
| battery broke loose and went scatter
ing about il their fright. Next morn
ing there was a wild rush by the ar
! tillerymen to capture horses fer use.
| All was excitement, and the still
/ alarmed horses refused to be taken.
AN officer ordered the bugler to
! sound the feed call. He gave the call
and instantly horses from every direc-
ton came dashing in to that battery
and the equine discipline was soon
restored.
'<Then i: comes to battle the
trained army horse seems to know
everything that is going on and the
/ reason for it and does his duty nobly.
He enters into the spirit Of the fight
Like his human comrades.
"A horse in one OF our batteries
during the Murfreesboro fight was hit
by a piece Of shell which split his
skull. The driver turned him loose,
but he walked up to the side OF the
gun and watched the firing, and when
a ehot was fired would follow it with
his gaze. as if to note its effect On
the enemy. When a shell would
: burst near by he would turn his head
and lock at it.
when he saw the team he had
been working with up to the time o.
his wound driven back for q reneWa
CT ammunition for the battery he raI
TO his CID place and galloped bach
with The rest. When an officer pushet
him aside he gazed at tie new horse
c,,I -f-i| 1i.
eyes. Then he seemed to realize tha
: the glory Of battle was no more fo:
= him, and he walked lettering ava.
. and lay down and died. The men de
= claTad that it was a broken heart, no
!; his wound, that killed him.
I During a fierce charge of Confed
! crate cavalry at that battle Of Mu1
0 froesboro an officer was among tn
: killed i'll the charge and the cavalr,
: was driven back. The horse the OF
: fcer had ridden was q ragniflcen
= animal, and he had not been taught t
II retreat Piderless, he kept on hi
: way, and as he dashed through on
i battery the sight Of him was inde
scrihably grand.
His nostTils were extended wide
his eyes flashed and he clutched HI
. bit dotermin edly in his teeth as Il
( came on like the wind, his saddle flap
flying until it seemed as if he wer
himself flying instead Of madly rul
) ming. Every man gave him room q
, he dashed along. An officer shoute
} that he would give 500 to any on
) who would capture that superb an
] nal, but all seemed So hypnotized b
the sight Of the noble beast and h
{ riderless charge that no effort We
J made 10 stay him, and he sped on h
{ way, disappearing in the blue di
) tance.''