Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Civil War Oddities #117


Diaries and letters reveal that men in blue as well as men in gray spent time with pets to break the monotony of camp life. Many mongrel dogs were fed scraps, and several units adopted squirrels. One of them, owned by a drummer, is said to have learned to dance to the beat of its master’s instrument. Officers of a Minnesota outfit bragged to comrades that their mascot was a bear cub that “smelt powder in a dozen engagements before being sent home in good condition.”


No comments: