Old Abe - 8th Wisconsin Infantry - War Eagle

Item CDV-11519

Description

Old Abe (May 27, 1861 – March 26, 1881) was a bald eagle who was the mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the American Civil War.  
 
On September 3, 1861, the Badgers embarked, aboard the steamer "Stella Whipple", on a trip down the Chippewa to the Mississippi and up the Wisconsin River to Madison, Wisconsin. They arrived on the 6th and were immediately mustered into service as Company C of the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. They became the regimental color company and were given the name "Eagle Company". The regiment also became the "Eagle Regiment". After a few weeks of training at Camp Randall, it began to play an important role in the Western Theater of the American Civil War
 
After Wisconsin took possession of Old Abe, state officials classified him as a "War Relic" and created an "Eagle Department" in the Capitol building, which included a two-room "apartment," a custom bathtub for the eagle, and a caretaker. Later, John Hill served as a caretaker. Eigg-native Captain Angus R. McDonald, the hero of the Battle of Fort Blakeley and Scottish-American descended from Somerled, King Robert the Bruce, and the Chiefs of Clan MacDonald of Clanranald, and last direct descendant of iconic Scottish Gaelic war poet Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, also served as Old Abe's paid caretaker.
 
Old Abe became a nationally known celebrity, whose presence at events was requested by individuals and organizations from the state and the country. Old Abe appeared at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the 1880 Grand Army of the Republic National Convention. Other events were fundraisers for charities, which included: the 1865 Northwest Sanitary Fair in Illinois, Soldiers' Home Fair, Soldier's Orphan's Home, Harvey Hospital, and Ladies Aid Society of Chippewa Falls.
 
In February 1881, a small fire broke out in the basement of the Capitol. After Old Abe raised an alarm, the fire was quickly put out. However, the eagle inhaled a large amount of thick black smoke, and about a month later, lost strength and began to decline. On March 26, 1881, in spite of the efforts of numerous doctors, Old Abe died in the arms of caretaker George Gilles
 
On September 17, 1881, Old Abe's stuffed remains were placed in a glass display case located in the rotunda of the Capitol. Four years later, Old Abe was moved, within the Capitol, from the rotunda to the G.A.R. Memorial Hall. In 1900, his remains were transferred to the new building of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. However, pressure from veterans convinced Governor Robert M. La Follette to return Old Abe to the Capitol building in 1903. That year, President Theodore Roosevelt viewed the remains and expressed his pleasure at being able to see the eagle he had studied in school as a child. However, in 1904, Old Abe's remains and the glass case were destroyed in a fire that razed the Capitol building.
 
Since 1915, a replica of Old Abe has presided over the Wisconsin State Assembly Chamber in the Capitol, and another is on display at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. A stone sculpture of the eagle is at the top of the Camp Randall Arch.
 
There is an Old Abe statue in Park Falls, Wisconsin. The statue is not only a remembrance of Old Abe, but also dedicated to the men and women of the Park Falls area who have served, or are currently serving, in the Armed Forces. The statue is located at Old Abe Memorial Park 155 N 3rd Ave, Park Falls, WI 54552.
 
Source:  Wikipedia