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 his- torian, 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 de- scribed 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 hus- band, 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 pro- grams, 1977/78, 1978/79— Fersor*, Mr.and Mrs.