In the spring of 1861 – at the start of the American Civil War at Camp Wayne in West Chester, PA, a civilian gifted the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry with a four week old puppy. The soldiers named her Sallie Ann Jarrett after their commanding officer, Colonel Phaon Jarrett and a young townswoman they were fond of.
Sallie, the puppy, was described as a bull-and-terrier, aka – a 19th century pit bull terrier. Bull-and-terriers got their name from mixing bulldogs with terriers to produce offspring that would exhibit those desired traits in one complete package.
She quickly left her mark with the men of the regiment known as the ‘Bloody Eleventh‘, and would often be the subject of letters written back home to loved ones.
Not only was she present in all battles the Eleventh fought, she was also there for support, lifting the spirits of these men during those hostile and uncertain times. Although the term “mascot” didn’t exist yet in the 1860s, the history books now attach that label as her role in the infantry.
I first learned about Sallie sometime in late 2007. It occurred during pre-production of a film, which would later become “Guilty Til Proven Innocent” (GTPI) – the River Fire Films’ produced documentary about breed specific legislation. Back then the film was intending on exploring dogfighting – started the day Michael Vick’s property was raided and his association with the activity became international news.
Sallie’s story was prominent among many pro-pit bull sites, who would often use her to showcase an exceptional example of a pit bull dog in history. I think the first time I searched for additional information about her I found a painting titled “Loyal Heart” by an artist named Greg Stump.
The scene he painted was the Eleventh’s position on Oak Ridge in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, who were led by Sallie on the frontline. It was said during this battle, Sallie became separated from them among the chaos. She sought out the wounded and dead, and remained with them, licking their wounds.
Unfortunately, Sallie never knew anything but the American Civil War. On February 6, 1865, Sallie was shot in the head during the Battle of Hatcher’s Run. To add insult to injury, this occurred two months shy of the conclusion of this deadly conflict.
In a letter dated February 11th, 1865, one of the men wrote:
“Poor Sallie fell in the front line in the fight at the Run – bullet pierced her brain. She was buried where she fell, by some of the boys, even whilst under a murderous fire, so much had they become attached to the poor brute, who so long had shared with them the toilsome march and the perils of battle.“
In 1890, a monument was erected in Gettysburg to honor the Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. At the base of the monument is a life-size bronze statue of Sallie, who surviving members insisted she be included.
The monument was placed at Oak Ridge off of Doubleday Avenue. Sallie is laying down, seemingly protecting the men in whatever comes after life.
When it came time to begin planning roadtrips and conduct interviews for “Guilty Til Proven Innocent”, I included a stop into Gettysburg to visit Sallie.
I left my Lakewood (OH) apartment on May 3, 2008 and headed towards the eastern coast. On this trip I made stops in Virginia and Washington D.C., before arriving into Gettysburg on the evening of May 6th.
The following morning I checked out of my hotel before sunrise, and began my search for the 11th Pennsylvania monument off of Doubleday Avenue.
When I finally found her, I snapped a few photos, recorded some video, and then sat down next to her, staring out into the field. And, in that moment, I thought about how she likely once walked on that same ground I was now sitting. An eerie reminder of the cost of war.
Soon after, I packed up my belongings, and began my five hour drive home.
Eight days later, I visited the only pit bull rescue in Cleveland, for the sole purpose of seeking information about these dogs. Instead, I left falling madly in love with a black dog named Preston.
It took me five long months before I was able to adopt Preston on October 4, 2008. And, for the next twelve years he was the love of my life…more than a dog, he was my soulmate.
He’s still those things, but his physical self is no longer present.
Shortly after Preston passed on March 16, 2020, I began pre-production on a new documentary film called “Once In A Lifetime“. The intent is to honor that special relationship through the use of home videos, while weaving in an honest discussion of the politics of pit bull dogs.
Throughout this 17 year journey researching this heated and complicated debate, Sallie’s story remained special, so I contacted Greg Stump to formally request an interview.
On September 2, 2023, Greg and I met at the monument dedicated to the Eleventh Pennsylvania, where he told me how he got to know about a dog named Sallie.
I made it a point to take advantage of being in Gettysburg and spend some alone time with her, as I did a decade and a half earlier. Looking out into that field while sitting next to Sallie again, my thoughts changed from the last time I was there.
I understood why this group of soldiers championed for her inclusion on the monument. She may have been the only sane thing left in insane times, such as war.
I stopped and pivoted to think about Preston, and his profound impact on me. And, how the event that preceded meeting him, was meeting Sallie.
This short promotional video titled “Sallie Ann Jarrett: A Civil War Dog” was released as part of the documentary film – “Once In A Lifetime“.
Produced by: River Fire Films, LLC
Directed, Shot & Edited by: Jeff Theman
Greg Stump | Artist and Teacher
Jeff Nichols | Director of National Civil War Museum
Dane Difebo | Museum Educator at National Civil War Museum
Artist: Aleksey Chistilin/Lexin_Music
Track: “Inspiring World“
The Archives is a special blog series that looks at the complicated history of pit bull dogs through photographs, newspaper articles, and other historical items.
Read them all and learn about their controversial past, but also the important role they played in the development of the United States.
