More Mascots-- Part 5: Sheep, Chickens, Badgers and Cats

DICK the SHEEP--  The 2nd Rhode Island Infantry Regiment had a sheep named Dick and taught him all manner of tricks.  But, upon reaching Washington, D.C., they had a hard decision to make.

According to Captain Elisha Hunt Rhodes:  "We took our pet sheep  with us, but upon reaching Washington, the field and staff officers found themselves without money, so we sacrificed our sentiment  and sold poor Dick to a butcher for $5.00  and invested the proceeds of the sale in Bologna sausage."

DICK the CHICKEN of the 96th Ohio.

The 26th Wisconsin had a badger as a mascot and others as well.

Cats were more commonly found as mascots in forts, prisons and ships.

--Old Secesh

More Mascots-- Part 4: About Old Douglas, the Camel

Company B of the 43rd Mississippi has a camel named Old Douglas.  Though, I saw it was Co. A in several sources.  He even has a Wikipedia page.  And, one of those government-issue grave stones.  Because of him, the 43rd became known as "The Camel Regiment."

According to the Wiki article,he was from Jefferson Davis' (while U.S. Secretary of War) plan to use camels in the southwest instead of horses, so he had two Confederate connections.

During the war, he was assigned to the regimental band and carried instruments.  The men tried to treat him like a horse, but Old Douglas could break any tether, so they just let him graze freely.  He participated in the Battle of Corinth and was killed by Union sharpshooters at the Siege of Vicksburg.

He has his own grave at  Vicksburg's Cedar Hill Cemetery.

--Old Secesh

More Mascots-- Part 3: Then There Was Bruin the Bear of the 12th Wisconsin

The Confederates had dogs as mascots as well.  But, there were not too many Navy dogs.

Bruin the Bear was with the 12th Wisconsin.  The bear was about one third grown when he joined Company E and was housed in a large crate at Camp Randall during training and kept on a long rope which allowed him to climb up to a 12-foot perch.

When the regiment left for the South in January 1862, the bear boarded the train with his comrades.  When they had to move between train stations, the bear would be at the head of the the column.  In Quincy, Illinois, the bear was perfectly comfortable sleeping in the snow while his comrades shivered the night away.

When they reached St. Joseph, Missouri, he was quite the target of attention from local slaves.

But, because they were going to march to Texas, the bear was sold in Leavenworth, Kansas, and that was the last known for him.

--Old Secesh

More Mascots-- Part 3: "The Barking Dog Regiment" from Ohio, Custer and Jack of the 102nd Pa.

The 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry became known as the "Barking Dog Regiment" because of its mascot named Harvey.  He was one of three dogs the regiment had, but served the longest.  He would bark at the enemy and was wounded at least twice.

The first time he was wounded, he was also captured, but returned the next day under a flag of truce.

**************************

George Custer was rarely without a dog during and after the war.

**************************

The 102nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry had Jack.  Many of the regiment came from Pittsburgh and one company had men from a local fire department who had Jack before the war.  When they enlisted, Jack went along with them in 1861 and served until 1864.

Jack was in many battles and skirmishes and would run to the front and along the lines.   He twice received wounds.  The first time was a serious one at the Battle of Malvern Hill, but medics were able to save him.  The other time was at Fredericksburg.  And, he was captured twice.  The first time he escaped six hours later.  The second time, he was exchanged for a Confederate prisoner.

--Old Secesh

More Civil War Mascots-- Part 2: Sallie of the 11th Pennsylvania

By far, the biggest number of mascots in either Army during the war were dogs.  Lots and lots of dogs.  Hey, dogs don't require much in the way of care and are loyal, somewhat obedient, except around food.

They accompanied their men on the march and usually stayed in camp during fighting, though some went right out on the battlefield and were in the thick of the action.

One famous dog was Sallie of the 11th Pennsylvania, who had four litters of puppies during the war.  She was in the thick of fighting until killed by a bullet on February 6, 1865, at the Battle of Hatcher's Run.

She was an American Staffordshire Terrier and adopted quickly to the military life, joining her soldiers at drill and at least twice in front of President Lincoln.  On the first day of Gettysburg, she became separated from her soldiers during the retreat to Cemetery Hill and she was feared killed, but was found days later still guarding her wounded and dead companions.

A statue of her graces the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment's memorial at the Battle of Gettysburg.

--Old PettheDog

Old Abe and Friends-- Part 2: A Dog's Best Friend at the MCCWRT

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

I re-enlisted for two more years of McHenry County Civil War Round Table membership for $50.

This is our first meeting since November.  December was our annual Christmas party and then we go into two months of winter quarters in January and February before renewing active campaigning this month.

We're not sure about future meetings because of you-know-what these days.  Hopefully the April meeting will take place as scheduled.

Tonight's speaker was Jan Rasmussen on "Old Abe and Friends:  Civil War Mascots."  She says she comes by this interest naturally because she is a veterinarian technician.

Mascots are important to soldiers because they inspire loyalty.  Dogs were by far the most common Civil War mascots.  They are loyal as we know, but I'm sure also reminded the soldiers of home in more pleasant times.

But, along with dogs, there were also cats, squirrels and a pelican and a camel among many others.  And then, there was probably the very best-known mascot of them all, and that would be Old Abe, the War Eagle.

And Jan knew a whole lot about a whole lot of them.

Screechin' and Howlin'.  --Old Secesh

McHenry County Civil War Round Table Meets Tuesday, March 10: Of Birds and Dogs

The McHenry County (Illinois)  Civil War Round Table (MCCWRT) meets this Tuesday at the Woodstock Public Library, 414 West Judd Street, a couple blocks off the famous Woodstock Square where much of the famous "Groundhog Day" movie was filmed.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m..

This month's speaker is Jan Rasmussen, who will speak about the Birds and the Dogs of War, "Old Abe and Friends:  Civil War Mascots."

Everyone with an interest in history is invited.

Bark, Bark.  --Old Secesh

Jayhawks and Tigers, Oh My!! The Civil War Connection-- Part 2: Those Missouri Tigers

In the 1860s, Missouri, like Kansas, was a border state with divided loyalties.  It started the war as a slave state, but as the war ended, the Union cause had taken over.

Pro-Confederacy forces launched guerrilla-style fighting against Union forces and small towns formed "Home Guards"  to protect themselves from these incursions.Columbia's "Home Guard" named themselves the Tigers and when the football team formed in 1890, they adopted the Civil War defenders name.

Later in 1984, the University of Missouri cheerleaders held a contest to name their mascot, and the Missouri tiger was officially named "Truman" after the famous Missourian, President Harry S. Truman.

Howdy Truman.  --Old SeceshTiger

Confederate Legacy at Ole Miss

From the December 12, 2012, Jackson (Ms) Free Press "Rebel Land: a Racial History of Oxford and Ole Miss" by R.L. Nave.

The Lyceum is University of Mississippi's main administration building and was built in 1848.  During the Civil War it was a Confederate hospital.

The controversial Colonel Reb mascot was dropped in 2003.

And, I'm Still Not Happy.  --Old Secesh

The Rooster Who Went to War and Camp Douglas-- Part 2

OK, so Jake Donelson survived the Yankees up north in Chicago as well as hungry Confederate prisoners. Now he's back in the South, in Mississippi. His owner, Jerome McCanless had an itinerant artist paint his portrait. Jake returned to the McCanless household in Cornersville, his war days over. He died peacefully in 1864 and was given a military burial.

His owner continued to fight and took part in the actions at Vicksburg, Atlanta, Nashville and surrendered in North Carolina with Johnston's Army. He died in 1906 and reportedly often brought his portrait of Jake along with him to Confederate reunions.

The exact location of Jake Donelson's grave is not known, but his story will be on one of the four Civil War Trails plaques to be erected in Marshall County.

A Real Fighter, That Rooster. --Old B-Runner

The Rooster Who Went to War and Camp Douglas-- Part 1

From the August 5th Marshall County (Tn) Tribune "Civil War rooster's portrait to be displayed" by Karen Hall.

George F. McCanless, the great-great nephew of the man who bought the rooster named Jake Donelson, will speak to the local historical society this Sunday about the bird and show a painting of it.

The account was first published in the April 1862 issue of the Civil War Times.

Company H, 3rd Tennessee regiment organized at Cornersville, Tennessee in the spring of 1861. One of its lieutenants, Jerome B. McCanless, while the group was training at Camp Cheatham, boght some chickens to eat from a local farmer. One was a young red rooster, who they noted was a really good fighter which saved him from being eaten.

They name him Jake and he fought rival companies' roosters with great success. The bird traveled with the company to its deployments and was captured along with the regiment by Union General U.S. Grant at Fort Donelson on February 16, 1862.

The Union soldiers didn't eat Jake, who became known as Jake Donelson, and he accompanied the prisoners to Camp Douglas in Chicago where he survived seven months incarceration, especially something considering the lack of food the Confederates received. That must have been some bird.

Jake and the soldiers were exchanged at Vicksburg, Mississippi.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner