General George Patton is a popular topic for many dog writers because this colorful person personified the gruff, grumpy-man with a soft spot for his dogs. His association with Bull Terriers is well known, and some “dog nerds” even know that from 1933 to 1935, George S. Patton, a colonel at the time, was the Master of the Cobbler Hunt pack. We’d like to flesh out his time in the Blue Ridge Mountains a little more than we have thus far.
Being MFH (Master of Foxhounds) for the Cobbler Harriers was not the first time Patton had served in that capacity. He was MFH at Fort Riley in 1912, and years later when he was stationed at Fort Meyer in Arlington County, Virginia, Patton and his wife Beatrice joined the Cobbler Hunt. It wasn’t long before he was asked to fill those boots again. Family legend has it that he accepted on one condition: That he be allowed to invite young lieutenants from Fort Meyer to hunt.
Why did he care?
Because back in the day, military officers were considered to be gentlemen, which is to say they put great personal value on honor, courage, and chivalry. Indeed, graduates of West Point (of which Patton, himself, was one), having been trained in the arts required of gentlemen, were automatically deemed gentlemen by an act of Congress (you’ve heard the phrase, “An Officer And A Gentleman?” It can be traced to Article 133 of the UCMJ, entitled “Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman” which itself has its origins in the British Articles of War and the Articles of War of James II in 1688. In English and European military systems of the 18th and 19th centuries, officers were aristocratic “gentlemen” and ranked members of society. The evolution of the phrase – and especially once females were admitted to the military – can be read in detail here. At this point, we return to General Patton who felt that young lieutenants being groomed for service as aides-de-camp should know their way around the gentleman’s sport of foxhunting.
Patton kept diaries from 1910 to 1945, and you can read his entries during his time as a Master of Hounds here, a treat for Foxhound and Harrier owners who can read them in his own words. Though some sources write that the last registered traditional pack of Harriers in the United States was disbanded about 1970, the Kingsbury Harriers started in 1993 and registered with the National Beagle Club (not the MFHA as the National Beagle Club registers all packs of hare-hunting hounds) continues to this day.
“Old Blood-and-Guts” as his men called him secretly, was not without controversy or faults, and you can read about them here, but that he had legions of admirers was evident in the fact that his grave had to be moved twice because so many well-wishers tore up cemetery grounds as they made their way to his grave. This must read article on his passing includes remarkable photos which include an image of a group of rabbis, still dressed in their concentration camp uniforms, who offered prayers at General Patton’s grave.
We conclude with a famous quote that many people don’t realize originated with Patton, and it is the title to this post. The original quote, however is actually: “Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.“
Image: Frame Lithograph of a Hounds at Rest by Thomas Blinks is offered for purchase by
An Officer And A Gentleman, Harrier, Master of Hounds, George Patton, foxhunt, Master of Foxhounds