Dogs & Other Mascots of the Civil War

dawna

First Sergeant
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"Sallie," a brindle Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was the regimental mascot for the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Given to 1st Lt William R. Terry as a four-week old puppy, Sallie grew up among the men of the regiment. Sallie followed the men on marches and to the battlefield. At the Battle of Gettysburg, the dog got separated from the unit. Unable to find her way, Sallie returned to the Union battle line at Oak Ridge, where she stood guard over the dead and wounded. The dog continued her faithful service through February, 1865, when she was struck by a bullet to her head in the battle of Hatcher's Run, Virginia. She was buried on the field of battle. For her devotion to the men, Sallie is memorialized at the 11th Pennsylvania monument erected at Gettysburg.

One of the best-known dog mascots was "Jack," the brown and white bull terrier mascot of the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry. This unit of volunteer firemen claimed that Jack understood bugle calls and obeyed only the men of "his" regiment. Jack's career spanned nearly all the regiment's battles in Virginia and Maryland. The dog was present at the Wilderness campaigns, Spotsylvania, and the siege of Petersburg. After a battle he would seek out the dead and wounded of his regiment. Jack himself was wounded severely at Malvern Hill and was captured twice. The second time, he was exchanged for a Confederate soldier at Belle Isle. Jack disappeared shortly after being presented a silver collar purchased by his human comrades, an apparent victim of theft.

Other dog mascots were:

"Old Harvey" a white bulldog, mascot of the 104th Ohio, who served with distinction at Franklin. This unit also adopted a Newfoundland dog, a cat and a tamed raccoon as mascots.

"York" a setter, was the pet of Brig. Gen. Alexander S. Asboth and often accompanied his master into action.

"Major," a mutt for the 10th Maine, (later reorganized as the 29th Maine) had a habit of snapping at Confederate minie balls in flight. Unfortunately, he caught one and died. During engagements, "Major" would bark and growl ferociously until the battle was over.

The 69th New York used the Irish Wolfhound as the regimental mascot. The wolfhound is depicted on the regiment's coat of arms. Two Irish wolfhounds were adopted by the unit and were clad in green coats bearing the number "69" in gold letters. They would parade immediately to the rear of the Regimental Color Guard.

Company B, 28th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, had a dog "Calamity" that would assist the soldiers in foraging missions.

The roster of the 1st Maryland Artillery lists dog Grace as the Unit Mascot. Grace was killed in action.

Among the most notable Civil War mascots was "Old Abe" the war eagle. For 42 battles and skirmishes, he was the official mascot for Co. C, 8th Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers (The Eagle Regiment.) "Old Abe" was found as a young bird by Chippewa Indians in northern Wisconsin and sold to the McCann family as a pet. The family subsequently offered Old Abe to the regiment, which adopted him and swore him in as their mascot. They selected his name in honor of Abraham Lincoln. "Old Abe" participated in recruitment events, in marches and on parade sitting on a shield perch attached to a wooden pole. When the 8th Wisconsin went into battle, the bird would fly over the fighting and screech at the enemy. Confederates tried in vain to capture or kill "the Yankee Buzzard," knowing the demoralizing impact it would have on the regiment. The eagle participated in many public appearances and was a champion fundraiser for relief causes, such as the U.S. Sanitary Commission. Thousands of photographs of the bird were sold to raise money for soldier relief. "Old Abe" "retired" from active duty on September 28, 1864 when he was presented to the state of Wisconsin and was put on display in a cage in the state capital. In March 1881, "Old Abe" succumbed to smoke inhalation when the state capital caught on fire weeks earlier. State officials immediately had him stuffed and preserved and he went back on public display. A second fire destroyed the bird. A replica stands on display in the state capital as a memorial to the brave eagle.

The eagle, symbol of the Union, is represented frequently in battlefield statuary.

Gen. Robert E. Lee kept a hen as a pet and was rewarded with a egg laid under his cot each morning for his breakfast. The hen was displaced during the Gettysburg battle, causing much consternation until she was found. She was placed on the headquarters wagon for the retreat.

The 3rd Louisiana CSA, had a donkey in its midst. The donkey would push into the commander's tent and try to sleep with him, mistaking the officer for his original owner.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis's dog was also named Traveler.

The 12th Wisconsin Volunteers had a tame bear that marched with them all the way to Missouri.

The 2nd Rhode Island kept a sheep named Dick, who was taught tricks by the men. Dick was eventually sold to a butcher for $5 to buy food for the men.

The 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry had a badger as a mascot (The Badger State)

Soldiers of the Richmond Howitzers kept a number of gamecocks as pets. The Battalion also kept a dog, "Stonewall, " who was much admired by the artillerymen. Stonewall was given rides in the safety of a limber chest during battle. He was taught to attend roll call, sitting on his haunches in line.

The 43rd Mississippi Infantry kept a camel named Douglas, which was killed by a minie ball during the seige of Vicksburg,

Both the 12th Wisconsin and the 104th Pennsylvania kept tame raccoons as unit mascots.
 
The British 95th Regiment, later stylized as the Rifle Brigade, had a mascot dog. Appropriately, they named it Rifles and it cheerfully accompanied them into battle. The Brunswick Oels ate Rifles and the Brunswicks Oels was transferred out of the Light Division shortly afterwards.
 
On another note of "Old Abe", a professor at Carrol College, Lance Hertigan, whom has written many books on the Iron (aka-I-Run) brigade said that he recently heard that an antique collector had come across and eagle, same speciecs as Old Abe at a rummage sale. It had severly singed wings and beak, which led him to believe that the bird was indeed Old Abe the original. So, it is thought that maybe Old Abe is now someones "tophy" bird. So if anyone sees a charged eagle somewhere, let someone in Wisconsin know.

Jenna
 
Darn you Jenna. When I visited Gettysburg and saw the Monument to the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps, I couldn't help but smile and think "I-Run." Now, knock it off.
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Gary: LOL!!!!!! Expired Image Removed You had me worried there for a moment. I thought you were going to chew me out there by the first words that popped up on the message. My brother calls them that and to this instructors face! He loves to get a rile out of people who love the Iron Brigade. WE're allowed around here I guess, since we had 3 regiments in it, but never the less, that is what he calles them. Too funny that someone else out there has the same warped sence of humor!!
 
Jenna, the problem w/ I-Run nomicker for the Iron Brigade is that they didn't run real often, usually towards the battle.

An Iowa Regiment during the March to the Sea adopted a pair of infant twins, both former slaves that they found in a slaves cabin... the mother was hanging from a nearby tree (courtesy of Wheelers Cav). The two children were carried w/ the Regiment to the Sea and were then sent home to Davenport where both children grew up to marry and be solid members of the community.

Another Iowa Regiment adopted a baby they found in the hands of a dying mother recently freed from slavery. She begged the soldiers to take her baby to freedom. While they initially balked at the idea of hauling a baby w/ them through enemy territory they decided to do so... when they needed milk for the tiny little boy one industrious soldier got some from an officers mare. When an unsuspecting (and patently stupid) Georgian offered to pay $25 in CSA script for the baby the soldiers relieved the man of his money and used it to line the baby diaper, the mans coat, drawers and shirt were also "aquired" for the baby. His fancy watch was left him w/ the kind impression that if the 1st Sgt found him before that clock showed the next hour he would be cordially introduced to a tall tree and short rope. He wisely took his person from the area of the Regiment before they opted to take anything more than his clothes... Tragically, the baby died before he reached freedom. The soldiers buried him by the roadside carving a marker from a railroad tie they were preparing to burn. The then placed a US bent from railroad ties over the grave to honor their promise to the mother that the child would see freedom.

A temporary mascot for yet another Iowa Regiment was a 3-5 year old little white girl they named "Little Liberty." She was found abandoned in sharecroppers cabin near Dalton Ga. The Regiment kept her w/ them through the Atlanta Campaign. In one of Hoods attacks she was seen running up and down behind the earthworks cheering and laughing at the frightful roar of the musketry and Cannon. She was twice pulled down from the eartworks where she was trying to watch the battle. Finally, a Corporal grabbed her and took her to the rear of the Regiment placing her in the care of the chaplain... The Chaplain had her sent back to Iowa and away from the men when he learned the first words from her mouth were not what any would call lady like. Little Miss Liberty lived long in Iowa finaly dieing of Influenza around the turn of the century.

There are also stories of various former slaves being taken on as unofficial Unit mascots at least one marching in a Regimental Color Guard in the Grand review.

All above references are exerpted from letters I have read from Iowa soldiers of the Civil War.
 
WOW!!! Fantastic info there Shane! It just goes to show that not all mascots are animals! Oh how the infant that the men buried touched the heart. As a mother you never wish to see a child harmed or see one go so young. I realize it was common occurances during that time, but still tragic.

Thanks for sharing.
 
Grandfather wrote this about a mascot of the 7th Indiana Infantry, which took place in western Virginia during late September 1861.

"We took the Little Miami Rail Road that evening for Parkersburg where we arrived next morning, crossing the Ohio by ferry boat and embarked on the Baltimore Rail Road pulled by a Camelback engine, we passed through tunnel after tunnel.
We stopped up in the mountains, a man standing on a rock with a Newfoundland dog by his looking at us. The boys called the dog down to the train and coaxed him on to the train and took him along. That dog became our mascot and became a favorite with not only our regiment but with the others in the command. We were out on brigade drill and the dog was playfully jumping up at the Major's horse's nose. The Major pulled his pistol and shot the dog. The 7th Ohio yelled, "Shoot the son of a gun!" The colonel told the Major to go to his quarters, he left us and we elected another major."

Cap'n Dan
gSUVCW

"Civil War, if it can be called a civil war."
grandfather, John Nelson Hubbard, Private, Company A, 7th Indiana Infantry
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Warming account.

The famed 1st Maryland Regiment had a Hound mascot. On the 3rd day of the Gettysburg at Culps Hill, the first Maryland made a grand charge apon the federal defenders but were repulsed. When the smoke cleared 31 rebels and a Hound layed dead at the front of the federal men. I thought i would share that interresting account!
 
It is an interesting account Waylon...thank you for sharing. Being an animal lover, I truly enjoy hearing about the brave mascots of the CW, but I'm also horrified at the sheer numbers of animals (mainly horses) that were killled during this four year struggle.

Dawna

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." ~Churchill~
 
The unit I fell in with at the Shiloh 150th reenactment had a musician with a Newfoundland dog. Typically, pets aren't allowed at reenactments, but he was able to document that there was such a dog as a mascot during the war and had special permission from the organizers to keep him in camp and take him out for the scenarios. You can see him in the group picture below sitting between his owner and the lady in the middle. He remained remarkably calm on the battlefield, even with all the cannons and muskets blazing away. (I'm on the far right in the row that's sitting in front, but the dog is much better looking.)

1st US at Shilo_v2.jpg
 
It wasn't during the CW, but my favorite story of a horse is that of "Sergeant Reckless," who served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, was officially promoted to sergeant and awarded numerous military decorations.
 
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