The Snarly Yow

A plaque alongside the old National Road in Boonsboro, Maryland, warns the passerby to beware of the "snarly yow," a dog spirit said to appear in various spots around Western Maryland and in West Virginia.  Though often associated with local events occuring during the Civil War, the "snarly yow," like the "snallygaster," the story seems to have originated with 18th century German immigrant folk tales.