Zack's Return

In fact the sound of battle in our part of the country never meant anything else than a Confederate victory and was always welcome accordingly. And the only anxiety we felt, after a while, was for the safety of individual relatives and friends in the thickest of it.

Immediately after this raid my brother Zack came by home to see how we had fared. He arrived in the night and turning his horse out to grass slept under a tree in the yard with his saddle for a pillow and covered with the blanket. I found him thus next morning but our Irish setter "Don" was lying close by him and refused to let me come near to disturb him. Father came out then to see who it was and Don made a similar protest to him. Then, knowing it must be one of our boys of the family, we called our sister Sallie, Don's special protegee in her walks about the place, to see how he would behave towards her. When she approached the dog ran to meet her in the most playful way and tried to distract her attention with a romp and play in the opposite direction from his sleeping master, who was roused by this commotion and our laughter at Don's clever tactics, and praised him as much as the rest of us. Just an illustration of the wonderful intelligence, faithfulness and honor of the dog as man's friend, like his horse. When Zack returned from Point Lookout prison in February 1865 his favorite horse, old "Charlie" showed the heartiest recognition and welcome and strongest affection for him. They had been in many a tight place together.

Instances are numerous of the dog saving life as well as property and dying with grief for a dead or absent master. Even hounds will resent interference by a stranger to the hunt, with game they have run to earth, while a retriever will divide the kill with anyone he sees bringing down the game, along with his master -- or even in preference to his master -- according to marksmanship, i.e. who it is who hits the bird. And if you miss too often your dog may quit you.