Sally

When you have been to Gettysburg as often as I have (sometimes 10-15 times a year), things can start to seem old. There’s the visitor center, the cemetery, the stores, all of the “ghost” tours around town, and of course the battlefield tour. Since we are pretty familiar with the sights, we now go out of our way to do some “off the beaten path” touring. For instance, this picture was taken at the bottom of the 11th Pennsylvania Infantry monument from the first day of fighting. This small dog, nicknamed “Sally” is on the side of the monument opposite of the road, where most tourists will never see her. She was so loved by her unit that they wanted her on their monument. So what exactly did she do? Sally was presented to the 11th PA infantry as a gift from a town that they were marching through. They took her back to their camp where she soon became a friend to all. It is said that when the unit went into battle, so did Sally and she could be found running down the lines barking ferociously. At the battle of Gettysburg on the first day, the 11th PA was put on the front lines at Seminary Ridge. They suffered major casualties in the wake of the confederate storm. As the unit retreated into the city, Sally found her way back to the wounded men of her regiment and stayed with them for days with little food or water. After the battle, the wounded, and Sally were found. She would stay alive for another year until her death at the Battle of Petersburg where she was killed in action. Today, people place dog treats at her monument, and those without place coins in honor of this special canine.