Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-01-12
PET OF THE BATTERY.
He WAS Only n "YnIler Dorsr But He
Won the Hearts of Rough
CampaiRners.

Major was only dog--in the 'crack-
cr" language only ''yaller dorg." The
southern chivalry greet each other as
captain or major, and to the uninitiated
one would suppose that every person
met with in the south had been or was
either a captain or major. Major had
evidently belonged at some time to
some of the first families of Virginia,
as "after the war" 1 interviewed a ma
tive who had represented the johnny"
size of the army, and from his descrip-
ton and name he had been with the
rebel army in the battles of the Wilder
ness.
He came to the old Fourth New Jer-
sey battery soon after the battle at
Cold Harbor, and the boys nearly ex-
hausted the vocabulary of dog names
until they thought of the name of Ma
jor, when he answered to the name in
great glee. The keynote had been
struck, and Major at once became very
friendly to the boys of the Fourth, who
in return took kindly to him and di-
vided up their sodas and roast turkey
until he became quite different dog in
appearance. He had been evidently a
lean dog for a long race before he de-
serted from the rebels. His good quail
ties soon developed, and he was soon
recognized by all of the boys as part
of the battery.
1t was after brisk action during the
latter part of October, 1864, that Major
was missing as usual. During his alb
sence the battery was ordered to accom-
pany Gen. Butler to New York city to
look after the expected election riots.
Returning to the front about the mid
die of November, we took our quarters
for the night on the ground in the midst
of cold, drizzling rain and sleet. But
we had a warm welcome from Major on
that terrible night of exposure. Major
had to go around and shake hands with
us all, to see if we were all there. 1t
may seen q little out of order to shake
dogs paw, but when offered with so
much good intention we could not help
it, and if we could have been home for
that night no one would have objected
to have shaken paws with the cat.
This landing was several miles away
occasion. When we got in winter quar-
ters, log corncribs, with shelter tents,
near Fort Harrison, on the lands for
merly owned and occupied by President
William II. Harrison, Major became
very strongly attached, forgot his cow
ardly actions and was seldom found out
side of the limits of the camp.
On the memorable morning of April
3, 1865, shell from the rebel gunboats
in the James river above Dutch Gap
burst few yards in the rear of our
camp, and must have been in very close
quarters to Major at the time, by the
way he came bounding through the
camp, as if the johnnies were after him.
A few minutes later the gunboats were
blown up and the earth trembled. Ev-
erybody jumped from snug quarters
and prepared for the jubilee that was
to come.
In about half an hour we were on
our way to Richmond. Two companies
of cavalry were in our advance, but, with
Major and the battery, we were the first
to enter the city of Richmond, then
about one-third burning, halting at
Libby prison and Castle Thunder to see
if any of our boys were left in those cat
tie pens.
We took our position at Camp Lee and
the army followed the retreating army