The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-21
THE HORSE IN WAR
Bits of His Life Portrayed by Blue
Cross Worker


Early in the retreat from Mons a |
shell crashed right into the midst of
the section with which / was moving.
Our gun was wrecked and the driver
in front was blown to bits. AS
mounted fresh horse I turned and
saw my two other horses struggling
and kicking on the ground to free
themselves, but was unable to go
back and help them. My feelings
were indescribable. A French chas-
seur dashed up and cut the traces,
and although their driver was a long
way off, the horses galloped after
him, and followed him for four days.
They were not needed, but they kept
their places in the line like trained
soldiers.
After every engagement at the
front riderless horses are always
rounded up and brought in. Often
they are found near their dead mas
tiers, !. or following other riders. 1t
was one of the Coldstream Guards
who told how, after the fierce fight
ing at Loos, a horse was seen stand
ing between the firing lines. For
two whole days he remained there,
when some of our men crawled out
and found he was standing by the
side of the dead body of his rider, the
horse himself unframed. 1t was
with difficulty he was induced to
kleave the spot, and only by blind
folding him could he be persuaded to
leave his dead master and return to
the British lines.
During the many visits I have paid
to the hospitals at the front I heard
several remarkable stories of the
faithfulness, sagacity, and tenacity of
our army horses.
Many of them, said an officer to
me, shave very retentive memories
and display great aversion to go near
or pass any point where they have
been frightened or injured. A very
striking instance of this came under
my personal observation just before
our great offensive at - ----. Be
| ing in want of fresh mount, I had
acquired one from brother officer
who was returning to England suf-
! fering from shell shock. He assured
me that l could have no better char
ger on which to ride forward whom
we advanced AS strong and brave
as a lion, yet as mild and obedient as
lamb when answering the reins, an
absolutely trustworthy steed, were
the owners words as we concluded
our bargain. And, truth to tell, ]
found nothing to complain of in the
behavior of that mare until one after
noon when riding out of the ruined
village of --- in Flanders,
came to a long road where, but a
short time before, there had been a
beautiful avenue of poplars, now
mere stumps.
l had no sooner got half way down
than my horse stood stock still, began
to tremble all over, and, with dilated
nostrils, refused to go a step further,
until I had applied the spurs. | put
this incident down to sudden cap
rice, and, forgiving her, dismissed it
from my mind. But when the same
thing happened again few days lat
er l made mental note of the fact,
and as soon as I got back from the
reconnaissance wrote to my friend.
His reply solved the mystery. "Poor
Dolly! I had no idea that she also
was suffering from shell shock" he
said, in substance. "But she's really
not as bad as her old master. The
fact of the matter is, it was on that
very avenue, near the village OF
-------, that the shell fell which
led to my return to Blighty. She
evidently remembers it as keenly as
I do. But take her anywhere else
than there, and I think you will find
she will behave like a thoroughbred
Ilady."-C. W. Forward (Blue Cross
worker) in Wide World Magazine.