11 Pennsylvania Infantry - Information taken from Gettysburg: Stories of Men and Monuments as told by Battlefield Guides by Frederick W. Hawthorne

The War Dog

Location: Doubleday Avenue

Dedicated to the "heroic dead" of the unit, the monument constructed by the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry stands silently atop Oak Ridge at the spot they defended that afternoon of July 1,. Driving along the row of monuments honoring the men of John Robinson's division, you will immediately see a fine bronze statue of a skirmisher preparing to fire sitting atop the 11th Pennsylvania monument. Few bother
 to get out and walk to the front where another bronze statue can be found, the statue of a small dog curled up as if sleeping. The dog-Sallie-was the mascot of the 11th and she too was numbered among the "heoric dead" to whom the monument was dedicated.

Sallie had been given to the regiment as a puppy during the early days of the war. Growing up with the men of the unit, she became a comrade-in-arms, sharing the marches, the hardships, the extremes of the climate and the dangers of the battle. During battles, Sallie was known to take her position at the end of the line of battle, barking as loud as she could at the enemy. Of a friendly nature, Sallie was said to hate only three things: "Rebels, Democrats, and Women."

At Gettysburg, the little dog was with the men of the 11th Pennsylvania throughout the battle of July 1st. During the course of the retreat through the town, she became separated from the unit. Not knowing where they had gone, she remembered where they had been and worked her way back across the debris of the field to this ridge and her fallen comrades, There, amidst the wounded, the dying, and the dead, Sallie laid down and maintained a silent vigil over her friends for the remainder of the battle, After Confederate retreat a member of the 12th Massachusetts found her still lying among the dead, weak from the lack of food, but alive. She was returned to her unit.

Recovering quickly, Sallie resumed her place in the regiment serving faithfully through the balance of the war.

On February 6, 1865 within two months of the war's end she was going into battle with her unit at Hatcher's Run, Virginia. During the course of the fight she was shot through the head and killed. Such was the feeling of the men of the regiment towards their mascot that they buried her on the field despite the heavy enemy fire. Years later when designs for the regimental monument at Gettysburg was discussed it was felt only appropriate that their little pet, their friend and their comrade be memorialized with the unit.

Note: When you go to visit this monument you will notice that people leave a penny next to Sallie