Civil War Animals & Mascots

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Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
In this area CWRTs are starting back up in September. Bea Friedlander will start the programs at the Ann Arbor Civil War Round Table with her presentation Civil War Animals & Mascots. Today she did a warm up presentation at a local library on the same topic.

Should I take notes and post something after I get home on Monday night?
 
It sounds interesting to me, and I am sure others might to hear some of her thoughts on the subject. It is something I personally would like to hear.
 
Will I hear about Abe the War Eagle? One Michigan unit had a cat mascot. A mean old cat as a mascot was sure to put fear into the enemy.
 
Thinking oF mascots, here are a couple college mascots that put fear into their opponents. Not sure if a Fighting Pickle or a Fighting Artichoke is the most scary to an opponent. At least the Artichoke has on boxing gloves while the Pickle using a paint brush as a sword?

macot 2.jpg
 
They are really getting far out on a limb with these mascots. Just too strange. I was thinking about my college team, and I can't even remember the team now. The other college changed it's name to avoid any potential conflicts.
 
Just got back from the one hour presentation Animals and the Civil War: Beyond Old Abe and Traveler given by Beatrice M. Friedlander so now I know everything about the subject. Well maybe not "everything".

A couple of points:
1. Some slave cabins had cat entry holes cut in the cabin doors so the slave's cat could come and go.
2. The 104th Ohio Infantry was called the Barking Dog" regiment.
3. General Meade's horse Old Baldy had his head mounted on a plaque in a GAR museum in Philadelphia.
4. Jack the dog the mascot of the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry was captured twice. Once the Confederates exchanged Jack for a Confederate prisoner.
 
Next question is about the Charge of the Mule Brigade at Chattanooga. Was there really a request to have the Charge of the Mule Brigade at Chattanooga mules promoted to the rank of brevet horses?
 
It was claimed to be a true incident that happened towards the end of the Battle of Wauhatchie, when a large group of mules accidently broke loose from their skinner and ran headlong into the Confederate Lines manned by troops under General Evander Law. No one is even sure if it really happened, Grant said it did in an article appearing in Battles and Leaders.
 
New entry to an old thread!

I receive a newsletter that has just posted an article about "Old Abe," a bald eagle that accompanied the 8th Wisconsin Infantry through 37 battles. According to the article, " Legend has that he was often released to fly screaming above battlefields, striking terror in Confederate combatants." The entire article--which isn't long--is at https://www.atlasobscura.com/places...-67399141&mc_cid=8cee06dc27&mc_eid=1aad0be064
 
I found this one the other day online. It was identified as a Confederate soldier and his dog. I would say it is about the time of the war, but it is probably a bird hunter and his dog. Either way, I like the image.

View attachment 371179
At a guess, I'd say that it's a springer spaniel. Today they have longer hair but that head coloring is exactly right. They were used as bird dogs and were preferred to the setters because of their (the springer's) soft mouth. They have wonderful temperaments and are certainly not couch potatoes! The tongue out may indicate that the dog is a bit uneasy about having a camera aimed at him--but you can see how loyally he is staying by his person.
 
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