The Faithful Dog: A Civil War Novel

The Faithful Dog is a touching story about a dog who participated in the American Civil War. The dog was named Barchen and belonged to a soldier with the 58th Illinois Regiment. Barchen and his owner, Louis, begin their journey in a training camp in Chicago. From there, they travel south to Cairo, where it’s discovered that the regiment has already had numerous deserters. The 58th finally heads south, arriving at Fort Henry after a few skirmishes. Barchen has become well respected by the regiment for his ability to locate rats and confederate soldiers. They continue to Shiloh, where poor intel leads to a bloody battle.

This story is based on true events from the Civil War, and it portrays them with as much accuracy as possible. Seeing war from the perspective of a dog is interesting, as they are easily distracted yet notice more than most people. It was also interesting to see the dedication and loyalty of Barchen, who faithfully served his master through some of the worst fighting in history. I would recommend this book to kids from seventh to twelfth grade, especially if they enjoy war novels.