Captured "Doggish-rebels" on Exhibit

[John Hartwell]

"Rebel dogs," captured during the Federal armies' advance, were sometimes taken North as trophies of war. Occasionally, they were even exhibited:

[Boston Ploughman and New England Journal of Agriculture, June 21, 1862]​

The next day's Evening Transcript further notes:

​

After the war, some more notorious "Rebel dogs" were widely exhibited, greatly to the profit of their "captors."

[Portland (Me.) Eastern Argus, Oct. 21, 1865]
​

 

[donna]

Those poor dogs. I sure hope they took care of them and were kind to them. Thanks for finding these articles. Great addition to the new forum.

 

[John Hartwell]

Read more about Hero, guard dog of Castle Thunder here: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/hero-also-known-as-nero-guard-dog-of-castle-thunder.133926/

In that advertisement at the end of Post #1, by the way, the dog Jack being exhibited with Hero, was NOT the Jack of Andersonville, as is asserted. Wirz' dog was also a huge beast, said to be seven feet long. The Jack displayed with Hero was quite another animal:

[Cleveland Leader, July 17, 1865]​

 

[donna]

Wirz had several types of dogs at Andersonville. One was "Spot" a Cuban Bloodhound. See his story at:

https://retrieverman.net/2011/08/o2/one-of-the-Cuban-bloodhounds

There are several Civil war dogs named Jack. I couldn't find the one that belonged to Wirz. If more info on him please post.

 

[John Hartwell]

There are several Civil war dogs named Jack. I couldn't find the one that belonged to Wirz. If more info on him please post.

My purpose was to point out that the link between the exhibited Jack and Andersonville was entirely fictitious. I had assumed that the advertisement was at least right in the existence of an Andersonville Jack, but, apparently they made that up, too. Just to make him a good exhibition companon for Hero.

One source says:
"At Andersonville Prison in Georgia, big dogs were put to work as prison dogs. This prison was run by Captain Henry Wirz. In A Civil War Scrapbook, Wirz called his dogs the "Hounds of Hell." Their job was to kill or severely injure prisoners trying to escape. One of his dogs was known to weigh 198 lbs. It was 38 inches tall and seven feet long. Wirz was later hanged in 1865 for the bad treatment and murder of prisoners at Andersonville. In the transcript of the trial of Henry Wirz, we learn how Wirz used dogs to capture and maim escaped prisoners during the Civil War: "I remember a man making his escape from the hospital in July, and being overtaken by the hounds; a large portion of his ear was torn off, and his face mangled." Wirz 5 starved the prisoners and gave the dogs prisoner rations. "They used to draw rations for these hounds at the bakery. They drew the bread which I supposed was cooked for the men inside; they issued for these hounds there about twenty-five or thirty loaves."

That, of course, is according to testimony from Wirz' trial, and may or may not be exaggerated.

 

[donna]

Thanks for additional info.

 

[donna]

Here is another thread with mention of Spot, the Cuban Bloodhound.