THE REPUBLICAN

May 26, 1899

 

“OLD ABE.”

 

Live War Eagle Which Accompanied the Eighth Wisconsin Regiment.

 

            “Old Abe” was the live war eagle which accompanied the Eighth Wisconsin Regiment during he war of the rebellion.  Old Abe was a fine specimen of the bald eagle.  Various stories are told of his capture, but the most trustworthy account is that Chief Sky, a Chippewa Indian, took him from the nest while an eaglet. The nest was found on a pine tree in the Chippewa country, about three miles from the mouth of the Flambeau, near some rapids in the river.  He and another Indian cut the tree down, and, amid the menaces of the parent birds, secured two young eagles about the size of prairie hens.  One of them died.  The other, which lived to become historical, was sold to Daniel McCann for a bushel of corn.  McCann carried it to Eau Claire, and presented it to a company then being organized as a part of the Eighth Wisconsin infantry.

            Old Abe was called by the soldiers the “new recruit from Chippewa”, and sworn into the service of the United States by encircling his neck with red, white and blue ribbons, and by placing on his breast a rosette of colors, after which he was carried by the regiment into every engagement in which it participated, perched upon a shield in the shape of a heart.  A few inches above the shield was a grooved crosspiece for the eagle to rest upon, on either end of which were three arrows.  When in line Old Abe was always carried on the left of the color bearer, in the van of the regiment.  The color bearer wore a belt to which was attached a socket for the end of the staff, which was about five feet in length.  Thus the eagle was high above the bearer’s head, in plain sight of the column.  A ring of leather was fastened to one of the eagle’s legs, to which was connected a strong hemp cord about twenty feet long.

            Old Abe was the hero of about twenty-five battles, and as many skirmishes.  Remarkable as it may appear, not one bearer of the flag, or of eagle, always shining marks for the enemy’s rifles, was ever shot down.  Once or twice Old Abe suffered the loss of a few feathers, but hew as never wounded.  The great bird enjoyed the excitement of carnage. In battle he flapped his wings, his eyes blazed, and with piercing screams, which arose above the noise of the conflict, seemed to urge the company on to deeds of valor.  Old Abe knew his own regiment from every other, would always accompany its cheer, and never that of any other regiment.

            Having served three years, a portion of the members of Company C were mustered out, and Old Abe was presented to the State of Wisconsin.  For many years on occasions of public exercises or review, like other illustrious veterans, he excited in parade universal and enthusiastic attention. He occupied pleasant quarters in the State capitol at Madison, Wis., until his death at an advanced age.