LoyaltyOfDogs.com

Do you know these dogs? Some Civil War dogs are famous, like Sallie at Gettysburg and Harvey of the 104th Ohio Volunteers. But others are less well-known. Some of their names have been lost to history; but even many of those memorable dogs appear in soldiers’ letters, diaries, and regimental histories. As we meet them, we’re sharing their stories at our LoyaltyOfDogs blog! http://loyaltyofdogs.wordpress.com. You can read about all three of these dogs there!

“A Comfort in Her Sorrow” - https://loyaltyofdogs.wordpress.com/2024/05/31/a-comfort-in-her-sorrow/

“Grace, A Loyal Confederate Mascot at Gettysburg” - https://loyaltyofdogs.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/grace-a-loyal-confederate-mascot-at-gettysburg/

“Fido, Drum Major of the 5th Massachusetts Volunteers” - https://loyaltyofdogs.wordpress.com/2017/11/10/fido-drum-major-of-the-5th-massachusetts-volunteers/

Friends and , have you seen these dogs! We'd bet you have! https://loyaltyofdogs.etsy.com/listing/4586819264

Your great-grandfather probably laughed at them too, long before you ever did! Cassius M. Coolidge painted his series of paintings titled "Dogs Playing Poker" in the 1890s and early 1900s for a cigar company's ad campaign. The achieved new popularity in the 1980s-90s when a New York company issued several of the scenes as a set of lithographic posters. We're pleased to have a lithograph of the most well-known scene available at our LoyaltyOfDogs Etsy shop! It's ready for framing and will make a great addition to your game room or den!

Dogs Playing Poker Poster - "a Friend in Need" - Cassius M. Coolidge - 9 3/8" X 13 3/4" - Etsy This Lithographs item is sold by LoyaltyOfDogs. Ships from Gettysburg, PA. Listed on Oct 1, 2026

This sweet old pup must have been greatly loved and fed lots of snacks! (Photo from eBay, via Pinterest)

We're willing to bet our friends and often feel a pang of sorrow when they have to leave their dogs behind. https://loyaltyofdogs.etsy.com/listing/4328435945 Neither Lincoln nor his beloved dog Fido could have known that when the President-elect and his family left Springfield, Illinois, for Washington, DC, in February 1861, it would be their final parting. We've imagined that day in our original Scherenschnitte silhouette scene, "Lincoln's Farewell to Fido." See our unique framed version at our LoyaltyOfDogs Etsy shop, where you can read Fido's poignant story. We have just one, a great gift for any dog-lover and Civil War history enthusiast!

Hello, friends and ! Can you tell what this soldier is doing on this bright and beautiful late summer morning? Or maybe what he thinks he's doing? Read "Canine Encounters of the Most Curious Kind" at the LoyaltyOfDogs blog, where we retell stories of Civil War dogs. Some are famous, like Sallie and Dog Jack, others nearly forgotten. As we meet them, we'll continue sharing their stories!
https://loyaltyofdogs.wordpress.com/2020/08/29/canine-encounters-of-the-most-curious-kind/

Friends and , do you know Roselle, one of the famous 9/11 hero dogs? Many may recall the dramatic photo of search dog Riley, a golden retriever, riding above the debris on a rope transport. ( https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10156977965749177&set=a.353459160158858 ). And you may also know the poster of Sirius, the Labrador retriever explosives-detection dog who lost his life in the attack ( https://store.911memorial.org/products/sirius-print-8x10 ). Roselle became famous for calmly guiding her blind master out of the North Tower. You can read more about Roselle and Michael Higson's escape here, courtesy of WGAL TV:
https://www.wgal.com/article/roselle-hingson-guide-dog-world-trade-center-attack/73644065 Has anyone read Mr. Higson's book, "Thunder Dog: The Story of a Blind Man, a Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero?" ( https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/thunder-dog-9781400204724 )

After plane hit north tower, blind man’s dog helped him safely get down 78 flights On Sept. 11, 2001, Roselle led her blind owner down 78 floors through smoke, debris and chaos -- an extraordinary story of courage, trust and survival. Twenty-five years later, she's still remembered as a hero.

Many friends and know that in 1867 Col. Richard Coulter, commanding officer of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, wrote a memoir telling the story of the regiment's heroic canine mascot, Sallie Ann Jarrett. She had followed her soldiers from their 1861 training camp until she was killed in action in 1865, only weeks before General Lee's surrender at Appomattox. In his memoir, Col. Coulter predicted, "...in the long after years when the grey-haired Veteran of the war for the Union, repeats the legend of his earlier days, he will tell his listening grandchildren the story of "Sallie."

The veterans' storytelling proved so compelling that authors have continued to tell Sallie's story across the generations ever since. One unique retelling is "Sallie Civil War Dog" by Helene Smith, published in 1996 and now out-of-print. We're pleased to announce that LoyaltyOfDogs.com again has a copy available for sale. You'll find details here, at http://bit.ly/OOP-Civil-War-Dog-Books

Good evening, friends and . In honor of today's National Dog Day observance, we're pleased to post a special tribute in praise of the dogs who accompany American soldiers in wartime, and specifically the dogs who accompanied soldiers in Blue and Gray. Read our "Tribute to the Dogs of the American Civil War" at the link below. Friends of our page who have seen the dog statues on the Gettysburg Battlefield will certainly recognize a familiar figure there:
http://loyaltyofdogs.com/ReadTribute.htm

Hello friends and , here are some more engaging stories of Civil War animals shared by Fort Fisher State Historic Site. You may already be familiar with Tinker, whose portrait is shown here. Click his picture, then click "View Post" to read the post that accompanies Tinker's picture and features cats as well as dogs.

Dog "Tinker.” Belonged to Blockade Runner Captain Michael Usina. Charles V. Perry Collection.

Hello, friends and ! It's a beautiful day in Gettysburg, and also a good day for Civil War dog-spotting with Garry Adelman's Civil War Page! This terrific close-up of a soldier of the 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery and his dog is from a photo in the Library of The Library of Congress Civil War collection. See the whole scene here:
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cwpb.00649/

I flatter myself in thinking I am a sort of connoisseur of Civil War poses, and so I’ll proclaim this one, damn, cool pose—atop a cannon barrel, knuckles on thigh, fingers on cheek, dog on a trunnion. Who would have thought this would have worked? Breast and belt plate, sash, good grooming, cool hat, and despite this tight detail being a bit blurred, piping on the cuffs! Fort Totten, War’s end. Full stereo plate linked in the first comment