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[krag96]

A great human interest story!

 

The 11th. Pennsylvania Infantry proudly counted itself among the most senior regiments in the Army of the Potomac, they formed in April, 1861 at Lincoln's call for volunteers.  They served their 90 day enlistment and the great majority of the men continued soldiering as a three year regiment.  When the regiment first formed they were given a gift, a tiny puppy in a basket.  They named their prize pooch after a lovely girl at a fair, Sallie Anne Jarrett, the men just called her, ''Sal''.  Sal found a home with the 11th. and practiced being a soldier with the men, she never stole food, the men saw to it she had enough to eat, Sal marched with them and fought along side them in their battles, always being at the front, barking at the enemy.  It was said Sal hated three kinds of people, Rebels, democrats, and women. 

 

Sal marched along with the 11th. back home to Pennsylvania in pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, and on July 1 counted herself present, resting behind a stone wall to the west of Gettysburg on Oak Ridge waiting to go into action and do her part with the 11th...and her brigade, Baxter's Brigade made up of regiments from Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts.  The entire brigade knew Sal, and welcomed her in their camps, but she always remained loyal to her men in the 11th. always returning back to sleep with them, no matter how good the food was elsewhere. 

 

Soon there was movement to their front, Iverson's North Carolina Brigade appeared as if on parade, no skirmishers, no scouts, just a Confederate Brigade alone marching by without a care.  Baxter had his brigade lay low behind the stone wall until Iverson's men came close, about 80 yards on the oblique, ''Up men and fire!'' came the order.  Baxter's men poured nothing less than a murderous volley into the hapless Rebels mowing them down by the ranks.  Sal stood atop the stone wall barking, urging the 11th. on.  Some of the Rebels tried to surrender, some tried to fight, some tried to run, some tried doing all three.  Within minutes Iverson's Brigade ceased to exist, suffering 90% plus casualties in some regiments, killed, captured, and wounded. 

 

Soon that afternoon the right of the Union line crumbled under the attacks of fresh Rebel troops and the 11th. along with the rest of the army was forced to fall back through town and take up positions on Cemetery Hill.  Sal was not among the men, they waited, but no Sal...   Lee's Confederate Army had gotten more men quicker to the field than Mead's Union Army, forcing a retreat to the south of town.  No attack came as the line became stronger, July 1 had ended except for some minor skirmishing.  July 2 came and went with the fate of the nation hanging in the balance, but still no Sal.  July 3 saw the defeat of Lee's Army at Gettysburg with the disaster of, ''Pickett's Charge'' along the Union center.  July 4 Lee's beaten army began a painful retreat back to Virginia with a wagon train of wounded 17 miles long.  The men of the 11th. had little to cheer for as their beloved dog, Sal was still missing and presumed dead.  Gathering the wounded and burying the dead commenced on July 4 ad continued into the next several days.  On July 6 Captain Benjamin Cook, Co. K of the 12th. Massachusetts of Baxter's Brigade found Sal while looking for wounded along the brigade's old position on Oak Ridge.  Sal had stayed behind to look after her dead and wounded comrades, never leaving their side, licking their wounds and cheering them up through five days of heat and rain as they lay on the field.  Cook picked Sal up and carried her to the 11th's position where she rightfully received a hero's welcome. 

 

Sal continued soldiering with the 11th.  She was shot in the neck at Spotslvania Courthouse the next year and survived.  February 1865 Sal was killed in battle at, Hatcher's Run.  She was buried on the field with her fallen comrades. 

 

The only known photo of ''Sal''.

 

 

Survivors of the 11th. Pennsylvania Infantry at their memorial dedication in 1890 on Oak Ridge.  Look closely at the monument, low near the base, above the wreath.

 

 

The 11th. Pennsylvania Memorial today.

 

 

Sal at the base.  Donations of money and treats gather from visitors every day and are given to the local animal shelter.  Sallie is still ''Soldiering On'' in her own way, now helping homeless dogs around Gettysburg, a few dollars a day, and through the ''Loyalty of Dogs'' foundation of which she is the mascot.