Volume 4: Eternal Light of Peace
Prologue: Sallie
Copyright 2012 Matthew Bartlett
Francis James Price, private of Company “K”, carried a small pup in his arms to the encampment of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers. He always had a dog in his life, even back home in Youngstown, and with his recent pet’s death, he needed something to fill the void. It was a small Staffordshire Bull Terrier, brindle in color and high in spirit. It was only a few days after his enlistment and he had gone searching for something to accompany him during his service. Up and down the streets he went searching for something he could have to remind him of home. He was unsure about what they could bring as he received no paper work upon his enlistment. Many men brought pictures and books from home that had special meaning. Francis, after roaming the streets of his town after a while, decided to spend money from home, a small gift from his parents for enlistment, for that one thing that would be special to him. He saw something he was not sure he would be able to keep, but he did not care. After seeing the pup, he had to take that chance. Besides, he thought, it will be a quick three months of service and after that I can take her home. He knew that was where she would belong and that was why he already loved her so much. She reminded him of the hope of home. In July of 1861, they were already thinking of home and the way they would protect it was a fool’s vision. For some, it was the idea of the glory that brought them to it, to others it was protecting their homes that made them go. No matter what cause the war gave men, it was home they all cherished.
Another enlisted soldier in the camp came up to Francis and looked at the small dog only to laugh. Francis was pleased to see a childhood friend. Samuel B. Trauger, a private from Company “I” placed his hand on the small pup’s head as she yawned, showing her small teeth. He felt the small ears bend slightly over the thick skull of the dog and rubbed the edges of the tip of her ear between his fingers. Trauger smiled as Francis had never seen before, he had seen Sam smile before.
“It’s a shame we will only get to see her once before we go,” Sam said. “They always grow so much in the first three months.”
“No,” Francis said.
“What do you mean?” William West, another newly enlisted asked.
“I just bought her,” Francis replied. “She’s coming with us.”
“They’ll never let you keep a dog in the regiment!” Sam exclaimed. “And if you do, they’ll dismiss you before we’re even out of town!”
“Shh!” Francis hushed. “Not so loud. I don’t want them to hear.” He gathered the other men around him and placed the dog on the ground, who was sleeping at the moment, curled around herself.
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“You know how you smiled a little bit ago, how great that feeling was?”
“Yeah,” Sam replied.
“Imagine having that feeling all the time. Imagine always having the feeling that no matter how bad the drills get, no matter how hard we fight, this little dog will bring a smile to our face? Don’t you want a little piece of home with us on the road?” The men all huddled around this adorable creature could not help but think Francis was right, maybe this small dog could remind them of home in the dark days to come. Many of them even thought of the possibility of being discharged before leaving town as Sam said before. Still huddled around each other, some of the men weeping a bit and wiping their eyes clear, they all agreed no matter what, the small dog was staying with them. All their new comrade needed was a name.
“Well then, what’s its name?” George Fellenbaum asked all the others.
“I don’t know,” Francis replied. “My pah always said that terriers were the crazy type, but this one seems temperamental. I wonder why?”
“Has she opened her eyes yet?” Sam asked.
“I don’t know why?”
“Sometimes you can tell a lot about a dog from their eyes.” Almost all in the huddle at the same time bent down to the ground to get a good look at the puppy who got startled from their movement. She got up and quickly almost lost her balance.
“Slowly, I think we scared her,” Francis said with his hands outstretched in a stopping motion to the others. She had her eyes opened, and scared from the men, except Francis, was slightly shivering. He placed his hand underneath her chin with a little resistance but she eventually cradled her hand in his palm. The short bushy hair of the dog grazed his skin. He patted her on the head and gave the smile that Sam had earlier; the same smile that stretched all around his face. The more caressed her head, the more she cuddled alongside of him.
“Well, have you thought of a name yet?” Sam asked , his voice tipping over with excitement. Francis picked up her head and peered into her brown eyes looking back and forth over her features until the dog jumped into his arms and started to kiss him uncontrollably. After picking himself up and holding the pup in front of him, he blurted the name out the only female name that came directly to his mind: Sallie.
Richard Coulter, the colonel of the Eleventh Pennsylvania, after witnessing all the commotion, came over to the huddle of men and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder.
“What’s going on here?” he asked in a playful way as to get on the good side of all the men who had just enlisted.
“Nothing sir,” Francis replied with the dog still in his hands. “I was just leaving this dog here before we go.”
“Why?” Coulter asked.
“I don’t know if the dog would be allowed in the regiment.” Coulter looked at him in a strange way. He walked up to Francis and stared at him straight in the eye.
“Is this dog your personal property?”
“Yes,” Francis replied.
“Has she a name?”
“Sallie.” Coulter extended his hand for Price to shake it. Price took it quickly and then Coulter patted the dog on the head, also craning her head in his palm.
“Then with your permission, Mr. Price,” Coulter began. “May she come along with us on this three month journey as long as you will look after her?”
“Yes,” Francis replied with some relief in his voice.
“Very well,” Coulter said. “Then Sallie will not only be your dog, but the dog of the regiment. Treat her well,” he said as he walked away. The huddle of men cheered as they realized they could keep the little bit of home with them.
A Staffordshire Bull Terrier is considered a small to medium dog ranging from 24 to 34 pounds with short hair and not your usual temperament for a terrier. Most groomers and breeders will tell you to stay away from dogs in the terrier group due to their craziness, but these terriers are somewhat different in their name. “The breed is renowned for its courage, and certainly if any dog would be willing to defend owner and house to the death, this is the one.”[1] With incredibly easy grooming, this is the ideal dog for any group of large men with not enough time to properly take care of the dog. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier comes in many different colors; red, black, fawn or even brindle. Sallie is a brindle colored dog.
[1] Larkan, Peter, and Stockman, Peter. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Dogs. Page 136.
Another enlisted soldier in the camp came up to Francis and looked at the small dog only to laugh. Francis was pleased to see a childhood friend. Samuel B. Trauger, a private from Company “I” placed his hand on the small pup’s head as she yawned, showing her small teeth. He felt the small ears bend slightly over the thick skull of the dog and rubbed the edges of the tip of her ear between his fingers. Trauger smiled as Francis had never seen before, he had seen Sam smile before.
“It’s a shame we will only get to see her once before we go,” Sam said. “They always grow so much in the first three months.”
“No,” Francis said.
“What do you mean?” William West, another newly enlisted asked.
“I just bought her,” Francis replied. “She’s coming with us.”
“They’ll never let you keep a dog in the regiment!” Sam exclaimed. “And if you do, they’ll dismiss you before we’re even out of town!”
“Shh!” Francis hushed. “Not so loud. I don’t want them to hear.” He gathered the other men around him and placed the dog on the ground, who was sleeping at the moment, curled around herself.
“What is it?” Sam asked.
“You know how you smiled a little bit ago, how great that feeling was?”
“Yeah,” Sam replied.
“Imagine having that feeling all the time. Imagine always having the feeling that no matter how bad the drills get, no matter how hard we fight, this little dog will bring a smile to our face? Don’t you want a little piece of home with us on the road?” The men all huddled around this adorable creature could not help but think Francis was right, maybe this small dog could remind them of home in the dark days to come. Many of them even thought of the possibility of being discharged before leaving town as Sam said before. Still huddled around each other, some of the men weeping a bit and wiping their eyes clear, they all agreed no matter what, the small dog was staying with them. All their new comrade needed was a name.
“Well then, what’s its name?” George Fellenbaum asked all the others.
“I don’t know,” Francis replied. “My pah always said that terriers were the crazy type, but this one seems temperamental. I wonder why?”
“Has she opened her eyes yet?” Sam asked.
“I don’t know why?”
“Sometimes you can tell a lot about a dog from their eyes.” Almost all in the huddle at the same time bent down to the ground to get a good look at the puppy who got startled from their movement. She got up and quickly almost lost her balance.
“Slowly, I think we scared her,” Francis said with his hands outstretched in a stopping motion to the others. She had her eyes opened, and scared from the men, except Francis, was slightly shivering. He placed his hand underneath her chin with a little resistance but she eventually cradled her hand in his palm. The short bushy hair of the dog grazed his skin. He patted her on the head and gave the smile that Sam had earlier; the same smile that stretched all around his face. The more caressed her head, the more she cuddled alongside of him.
“Well, have you thought of a name yet?” Sam asked , his voice tipping over with excitement. Francis picked up her head and peered into her brown eyes looking back and forth over her features until the dog jumped into his arms and started to kiss him uncontrollably. After picking himself up and holding the pup in front of him, he blurted the name out the only female name that came directly to his mind: Sallie.
Richard Coulter, the colonel of the Eleventh Pennsylvania, after witnessing all the commotion, came over to the huddle of men and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder.
“What’s going on here?” he asked in a playful way as to get on the good side of all the men who had just enlisted.
“Nothing sir,” Francis replied with the dog still in his hands. “I was just leaving this dog here before we go.”
“Why?” Coulter asked.
“I don’t know if the dog would be allowed in the regiment.” Coulter looked at him in a strange way. He walked up to Francis and stared at him straight in the eye.
“Is this dog your personal property?”
“Yes,” Francis replied.
“Has she a name?”
“Sallie.” Coulter extended his hand for Price to shake it. Price took it quickly and then Coulter patted the dog on the head, also craning her head in his palm.
“Then with your permission, Mr. Price,” Coulter began. “May she come along with us on this three month journey as long as you will look after her?”
“Yes,” Francis replied with some relief in his voice.
“Very well,” Coulter said. “Then Sallie will not only be your dog, but the dog of the regiment. Treat her well,” he said as he walked away. The huddle of men cheered as they realized they could keep the little bit of home with them.
A Staffordshire Bull Terrier is considered a small to medium dog ranging from 24 to 34 pounds with short hair and not your usual temperament for a terrier. Most groomers and breeders will tell you to stay away from dogs in the terrier group due to their craziness, but these terriers are somewhat different in their name. “The breed is renowned for its courage, and certainly if any dog would be willing to defend owner and house to the death, this is the one.”[1] With incredibly easy grooming, this is the ideal dog for any group of large men with not enough time to properly take care of the dog. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier comes in many different colors; red, black, fawn or even brindle. Sallie is a brindle colored dog.
[1] Larkan, Peter, and Stockman, Peter. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Dogs. Page 136.
