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Dog Jack
A stray mongrel dog, wandered into a Pittsburgh fire station and became the mascot that went with the men of the 102nd regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers and became a civil war hero. His picture hangs on the wall of the Soldiers Musuem in Pittsburgh. It includes a 14 page "living History Gallery" (actual photos of the reenactment of the 125th anniversary at Gettysburg) and other pictures throughout the book. The family feature film, "Dog Jack" will be released in late 2007.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 28, 2020
One of the many Civil War novels I devoured as a youngster. Apparently I’ve never marked it as read before, but it was a great story!
September 27, 2024
Great book to read with my kids as we studied the Civil War. There is a great presentation of the gospel in the next to last chapter. ❤️
November 29, 2025
This book was sad, joyful, painful yet uplifting all at the same time. I wouldn't necessarily read it again if given the chance but I'm glad I read it.
This book follows the story of a runaway slave boy named Jed who befriends a dog, who is eventually named Dog Jack, who wanders into the fire station he's living at in the 1860s. The reader tags along with Jed and Dog Jack as the men of the fire station ultimately decide to join the Union Army and all of the battles and experiences Jed, Dog Jack and the other soldiers endure from battles to prisoner of war camps.
This book shows just how desperate slaves were to get away from their lives on the plantations as well as how some of the slaves were treated. Jed was only 13 or 14 when his mother convinced him to run away from the plantation they lived on in Virginia to start a new life in the North. It also doesn't shy away from relaying just how horrible the Civil War truly was for those who fought in it. There were many people throughout this book who you absolutely loved and some who you definitely didn't like.
What's so amazing about this book is it's about a real young man and his dog who were actually named Jed and Dog Jack who truly fought in the Civil War. There is a painting of Dog Jack in the Soldiers and Sailors Museum of Pittsburgh. The author more than likely took some liberties with other characters in the book or events but that is somewhat to be expected since the events that took place in the book took place more than 150 years ago.
I must say that sometimes the writing got a little bit confusing. I personally found it slightly difficult to read when the author wrote in Jed's lexicon but it wasn't too bad. There were certainly some moments that kind of dragged and I didn't think was completely necessary but they were few abd far between. Lastly, I thought the way the author would describe some of the characters was slightly confusing. I was able to figure out what character she meant but it did take a little bit of time occasionally.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books with dogs, pretty quick reads, books about war but that treat the war humanely and don't go into terribly graphic details, books with found families, historical fiction and anyone from Pittsburgh who'd like a little snapshot of life for a young black man in the 1860s.
This book follows the story of a runaway slave boy named Jed who befriends a dog, who is eventually named Dog Jack, who wanders into the fire station he's living at in the 1860s. The reader tags along with Jed and Dog Jack as the men of the fire station ultimately decide to join the Union Army and all of the battles and experiences Jed, Dog Jack and the other soldiers endure from battles to prisoner of war camps.
This book shows just how desperate slaves were to get away from their lives on the plantations as well as how some of the slaves were treated. Jed was only 13 or 14 when his mother convinced him to run away from the plantation they lived on in Virginia to start a new life in the North. It also doesn't shy away from relaying just how horrible the Civil War truly was for those who fought in it. There were many people throughout this book who you absolutely loved and some who you definitely didn't like.
What's so amazing about this book is it's about a real young man and his dog who were actually named Jed and Dog Jack who truly fought in the Civil War. There is a painting of Dog Jack in the Soldiers and Sailors Museum of Pittsburgh. The author more than likely took some liberties with other characters in the book or events but that is somewhat to be expected since the events that took place in the book took place more than 150 years ago.
I must say that sometimes the writing got a little bit confusing. I personally found it slightly difficult to read when the author wrote in Jed's lexicon but it wasn't too bad. There were certainly some moments that kind of dragged and I didn't think was completely necessary but they were few abd far between. Lastly, I thought the way the author would describe some of the characters was slightly confusing. I was able to figure out what character she meant but it did take a little bit of time occasionally.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books with dogs, pretty quick reads, books about war but that treat the war humanely and don't go into terribly graphic details, books with found families, historical fiction and anyone from Pittsburgh who'd like a little snapshot of life for a young black man in the 1860s.
March 13, 2013
The ending of this book really disappointed me. It is unrealistic when Jed has pneumonia and one minute he's out of his mind and can't even remember his own name and then when one of dog Jack's puppies licks his face and he's better all of sudden. It also makes me wonder if there is a sequel to this book because it never tells what happens to Jack at the end because he disappears and no one can find him so the chaplain replaces him with Jack's puppy. The author did a good job leaving the readers with suspicion but it would be nice to know what the author had running through his mind when writing the end...
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September 11, 2009CWJHF-Bir
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February 25, 2013Awesome story. Learning the Civil War this year with my son. What a wonderful read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews