Save the cat!

[major bill]

Detroit Advertiser and Tribune, 6 Sept. 1862.

"Amongst the institute of the twenty-second Regiment is a cat, which on the day the colonel's tent was pitched, entered it, and although repeatedly driven away, it invariably returned. The boys of the 22d look upon it as a good omen, and accordingly brought it up and took it to the war. The swear that their banner and their cat shall never fall."

 

[RobertP]

Tucker likes this and says I told you so!

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

A cat is an odd mascot, too because they don't tend to follow along like dogs do, right? Must have been a great cat, deciding these were his people- The End. Love to find more of the story somewhere!

 

[donna]

Be nice if there was a picture of the cat and if they gave the cat a name.

Robert P Sounds like a Tucker kind of story.

 

[RobertP]

A cat is an odd mascot, too because they don't tend to follow along like dogs do, right? Must have been a great cat, deciding these were his people- The End. Love to find more of the story somewhere!

Before Tucker we had a beautiful grey and white cat named Lucibelle. She was a young stray and very hungry when she showed up at the door one cold March day, and was always very grateful and protective. Lucy moved with us to Texas and when we would walk down the sidewalk in the neighborhood she 'd follow along through the yards yowling and wouldn't stop until we got back close to our house. We figured that she was trying to tell us it was dangerous out there and you need to stay close to home.

 

[RobertP]

Be nice if there was a picture of the cat and if they gave the cat a name.

Robert P Sounds like a Tucker kind of story.

Hi Donna. Read my reply to JPK, it's more of a Lucibelle kind of story. Tucker was sort of a fraidy cat when he left his territory. He's supervised in the backyard now. Lucibelle was fearless.

 

[donna]

I guess Tucker is a House Cat. He knows he has it good.

 

[RobertP]

I guess Tucker is a House Cat. He knows he has it good.

He landed in butter for sure!

 

[Chattahooch33]

A cat is an odd mascot, too because they don't tend to follow along like dogs do, right? Must have been a great cat, deciding these were his people- The End. Love to find more of the story somewhere!

I'm not a cat person (only because I've never had one) but wouldn't it follow whoever fed it the most?

 

[rhettbutler1865]

I'm not a cat person (only because I've never had one) but wouldn't it follow whoever fed it the most?

I've always had Golden Retrievers (8 of them--2 at a time), but I did have a cat--Chelsea. She ate with the dogs, slept with the dogs, would come when called,,,was more a dog than cat. Even her "meow" wasn't a soft, gentle utterance, but a sort of "AAARRR!" For 20 years I had to listen to that!

 

[RobertP]

I'm not a cat person (only because I've never had one) but wouldn't it follow whoever fed it the most?

Not Tucker. He'd stay with whoever had the softest duvet on their bed.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

I'm not a cat person (only because I've never had one) but wouldn't it follow whoever fed it the most?

I must admit--my cat did earn her keep. She'd lay mice in a row (honestly) on my doorstep almost every day.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

Tucker likes this and says I told you so!

"Tucker" as in Confederate Tucker?

 

[donna]

I am not a cat person either. Always had dogs. But I know I could love Tucker. He is a great cat from what RobertP writes. Always like Garfield the cat too.

My Granny always kept a cat on the farm. he was quite a mouser. Always bringing them up to house from the barn.

 

[major bill]

I doubt my cat would go to war withe me.

 

[major bill]

She is not particularly courageous

.

 

[Tom Elmore]

On the afternoon of the second day of the battle of Gettysburg, Henry Blake of the 11th Massachusetts was lying down with his comrades along the Emmitsburg Road, just opposite the Rogers house, awaiting the Confederate advance. During the preliminary artillery bombardment, a kitten appeared, jumped upon the back of one of the soldiers, and began to mew piteously. This is the only Civil War cat story that I know. Apparently that's because cats must have sense enough to find a secure hiding place during a fight. Dogs, not so much.

 

[Allie]

My cat is not in the least afraid of fireworks or thunder but every time someone fires any sort of gun in the neighborhood he growls and his hair stands up. How does he know what those sounds signify? We've owned him since he was a kitten and he's never even been in the same room with a gun since we don't own one at present. I don't think he's reading the behavior of the humans because my husband and I mostly shrug and make a mental note of the time when we hear gunfire, in case it turns out to be important later.

Cats are more territorial than loyal to individual people. Taking one on a trip with an army sounds like an iffy proposition. It may have stayed during the time the army was encamped then promptly returned to the place when the army moved on.

 

[RobertP]

Donna said:

I guess Tucker is a House Cat. He knows he has it good.

Donna, when Tucker was little we lived in a house with a wrap - around porch and most every day an old, large, white longhair from 3 doors down would amble over to visit. Tuck always napped on the window seat of a dormer window upstairs so when the other cat showed up on the porch we'd yell Snowball's here! Immediately Tucker would run down the stairs to the door for play time. He was just like a child. After a while Snowball would get a little rough with the much smaller Tucker and he'd want back in, but do it all over again the next day. It went on for a couple of years. He's been a very unusual cat.

 

[hanna260]

D'awww. I love cats and cat stories especially since my mother's allergic and we can't have any- and I'm beginning to fall a little bit in love with Tucker. @RobertP, you have a very handsome, adorable, and personable cat!