David Herold's dog

[John E.]

There is only one source for that story and it comes from Capt. Rath. Rath was the man responsible for having the gallows built and graves dug. I looked through old Hartranft family photos to see if I could find the pointer but came up short. I believe the story to be true but have no secondary sources.

When Spangler heard he wasn't going to be executed, he too asked that his dog be sent to the prison. My guess is that he saw Herold's and thought it might be permissible. The book I've been working on will have mention of all of this. Let's hope we are all alive to see it one day.

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(09-02-2014 08:48 PM)LincolnToddFan Wrote:  I did read that DH had a dog that he gave to Hartranft. I was surprised that he did not entrust his beloved pet to the care of one of his sisters.

I suspect he wanted to gift the dog to Hartranft because the provost marshal treated the prisoners with respect. He didn't coddle them but he wasn't cruel to them either.