Civil War

HORSES

Horses were originally used for warlike purposes by the ancients and hence a symbol of war. The color of the horse indicates the condition of his rider and the state of the war. A white horse is victorious while a black horse indicates defeat.

At Gettysburg Pennsylvania, a Civil War battle site, it is said that an equestrian statue that has all four of the horse's hooves on the ground means that the rider survived the battle without injury. The rider in this case will have his head covered and is generally not holding his weapons. One hoof raised means the person was wounded but survived, and this rider will be combat ready, holding his weapons and wearing his hat. A horse with both forelegs raised indicates that the soldier was killed in battle, and the rider is generally not wearing his hat. This is also documented in the book, Dogs of War: And Stories of Other Beasts of Battle By Marilyn Seguin, Published 1998 Branden Books.

	General Henry W. Slocum On Stevens Knoll at Gettysburg Battlefield
	General James Longstreet On Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg Battlefield
	General John Buford & Major General John F. Reynolds On McPherson's Ridge at Gettysburg Battlefield
	General Meade On Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg Battlefield
	General Winfield Scott Hancock On Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg Battlefield
	8th Pennsylvania Cavalry On Pleasanton Avenue at Gettysburg Battlefield
	Major General John Sedgwick On Sedgwick Avenue at Gettysburg Battlefield
	Virginia Monument On Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg Battlefield
	General Oliver Otis Howard On East Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg Battlefield

The Irish Wolfhound In 1888, a handful of 63rd, 69th, and 88th New York Infantry ( the Irish Brigade) veterans returned to Gettysburg to dedicate their monument of green granite topped by a Celtic cross and adorned with the likeness of an Irish wolfhound, the traditional Irish symbol of loyalty. The work of sculptor Rudolph O'Donovan, it is one of the more unique monuments in the battlefield park. The Irish Brigade Monument is situated in the woods adjacent to the Wheatfield at the Gettysburg Battlefield.
Sallie Ann Jarrett-Mascot of the the 11th PA Volunteer Infantry Sallie Ann Jarrett, the mascot of the the 11th PA Volunteer Infantry, had been given to the regiment as a puppy during the early days of the war. Growing up with the men in this unit, she became a comrade in arms, sharing the marches, the hardships, the extremes of the climate, and the dangers of war. During battles, Sallie would take her position at the end of the line of battle, barking as loud as she could at the enemy. Sallie was present at Gettysburg on the first day of battle but she got left behind when the 11th fell back through the town. Sallie stayed on the field, behind enemy lines with the dead and wounded of the 11th. After the Confederate retreat, a member of the 12th Massachusetts found her still lying among the dead, weak from lack of food, but still alive. She was returned to her unit but later killed on February 6, 1865 at the Battle of Hatcher's Run, Virginia. In 1890 the remaining members of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry dedicated this monument on Oak Ridge (Doubleday Avenue) at the Gettysburg Battlefield.