Celebrating Harvey, Greater Cleveland’s Civil War service dog

At noon on Saturday, May 10, the Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument will unveil a statue honoring one top dog and contender for goodest boy in American history: Harvey, a Civil War veteran who worked as a service dog long before that term was coined.

Event organizers are inviting all Cleveland area service dogs (and, of course, their owners) to the celebration on Public Square. 

The bronze statue of the American Pit Bull has spent much of the last year keeping an eye on visitors inside the monument. On Saturday, officials will dedicate the statue and “Harvey’s Garden,” a new pet relief area on the south side of Public Square. Harvey will sit on a pedestal made of reclaimed marble removed from the monument during the 2016 renovations of the square. 

Greg Palumbo is the executive director of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, which commemorates the American Civil War and honors the more than 9,000 Cuyahoga County residents who served in it. He said Harvey was beloved by the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The 104th had several dogs and was nicknamed the Barking Dog Regiment, which “may have been mainly due to Harvey, as he was said to get up on the battlements and bark at the enemy until the fighting was done,” Palumbo said.

“This probably made him a pretty good target, and he was wounded on at least three documented occasions throughout the war,” Palumbo added.

‘I am D.M. Stearns dog, whose dog are you?’

He said Harvey was a favorite in the regiment: “So much so that the men had buttons with his picture made to wear at their reunions and even had a large oil painting made of him for their meeting hall. 

“Harvey was beloved not just for his fighting spirit, but also because he was a reminder of home. … He would … go from tent to tent before battles and comfort the men, likely looking for food, but a pat on the head and a little nibble went a long way….” 

The monument’s Harvey statue, modeled after one at a Tennessee museum, wears a replica of the red-white-and-blue collar given to the dog by his owner, Daniel Stearns. It lists the battles they fought together and is inscribed: ”I am D.M. Stearns dog, whose dog are you?”

Palumbo said Stearns, who was from the Berea/Middleburg Heights area, was a popular officer who eventually attained the rank of captain. With the 104th, he and Harvey fought in numerous campaigns, including the Battle of Franklin (near Nashville) and the Battle of Utoy Creek (in Atlanta). The latter battle was tough on Stearns, Palumbo said.

Harvey helped his owner manage PTSD 

After that 1864 conflict, Stearns “was never really himself again,” Palumbo said. “He became obsessive, suffered from hallucinations, was not able to keep his thoughts straight or focused…. Many of his symptoms would be associated with what we call PTSD today.” 

“Harvey became his grounding rod,” Palumbo said, noting that family and friends said Stearns was only ever himself when he was with the dog. “Harvey became more than a soldier; he was a companion animal.”

Palumbo said this story of Harvey and Stearns inspired the monument’s Veterans’ Mental Health Fair. This third annual event will feature groups that support veterans’ through non-traditional therapies such as music, horticulture and athletics. Veterans Administration representatives will be on hand to explain traditional services, and volunteers with City Dogs will be talking about dog adoption.

Jon Reiss, executive director of the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission, which supports today’s veterans, said service dogs like Harvey can be invaluable.

“They can encourage veterans to engage in whatever makes them feel comfortable,” Reiss said. “I wish more service dogs were available.”

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