- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Location
- Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
Many regiments had canine mascots. One such was the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, know as the "Barking Dog" regiment for its canine mascots. One of their favorites was Harvey a bulldog who came to the regiment with his master Sergeant Daniel M. Stearns. Stearns and Harvey had earlier been with the Eighth Pennsylvania Reserve. Harvey had been to the Virginia Peninsula and been wounded there. In Nov, 1862 Sergeant Stearns had been promoted to second lieutenant and he had got Harvey a collar that read "I am Lieutenant D.M. Stearns' dog: whose dog are you?"
Harvey and the soldiers of the 104th spent a year in Kentucky and East Tennessee. They then spent summer of 1864 in the Atlanta campaign. On Kennesaw Mountain, Harvey was wounded and captured. He was returned under a flag of truce. After that he was the most honored pet in the regiment.
Harvey was at the Battle of Franklin and survived midst fierce fighting. In Jan., 1865 the 104th and Harvey went to North Carolina. After that Harvey's career is lost to history. His owner Lt. Stearns finished the war as a Captain of Company F. Later after the war, Stearns became insane, resulting in his confinement in an Insane Asylum in Ohio. He died there.
Harvey's picture was taken several times. One photo was taken by the Vick's Studio in Alliance. Ohio. It is thought this was taken about the time the regiment was mustered out of service. Another photo shows Harvey posed with the 104th's coronet band. It is supposed this photo was taken in Cleveland, Tennessee in May, 1864. Another photo shows members of the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry gathered for the group photograph at their 1866 reunion. They placed Harvey's picture in the front row. These photos can be seen at http://www.mahoningvalleycwrt.com/Member research/Harvey, Yankee War Dog.pdf
From: Harvey Yankee War Dog by Timothy R. Brookes
Harvey and the soldiers of the 104th spent a year in Kentucky and East Tennessee. They then spent summer of 1864 in the Atlanta campaign. On Kennesaw Mountain, Harvey was wounded and captured. He was returned under a flag of truce. After that he was the most honored pet in the regiment.
Harvey was at the Battle of Franklin and survived midst fierce fighting. In Jan., 1865 the 104th and Harvey went to North Carolina. After that Harvey's career is lost to history. His owner Lt. Stearns finished the war as a Captain of Company F. Later after the war, Stearns became insane, resulting in his confinement in an Insane Asylum in Ohio. He died there.
Harvey's picture was taken several times. One photo was taken by the Vick's Studio in Alliance. Ohio. It is thought this was taken about the time the regiment was mustered out of service. Another photo shows Harvey posed with the 104th's coronet band. It is supposed this photo was taken in Cleveland, Tennessee in May, 1864. Another photo shows members of the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry gathered for the group photograph at their 1866 reunion. They placed Harvey's picture in the front row. These photos can be seen at http://www.mahoningvalleycwrt.com/Member research/Harvey, Yankee War Dog.pdf
From: Harvey Yankee War Dog by Timothy R. Brookes