One of my favourite historical episodes is the one of the American Civil War. Besides movies and books, I also read a lot of comic books about it. One of them is the Belgian comic ‘The Bluecoats’, which tells the story of two unlikely friends during their time as a soldier in the Union Army.
The reason I’m telling you this, is because of the last album of The bluecoats I read named ‘Sallie’, which was first published in 2018. It’s about a dog who fought with the Union Army as a true civil war canine mascot. Best part of this story of the civil war dog Sallie: it’s based on true events!
Who was the civil war dog Sallie?
We can talk about Sallie, the civil war canine, but let me introduce her to you with her full name: Sallie Ann Jarret.
She was named after the commanding officer of the regiment where she was the canine mascot: Colonel Phaon Jarret and after a local beauty: Sallie Ann.
She truly was a civil war dog. She joined soldiers during drills and marches while wearing the regiments colours. On the battlefield, she would guard wounded or dead soldiers.
What breed was the civil war dog Sallie?
This canine mascot was an American Stafford Terrier.
This type of dog is not what you would call big, but it’s strength outranges its size. Nonetheless, the American Stafford Terrier likes to be around humans.
It’s a breed of dog that likes to be active and puts its strength into fulfilling tasks. So no wonder that Sallie Ann Jarret became a civil war dog. There was enough guarding, defending and even attacking to do around the camps and on the battlefields.
To which regiment did Sallie the civil war dog belong to?
Sallie was the civil war mascot of the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry. (If you want to know more about US Army regiments, I also wrote an article about the 101st Airborne Easy Company and their World War 2 foxholes in Bastogne.
The 11th Pennsylvania was a regiment that was formed by volunteers. The regiment itself was brand new when they were gifted with the American Stafford Terrier puppy which they raised to be their canine mascot.
In which battles did Sallie the civil war dog fight?
It might seem remarkable, but the civil war dog Sallie fought in several major battles of the American Civil War like Gettysburg and Fredericksburg.
During the fights, she would bark and attack Confederate soldiers. She also got wounded several times and even carried a bullet in her body for several months before healing properly.
How did Sallie the civil war dog die?
In a tragic turn of events, after surviving some hazardous battles, Sallie Ann Jarret died in battle on February 6th, 1865. This happened only a few weeks before the end of the civil war.
She was killed instantly after being shot. As a tribute, her fellow regiment soldiers buried her on the battlefield where she deceased.
The statue of Sallie the civil war dog
In a well deserved honour for her companionship and bravery, Sallie Ann Jarett, the canine mascot, got her own statue.
You can find her statue on the base of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry monument near the Doubleday Avenue and Mummasburg Road in the northwest of Gettysburg.
The regiment veterans decided by themselves to add the dog to their own statue. They even left a gap in between them when the last veterans posed for a picture, as to make room for Sallie.
Further reading: Maus
When you are interested in historical comic books, I can sincerely advise you to read the graphic novel Maus.
Maus, written and drawn by Art Spiegelman, is the best graphic novel about the Second World War. This 3-part-comic is based on true events, because it tells you the family history of Art Spiegelman himself and his parents that were victims of the Holocaust/Shoa.
Source:
The Bluecoats website
Atlas Obscura
Picture American Stafford Terrier
Picture statue full
Picture statue detail
