A Bloodhound Betrays His Own Master on a Mississippi Plantation

In November 1863, about 100 miles above Vicksburg along the Mississippi River at Skipwith's Landing, three companies of the 3rd U.S. Colored Cavalry and a battalion of the 4th Illinois Cavalry established a base of operations to keep enemy cavalry and other raiders out of the area and away from Union steamboats carrying troops and supplies up and down the river. Here's a story about a plantation, its master, and his bloodhound.
"Life on the Civil War Research Trail" is hosted by Ronald S. Coddington, Editor and Publisher of Military Images magazine. Learn more about our mission to showcase, interpret and preserve Civil War portrait photography at militaryimagesmagazine.com and shopmilitaryimages.com.
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Image: "Skipwith's Landing, Mississippi River," Metropolitan Museum of Art: www.metmuseum.org/art/collect...
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[@user-cz6ee6nw8h]

As a student of the Civil War history, your commentaries have become a staple of information and eloquently delivered. Thank you.

[@mirrorblue100]

Sounds like an Ambrose Bierce story: The Bloodhound of Skipworth's Landing.

[@dresqueda]

I love the stories behind the images. They never fail to bring an amazing bit of information on the issues and everyday life of the civil war. Great episode!

[@joeparvana9549]

A great story of one of the count!see actions during the war.. As the saying goes...the bottom rail on top now.

[@Loyal-ey2eq]

Could I be 1st! Awesome love your videos, thank you for all you do, researching and narrating this wonderful history.

[@conradnelson5283]

I doubt he recognized the irony of being betrayed by man’s best friend.

[@tttyuhbbb9823]

😂🐕‍🦺🐕🦮😅

[@DoyleHargraves]

As a bloodhound owner, civil war buff, and mississippi delta native, i think i can vouch for this story. I have a 130# bloodhound that is about 50% trained for tracking humans for search & rescue. His first training sessions involved him tracking me 100 yds, 300 yds, and then 1,000 yds. He could follow me blindfolded. Oddly enough, he is ferocious around strangers. I think if that were us, the Yankees would kill him because of the way he'd go after them.

[@tttyuhbbb9823]

I think the bloodhound did not betray his master, litterally!... He, simply, was looking for his master, to be united with him!... Well, that's my idea... Certainly, you know better!... I've never have had dogs in my life, but I love them, and I prefer their company to more than 99% of humanity!

[@owensomers8572]

Not recounted in the story, is who the dog's primary handler was. It is my understanding that a plantation owner would rarely handle a blood hound, this was usually a task of a slave, an overseer, or in many cases members of the slave patrol (unlikely here, as they would have had their own blood hounds). That handler may have been the one who set the dog to find the fugitive.

[@DoyleHargraves]

Funny thing.... the bloodhound was handled by my wife, as she is the training-type. I am his favorite person, but he takes his orders from her. That dynamic actually plays along with your hypothesis.

[@828enigma6]

Sounds like a war crime to me. Unarmed civilian killed by by Colored Calvary while fleeing. Hell, I'd have run too.

[@owensomers8572]

If he was an unarmed civilian he had no need to run!

[@mencken8]

This is a minor incident, hardly a war crime. Such things can take on a whole different perspective in war. My uncle’s outfit that landed in Normandy on D-Day had the rules explained to them, but most of these guys were of Polish descent from the Chicago area, and knew what the Germans had done to Poland. According to him, they only took prisoners when somebody was watching. War is hell.

[@brianniegemann4788]

Hardly a war crime, by the laws of the time he should have surrendered. But one of the greatest fears of any southerner was a slave uprising; it was drummed into them that they had to be "kept in their place" since may slaves would have been hapoy to get revengeon their masters given the opportunity. The sight of black cavalry troopers might have panicked him into running.

[@Peter-jo6yu]

Yeah yeah apply the modern concept of "war crimes" to people who were literally slev owners

[@philmccracken7520]

@@brianniegemann4788 so when the union officer failed to surrender at Fort PIllow , I agree it hardly war crime and should surrender !

[@johna1160]

Ironic.

[@davide9658]

I really look forward to your videos, but this story of a plantation owner or resident trying to evade capture being summarily executed was a little disturbing. The act described does not seem particularly heroic or just. They released his dog, followed it as it went to him, and then shot the guy? The writer seems to have recollected it as an amusing incident in his later years. It doesn't sound like anything to be proud of in my humble opinion. It's similar to a story I heard as a child about my grandmother's great uncle who was murdered by Yankees while trying to prevent them from taking livestock from his farm in Virginia. Maybe someone found that funny as well.

[@philmccracken7520]

Totally 100% agreed and don't think in this man case or your great-uncle what there thoughts were on any issue !

[@owensomers8572]

Wow, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that never happened to your grandmother's great uncle. The "rebel band" being sought is portrayed by the Major as consisting of local irregulars. If this saintly plantation owner was innocent of collusion with (or even being part of) the "rebel band", he had no need to run and hide, and then run again.

[@philmccracken7520]

@@owensomers8572 so if southern unit march in Pa came across a home owner and he was proud supporter of the union , you be fine that they would wanna shot him ? Thank God Gen. Lee had orders both invasion of 1862 and 1863 that civilians be unmolested ands if supplies were taken that payment be offered or regiment commander issue a promissory note ! By the way shop owners and farmers weren't running from Southern invaders cause they thought they be harmed , they ran cause they feared of being paid in Confederate money !Meanwhile there is no such orders from any North Army ! Mind you Union armies were invading the south so this happened alot , Frederickburg Va , Shenandoah Valley ! just to name a few ! and to say it didn't happen to his great uncle , i question your honest to truth !

[@davide9658]

​Well, Owen, my dear man, given your previous comments, your cynicism is not surprising. Yes, it's a real story that was passed down through my late grandmother's family for generations. My ancestor was an old man at the time and probably wasn't much a threat to the Union troops taking his livestock. And by the way they burned his house and barn after killing him. I'm pretty certain this was no isolated incident. When you find yourself out on a limb try to resist sawing it off.​@@owensomers8572

[@Peter-jo6yu]

Maybe the plantation owner shouldn't have "owned" human beings? 😁

[@philmccracken7520]

So a civilian gets shot for ? I don't care if its Slave owner or not you do not shoot unarmed civilians ! If this was done by southern force this comment section would be filled with how horror it was ! I want to be clear it matters not if this civilian was northern or southern slave owner or not ! Killing of a civilian is wrong ! History is being fair and equal and Impartial , period ! I think anyone in this civilian place that faces a enemy on there land would do as he done and run , No matter slave owner , a slave or whatever !

[@brianniegemann4788]

History at its best is telling it like it is - or was. The civilian in question was a rebel by definition, and possibly a supporter or member of the local guerrillas. If he'd been smarter he would have surrendered and tried to talk his way out of it. I agree that it sounds terrible, but it looks like under the laws of war at the time, guerrillas were not entitled to POW status. They could be shot as spies. And even in modern America, this type of thing continues to happen. It's called resisting arrest.

[@Peter-jo6yu]

Cry me a river

[@Peter-jo6yu]

Relax, it was a sleiv owner.

[@philmccracken7520]

@@Peter-jo6yu your afool

[@philmccracken7520]

@@Peter-jo6yu first learn to spell , next be silent you troll !