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.”
