Chickamauga, the Civil War Cat
(With a respectful nod to T.S. Eliot)

You've surely heard tales back from the Civil War
Of a regiment's dog or a general's horse,
But history knows only one tale like that
Of a brave bold and daring Civil War Cat.
Such a ballade will be kept over time
And retold as the family grows older:
We were the only folks in the South or the North
Whose kitty had gone for a soldier!

When leading a charge, Chickamauga had prowess
Made a Bull Run as if chasing a mouse,
Drove her opponents back through the hills
At Gettysburg, Antietam, and Chancellorsville.
She broke through the line of besieged Petersburg,
In the Wilderness she led attacks from the trees,
Kept up a war yowl through the whole Seven Days,
And had other key roles in all victories.

Chickamauga's spent time in elite company
WIth illustrious heroes like Grant and like Lee.
(Seldom do history books record that
Lee's army ate worse than what Lee fed his cat.)
She purred in McClellan's lap as he worked,
Accompanied Beauregard on coffee break,
Watched Stuart's hat and played with the plume,
And hissed at Burnside when he made mistakes.

She was also a hit with the soldiers at arms,
For many had Cats in their homes, on their farms.
She helped boost morale with her drumbeat-like purr
And to campfire songs, she knew all the words.
She patrolled every camp as a gifted late watch,
Was used as a swift courier for orders,
Had a photograph taken with the national flag,
Made a popular story for wartime reporters.

And on the day of the final surrender
Chickamauga was a furry messenger.
She carried the papers, as both sides' friend,
Keeping her duty, enforcing amends.
And thus is how this Cat will be known
As time makes all legends grow bolder,
Which makes her family and country proud
To say Kitty has gone for a soldier!