HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES and DOCUMENTS DOG JACK Dan Studebaker, Jr

HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS DOG JACK Dan Studebaker, Jr.

and Sailors Memorial HallinPittsburgh's Oakland section Soldiershonors many wartime regiments and thousands of area fighting men but only one animal. "Jack," a brown and white mixed bulldog, 1 apparently weighing about thirtypounds, is pictured no less than three times in the building on Fifth Avenue. He was the mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, composed of Pittsburgh soldiers, in the Civil War. According to the regimental history, where Jack's picture also appears, he earned his place among the blue-clad heroes many times over. The record respectfully refers to him as "Dog Jack" and gives him more than a page of tribute. 2 The dog's career as a mascot actually began before the war. The start was anything but auspicious. A stray, Jack wandered into the quarters of the Niagara Engine Company on Penn Avenue. Some of the firemen did not like the determined little stranger and tried to get ridof him. When Jack persisted, one of the firemen kicked him and frac- tured one of his legs. Cooler heads and kinder hearts prevailed ;Jack's leg was splinted, and a few admirers cared for himuntil he recovered. Not long after, a bigger dog tried to usurp Jack's improving position with the firemen. A vicious dogfight, which Jack won, proved to the firemen that Jack was dedicated to remaining among them. After that, he was completely accepted as the company's mascot and accom- panied the men on all their fire fightingmissions. When the war came the Niagara firemen enlisted virtually en masse in Company F of the 102nd on August 15, 1861. Jack went with his pals into the army as an unofficial mascot. Before long the Dan Studebaker, Jr., is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and a former newspaperman. He has written an article on Marc Connelly in the April 1979 issue of Pittsburgher magazine and willhave an article on Tom Mix in a forthcoming issue of Pennsylvania Illustrated.—Editor 1 Judging from his picture, according to William G. Lord, DVM, Jack could onlybe described as a mixed-breed bulldog. 2 John H. Niebaum, History of the Pittsburgh Washington Infantry, 102nd {Old13th) Regiment Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers and Its Fore" bears (Pittsburgh, 1931), 116-17. 188 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS APRIL regiment was on the Army of the Potomac's glory road that led through more than twenty major battles and—numerous skirmishes. It is a rollcall of the celebrated battlefields Fair Oaks, Savage Sta- tion, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg, among others. Jack was in all of them, reported the regimental historian, except for those occurring while he was Confederate prisoner. After one engagement he was a source of cheer to the wounded and aided in the search for the unit's dead. The troops maintained he would follow only the regiment's men and understood the various bugle calls. — Surviving the 102nd's— first major fight the Battle of Fair Oaks on June 1, 1862 Jack saw his good fortune run out tem- porarily when, at the end of June, he became a prisoner of war at the Battle of Savage Station. Perhaps directed by a regimental friend, Jack made good his escape in sixhours and raced back toUnion lines. Much worse travail followed. At the Battle of Malvern Hill a few days later, he was shot through the shoulder and back so seriously that he was not expected to live. The medics spared no effort in pulling him through. His sufferings "brought tears to his sorrowing comrades" said the historian. After he recovered in the unit's hospital tent, the regiment mustered to cheer his first appearance in the field. The wound was one of three Jack sustained. The others, both described as minor, came at the first and second engagements at Fredericksburg. On May 3, 1863, the Confederates again captured him, this time at the Battle of Salem Church, and sent him to the army prison at Belle Isle in Richmond. There he was confined for six months. Jack's popularity boosted the spirits of Union inmates serving time with him. In the fallhe was exchanged for a Confederate infantryman. One can imagine the delight of the regiment to see him again. Jack's friends, on veteran furlough in August 1864, held a ballin Lafayette Hall, Pittsburgh, and raised $75 to buy their mascot a silver collar and medal. The dog wore his decorations proudly until, on December 23, 1864, he disappeared forever in Frederick City, Maryland. No trace was ever found. His comrades theorized that some greedy person, recognizing the value of Jack's silver ornaments, killed him for them. After three-and-a-half years of hardship, adventure, and heroism he was gone, though far from forgotten, from the ranks that loved him. It is easy to imagine the 102nd survivors reminiscing at re- 1979 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS 189 unions about their canine companion. As the leading regimental celebrity, Jack must have inspired many a fond and regretful tale. The living memory of "Dog Jack" is gone, but his presence is stillpromi- nent among the other old soldiers named and pictured in the mellowly lighted, timeless corridors in Oakland. 190 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS APRIL

FROM THE ARCHIVES William F. Trimble hpHE letter transcribed and printed here is from series B, folder X 7 of the Baird Papers inthe Archives of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. A 1974 gift of Mr.F. duPont Cornelius, the collection includes correspondence and other records pertaining to Judge Thomas H. Baird and his family. Baird was born in Washing- ton, Pennsylvania, in 1787, and was commissioned president judge in 1818. Before his death in Allegheny Cityin 1866, Judge Baird had an interest innumerous businesses, particularly those relating to internal improvements in the western part of the state. Inthis letter, Judge Baird's daughter Elinor gives her impressions of the disastrous Great Pittsburgh Fire of April10, 1845. Elinor wrote the letter to her sister Ellen, who at the time resided with her husband, Dr. Robert Rantoul Reed, in Washington, D.C.

Pittsburg April21 1845 Dear Sister Fearing that you would hear from other sources of the dreadful fire which has devastated our city, and be alarmed for our safety, I write toinform you that amid so much danger we are unharmed. The fire commenced in an ice house, about twelve o'clock yesterday and by eight at night had consumed almost every house from Ferry St. to the first dam and from Fourth to Water. The Third Church was on fire but was at length saved by great exertion on the part of some of the congregation and Brother Albre. The Monongahela House is burnt to the ground. The Bridge that crosses at Birmingham burnt down in seven minutes — the Pittsburg Bank is destroyed. The house Mary lived inon Fourth was burnt, (how fortunate that she had left) the streets are almost impassable for goods and furniture. Many men who yesterday morning arose rich went to bed without a cents worth of anything and some without a bed or house to go to. Father heard one man say to another "wellIwillgo home" and then remark "but I forgot Ihave no home to go to/' A man living inPipetown came to the city inthe morning, worked hard in assisting to save Mr.Forsyths goods, went home in the evening and found only the remains of what once had been his home. Itis not ascertained yet whether many lives were lost, some have been much injured &Iam sure one man carried into the Court house upon a bed, his leg was broken. Isuppose you have heard that we are moved down to Water Str to a house belonging 1979 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS 191 to Mr. J. Wrenshall. it is very much out of repair and we are not beginning to be settled yet. Mary and Joseph are at Harlem [?]. Joseph has sold out his—Book Store and they intend staying up at the farm for some time Iam becoming more in love with money every day. (Ihope old Maxwell is stillliving— how is his cough) ? Iforgot to tell you that Dr. Morgan is fortunate as ever, he and some of the wealthiest men have lost nothing, it is the person that needed all they had that have— lost. We ought to be very thankful Iam sure that we were saved although Father willlose a good deal. You must let no one see this — even Brother must not look upon it. Iam almost ashamed to send itifIhad time to write another, Iwould not. We are all well— do write and let me know how you all thrive — E. Baird 192 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS APRIL

ADDITIONS TO COLLECTIONS January 1, 1979-April 1, 1979 Archives Alden, John H.—Pittsburgh Two scrapbooks with clippings and correspondence about covered bridges Beardsley, Wallace R.—Pittsburgh By the donor, "Samuel Pierpont Langley: His Early Academic Years at the Western University of Pennsylvania" (Ph.D. diss., University of Pittsburgh, 1978) Chesney, Mrs. R.B.—Pittsburgh Invitation to children's reception, Pittsburgh, June 15, 1903 Crozier, Mrs. Alfred W—Pittsburgh By the donor, "The Early History of the School of Medicine of the Uni- versity of Pittsburgh" (unpublished manuscript) Denny, James O'Hara III—Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Symphony programs, 1977-1978; Bach Choir program, 1978; Pittsburgh Ballet Theater programs, 1976-1978; Pittsburgh Opera programs, 1977/78, 1978/79— Fersor*, Mr.and Mrs. Regis Pittsburgh Xerox copy of "Illustrated Catalog of Flint Glassware Manufactured by Atterbury and Company" Gaige, Mrs. Gretchen L.—Flint,Michigan "And the MillMade Them Men" (unpublished poetry by Richard O. Fraelich) Gardner, Mrs. A.W.—Brentwood Pittsburgh Railways Co., tickets; Academy of Arts and Sciences program ;"Passport to Pittsburgh/' South HillsRecord, June 26, 1978 ;clipping on the Molly—Maguires Geist, Miss L.Esther Pittsburgh Pitt, May, Aug. 1978 ;two Pittsburgh Opera programs, 1977, 1978 Gleich, Mrs.Mae M.—Washington Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph Flood Supplement, Mar. 29, 1936 Harm, Edward H.—Pittsburgh By the donor, "Social Changes in a Small Community" (unpublished manuscript) ;J. M. K.Reed diary, 1859-1861 Hochmuth, Miss Virginia—Pittsburgh Scrapbook of orders from naval commanders in the CivilWar; papers of Engineer William—B. Richey Hykes, Mrs. James J. Haver ford Book of pictures of Thurston-Gleim Preparatory School; Art Society Centenary program Kusen, William—Pittsburgh South Pittsburgh— Reporter, Dec. 12, 1978, Feb. 6, 1979 Lewis, John C. Pittsburgh 1888 Central Districtlist of telephone subscribers Long, Anton V.—Naples, New York Haniel Long, "Envoi to Fred Demmler" (reprint) ;Haniel Long, "Woman as Interpreter" (reprint); list of available books by Haniel Long; book reviews and notices ;Mark Harris, "The Webster Hall, Haniel Long and the Biddle Boys"— Mahafkey, A.James Springwater, New York Papers of the Jones-McNeil family Mellon,Paul—Upperville,Virginia George Herbert Kitchin, pencil sketches of America, 1889 Mitchell, Mark C—Pittsburgh Manuscript on the history of the Smithfield Street Bridge Muller, Donald—Canandaigua, New York Photograph of house on corner of Howe Street and Denniston Avenue, Pittsburgh 1979 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS 193

Neppach, Arthur—Pittsburgh Photograph of Richard— Kountz Prior, Brother Bernardin Pittsburgh By the donor, "Pittsburgh— Vikings" (unpublished manuscript) Reed, Samuel C, Jr. Pittsburgh The Republic (Pittsburgh), June 4, 1866; stock certificate, Tabard Inn Corp. ; draft certificate to George W. Reed ; clipping from Washington (Pennsylvania)— Daily Reporter, Aug. 15, 1908 Shore, Jack Pittsburgh Photographic negative, office of Booth and Flynn, contractors for the Liberty Tunnels Smith, Russell, and Robert Mundy—Pittsburgh "Pictorial Anthology— of Famous Pittsburgh Mansions" Speer, Mrs. John R. Pittsburgh Insurance certificate issued to Capt. Samuel Shuman of the steamboat Wuamta; color print of painting of Shady side Presbyterian Church by Cynthia F. Cooley Starrett, Mrs.Agnes Lynch—Pittsburgh Invitations to and program for the 1979 inauguration of Governor Richard Thornburgh Stranahan, Miss Duella—Pittsburgh Original Hungerford— cartoon; household account books, 1940-1976 Tacey, Mrs. Evelyn F. Pittsburgh WilliamReithmiller's IBM100 percent certificate Tacey, Dr. WilliamS.—Pittsburgh National Forensic Club membership pin; President Wilson medal; two plastic cards ;two pipes for smoking opium ;Geneva College bulletin;seven charts identifying antique books ;Faculty Club rules Titzel, Mrs. WilliamJ.—Glenshaw Photographs of 1936 flood from father's album ;photograph of Pittsburgh from Mount Washington— Weikel, Miss Sally Harrisburg Copy of WPA originals of the 1870 Census of the cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Weller, Richard S.—Renton, Washington Weller Family History Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society —Pittsburgh, through Lawrence C. Dziuber WPNS Centennial Medal Williams, Edward G.—Pittsburgh John J. Reel, "History of Casper Reel" (unpublished manuscript) Wolf, Mrs. Lester K.—Pittsburgh Records of the —Citizens forDecent Literature, Pittsburgh Council Zabrosky, Frank A. Pittsburgh Hagstrom's Map of High Spots in New York; Clear type Street, House Number, and Transportation Map of Manhattan, NY.

Genealogy Misko, Miss Louise—Pittsburgh "Family History,"— Dec. 1975 Nepsund, Mrs. Jean North Hollywood, California Comp. by the —donor, John Wendell Braun (Brown) Family Poindexter, R. D. Shreveport, Louisiana John Poindexter Landers and Robert Downs Poindexter, Poingdestre- Poindexter\A Norman Family (1977) Reed, Samuel C, Jr.—Pittsburgh Ewing family charts ;tax receipt issued to Samuel McClokey ;postcard of Absolom Baird residence 194 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS APRIL

Library Alden, John H—Pittsburgh Guide to Covered Bridges of the United States (1956) ; World Guide to Covered Bridges (1972); Covered Bridge Topics, Fall 1953-Jan. 1974; Portages, Mar.—1961-Sept. 1967 Bowers, Richard J. McKeesport American Revolution Bicentennial; Cityof McKeesport, 1776-1976 Clear, Ms Helen G.—New Brighton Cemeteries of Beaver County, Pa., and accompanying map (1936) Coffman, Mrs. M.Fred—Malvern Indexes to McCord's Representative Citizens of Columbiana County, Ohio; index to Brand and Fuller's History of the Upper Ohio Valley Demmler, Ralph H.—Pittsburgh Duquesne Light News, Jan. 1979 — Denny, Mr.and Mrs. James O'Hara IIIPittsburgh Bermuda Historic Quarterly, Spring, Summer 1971 ;Carnegie Magazine, Mar. 1977; Historic Preservation, July /Sept. 1978; Lancaster Mennonite Conference Historical Society Annual Report, 1977;Mennonite Research Journal, July, Oct. 1971; Pittsburgh, Dec. 1976, Feb., Mar., July, Dec 1977, Jan. 1978; —Preservation News, May, June 1977 Diller,Theodore C. Chicago, Illinois NevilleB.Craig, A Biographical Sketch of Major Isaac Craig Friedman, Steven —Pittsburgh Made inAmerica :Printmaking, 1760-1860 ((1973) Gardner, Mrs. A. W.—Brentwood Pittsburgh Dining and Entertainment Guide (1975 ) Geist, Miss L.Esther —Pittsburgh Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1876-1976; What to Read About Pennsylvania (1942); State College T & G, Aug. 1978; misc. clippings and brochures — Gleich, Mrs. Mae M. Washington Johnstown Flood, 1977; Pittsburgh in Ye Olden Time; In and About Allegheny— Green, Sue Johnstown Sue Green and Harry Herlinger, A Summary History of Richland Town- ship, Cambria County,— Pennsylvania (1976) Linder, Richard L. Pittsburgh Business People's Gazette, Mar. 1979, with article about St. Ann's Hungarian Church, Hazelwood, and its parsonage, once the Henry William Oliverhome— Long, Anton V. Naples, New York Haniel Long, MySeasons; Legacy from Haniel Long McPherson, Miss Ann—Pittsburgh James D. Van Trump, "AHistory of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church," WPHM; M. P. Morse, The Wilderness (1848); Percy F. Smith, Memories Milestones (1918) ;Clarence E. Macartney, Right Here inPitts- burgh (1937) Morrow,Miss Nancy —Sewickley 1978 Annual Report of the Joy Manufacturing Company Murdoch, Mrs. Armor—Pittsburgh Page Smith, A New Age Now Begins, 2 vols. (1976) Nalco Chemical Company —Oak Brook, Illinois 1977 Annual Report, 50 Years of Leadership inChemical Technology Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission—Harrisburg Guide to the Microfilm of the Miscellaneous Manuscripts of the Revolu- tionary War Era, 1771-1791; John B. B. Trussell, Jr., Pennsylvania His- torical Bibliography, Additions Through 1970 1979 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS 195

Reed, Samuel C, Jr.— Pittsburgh The Donegal Presbyterian Church (1935) ;Earle R. Forrest, The House of Romance (1964); L. K.Evans, Pioneer History of Greene County, Pennsylvania (1941) Scotch-Irish Foundation —Philadelphia The Library and Archives of the Scotch-Irish Foundation Shaw, Mrs. Barbara S.—Pittsburgh, in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Harold G. Shirk Francis R. Harbison, Flood Tides Along the Allegheny (1941) ;Wallace Nutting, Pennsylvania Beautiful— (1935) Shearer, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Pittsburgh Abstracts From the Republican Compiler; Robert Stover, Adams County Pennsylvania, 1831-1851, 2 vols. (1976) Starrett, C. V.—Pittsburgh Stanton Belfour, Centennial History of the Shady side Presbyterian Church (1966) ;A History of the Union United Presbyterian Church, Monon- gahela Presbytery, 1894-1929 (1929); Reader's Digest, Great Events of the 20th Century (1977) ;Richard KingMellon Foundation, Reports, 1963- 1965; James L. Swauger and Richard W. Long, Excavations at the Music Bastion of Fort Pitt, 1964-1965 (1967); E. S. Wallace, ed., The 28th Division Pennsylvania Guard in the World War (1924) ;C. Vann Wood- ward, The Burden of Southern History (1968) ;American Heritage, Feb. 1972, Aug. 1977-Oct./Nov. 1978; Americana, Sept./Oct. 1978, Jan./Feb. 1979; British History Illustrated, June 1975, May-Nov. 1977, Mar. 1978, Aug./Sept. 1978, Dec. /Jan. 1978/1979; National Geographic, July 1976 Tacey, Dr. WilliamS.—Pittsburgh Theodore M.Finney, We Have Made Music; First Church Life Trice, Harley—Pittsburgh Bryce Borthers Company, Glassware Catalogue No. 950; George Munson Curtis, Early Silver of Connecticut and Its Makers (1913); Monroe H. Fabian, The Pennsylvania German Decorated Chest (1978) ; Currier Gallery of Art, The Dunlaps and Their Furniture (1970); Charles F. Montgomery, A History of American Pewter (1973) ;Henry J. Kauff- mann, The Colonial Silversmith (1969) ;YaleCollege, Catalogue, 1869/70, 1870/71 Trimble, Miss Prudence B.—Pittsburgh Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams (1927) ;J. Cutler Andrews, Pittsburgh's Post-Gazette (1936); Paul M. Angle, By These Words (1954); Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the Nineteen-Twenties (1931); Leland D. Baldwin, Pittsburgh: The Story of a City (1937) ;M.P. Bothwell, Reclaim Your Birthright (1939) ; Claude G. Bowers, The Tragic Era :The Revolution After Lincoln (1929) ; Walter C. Bronson, American Poems, 1625-1892 (1912); Herbert Cascinsky and George Leland Hunter, English and American Furniture (1929) ;Charles C. Coffin, Following the Flag (n.d.) ;Luther S. Cushing, Rules of Proceeding and Debate (1886) ;DAR, Allegheny County, Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt (1914) ; Charles W. Dahlinger Pittsburgh :A Sketch of Its Early Social Life (1916) ; James Quale Dealey, Foreign Policies of the United States (1926) ;Otto Eisenschiml and Ralph Newman, The American Iliad(1947) ;OliverEvans, Five Faces West (1964) ;Ruth E. Finley, Old Patchwork Quilts (1929) ;Elbridge Gerry, Jr., The Diary of Elbridge Gerry, Jr. (1927); R. I. Gourley and J. N. Hunt, The Modern Grammar School Reader (1882) ;James Grahame, The History of the United States of North America, 2 vols. (1850) ;Franklin F. Hoi- brook, "Our Historical Society," WPHM (Mar. 1938); John Henry Hopkins, Scriptural, Ecclesiastical, and Historical View of Slavery (1864) ; Alfred P. James and Charles M. Stotz, Drums in the Forest (1958) ; Gerald W. Johnson, Andrew Jackson, An Epic in Homespun (1927) ; WillisFletcher Johnson, History of the Johnstown Flood (1889) ;Charles McKnight, Captain Jack the Scout (n.d.) ; James C Malin, The United 196 HISTORICAL SOCIETY NOTES AND DOCUMENTS APRIL

States After the World War (1930); Henry Childs Merwin, Thomas Jefferson (1901); Walter Millis, Road to War: America, 1914-1917 (1935); Paul Elmer More, Benjamin Franklin (1900); John W. Nevin, The Anxious Bench (1844) ;Walter O'Meara, Guns at the Forks (1965) ; The Owl (1918); John C Powell, Abraham Lincoln: His Life (1882); A Quarter of a Century of Pi Lambda Theta (1935); Slate Lick: An Account of a Reunion of Present and Former Residents (1888) ; Gaius Jackson Slosser, ed., They Seek a Country: The American Presbyterians (1955) ;Irving Stone, Love Is Eternal: A Novel About Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln (1954); James B. Thayer, John Marshall (1901); Agnes Sligh Turnbull, The King's Orchard (1963), The Rolling Years (1937) ;Francis M. Turner, Life of General John Sevier (1910) ;Stanley Vestal, Kit Carson (1928); George Washington, The Journal of Major George Washington (facsimile ed., 1959) ;Annie Randall White, Twen- tieth Century Etiquette (1900) ;Emma Willard, A System of Universal History inPerspective (1835) ;Edward G. Williams, The Orderly Book of Colonel Henry Bouquet's Expedition Against the Ohio Indians, 1764 (1960); W. E. Woodward, Meet General Grant (1928); R. D. Words- worth, comp., Abe Lincoln's Anecdotes and Stories (1908) ;selected issues of WPHM Zabrosky, Frank A.—Pittsburgh Illustrated Souvenir of New York (1946) ;New York: The Wonder City (1955) ;New York Illustrated (1938) ;Pittsburgh High School Journal, May-June 1913, June 1913; Stanton Belfour, Centennial History of the Shady side Presbyterian Church (1966) ;New American Movement, Pitts- burgh Chapter, Newsletter, Sept. 1977-July/Aug. 1978; A Brief History of the Union Trust Company of Pittsburgh, 1889-1946; Shady side Action Coalition Manual, 1977 ;Harmony Herald, Apr.-Oct, Dec. 1976, Jan.-June 1977, Apr.-Dec. 1978, annual report issue, 1977 ;Pittsburgh, Feb. 1979

Museum Chesney, Mrs.Robert B.—Coraopolis Pressed, lacy glass dish Diehl, Mrs. John A.—Cincinnati, Ohio Early Heinz ketchup— bottle Ewing, Mrs. Stella Kennett Square Wedding dress worn by donor's grandmother, Annie (Butterfield) Link of Squirrel Hill (Pittsburgh), c. 1846 Frick, Miss Helen C—Pittsburgh Framed photograph of the Duquesne Club "Number Six" luncheon group in 1892 Heath, Robert —Union, Maine Glass bottle from the City BottlingHouse, Pittsburgh Hrico, the Reverend Bernard —New York, New York Statue of Joe Magarac. Plaster model submitted as a design for the fountain of Point State Park, Pittsburgh, by Frank Vittor, sculptor, c. 1950 Rossman, Mrs. WilliamH.—Pittsburgh Working model of Monongahela Incline, Pittsburgh. Given in memory of her husband, WilliamH.Rossman, for whom it was made in 1878 by his father, Conrad J. Rossman Wolf, WilliamB.—Pittsburgh Two framed photographs of Schenley Farms (Pittsburgh) taken in 1897 by John E. Grove and in 1950 by his son, Robert E. Grove