Rifles for Watie

From the beginning of the novel, Jeff has three dogs that represent three phases of his personal growth and change during the war. Ring is his childhood dog. He symbolizes Jeff’s youthful rebellion for the sake of love. When he leaves, he has a challenging time stopping Ring from following him. He even considers throwing rocks at his beloved dog to make him go home. Jeff must leave his childhood behind to fight in the war. Four years later, Ring is the first to greet Jeff when he arrives home. He takes a moment to recognize Jeff, but then makes it clear that he has been waiting for his best friend to come back. As an adult, Jeff can reconnect with his childhood best friend without fear of remaining a child.

When Jeff finds the dog he names Dixie, he shows the permeability of the two sides, foreshadowing his ability to recognize that there are good humans on both the Union and the Confederacy. Dixie shows how basic affection and kindness supersedes ideology on an animal level. She is mourning for her first master and then allows herself to be lured away and reclaimed. Her name, like Jeff’s name, is a contradiction, since it represents the south when she switches her loyalty to the north.