| Show WISCONSIN VETERANS A MOURN LOSS 1 THEIR WARTIME WAR TIME MASCOT ee N k v 1 A Z k A N 1 e I 1 aw above the lamentations over the burning of 0 the wisconsin state capitol with its hoards of valuable archives and chronicles are heard the bewail ing of tho the old guard GUAM mourning the lusa loss of old abe tho the world faltus battle eagle hundreds of family beartha hearths beia turned into bivouac fires while ve foregathered to swap varne ot of tho the bird that led the eighth wisconsin infantry into six bat tiec of tho the civil war from fredericks town to hurricane creek tho the loaa loss of the stuffed bird that for two decades from its it perch under the threat great dome had surveyed nirve hurve with imperturbable gaze thousands of visitors and sightseers has stirred a revival of stories of the old war pet old abe xa a captured on the flambeau river between ashland and price counties in 1 1 by chief sky a chippewa indian suu sua of thunder of deus chief of the flambeau band of the tribe chief sky caught the young bird after a climb to the top of a gigantic hemlock tree and a week later realized on his adventure advin adyLn ture by selling his hi captive for a buchel of corn the bird was carried to can claire just aj ai company C was being l in tho the lumbermen from the pine woods voted in the eagle as a volunteer and after a surgeons surgen ls examination it was added to the list of recruits cad tind besan began its course from obscurity to fame when the company marched into camp randall at madison in a salute aa fired in honor of the bird which became the mascot of tho the whole regiment it went through tho the war carried lito into battle aloft on a porch perch from which it rose screaming reaming Bc to the length of its cord at the end of the war the bird was placed on exhibition in chicago its value had risen from the original bushel of corn to 15 5 for each feather that fell from its plume while P T barnum offered 20 for permission to place it in his circus in january 1862 at cairo ill old abe who was as becoming cadaverous from a diet of hardtack and salt horse scraped up an acquaintance alth ft ath frank a dog whom he lie taught to go out foraging for squirrels and rabbits according to tho the starlei the canine friend treated the eab eagle gle as an the ravens did elijah ono one day the forager was unsuccessful successful uti and old abo abe dug hf ahli 1 I talons into the dog dogs a back and tho the partnership was over mer in the battle before corinth old abe was aloft in sight of the army whirling and dancing on hia his perch batches made him voracious by this time thomas J hill of rau claire his bearer entangled the ropo in a clump of bushes bashes when the eagle became exasperated and struck bis his talons into his masters face blind od ed tho the soldier rushed down the line followed by his comrades com raden eq who made mado one of the most cie desperate sperate charges IQ in tho the history of the regiment it was in a charge before vicksburg Vicks burr may lay 22 1863 that I 1 old abo abe performed hl hh moat most renowned feat W edward thomaston Ho maston was carrying the standard when ho he fell prostrate hia ills comrades rushed by and tho the eagle eager to bo be at nt the front dragged him in the direction of the battle until thoy they truck struck a log and were thrown hack back together toge ihor into a clump of bresli at that instant a cannon ball passed ovet bead head tell me the grizzled veterans end their talea tales ull nao me will you whether abe protected by providence at alexandria old abe emulated the example of tho the ducks at rome and gave of the approach of tho the enemy at nightfall hie ills whistle bent sent out scouts who bo caught a epy sm whom they forced to give up the countersign and lead them into the besieged city 1 ahe I be bird seemed to bear a charmed life not one of his bearers oua ous marks as they were was shot down the soldiers declared that the binl dodged the bullets in his last battle where a rout seemed imminent old abe rallied his regiment ay y do louring a rabbit on his perch ot of roaring cannon and shrieking shell at the close of the war the bird became a pensioner at madison having a room to himself in the basement of the capitol lie was exhibited it t gatherings of soldiers all over the country and was a side attraction with auch such celebrities as generals grant logan sherman Bb erman sheridan aud aua other union leaders feathers tw frum his glossy plumage sold at fabulous prices and sculptors made bronzes of the famous bird at the grand army reunion in chicago may 11 1875 the bird was an honoree guest with headquarters at tho the grand pacific hotel and later be he placed the stamp of superiority on his character by a three month months sojourn at boston doston A cold causel his death march 26 1881 with a few feeble naps flaps of his 3 he expired in the stout arms of his keeper george gilles george eald said abo seemed to know that ho he was abo t to die for when he asked solicitously must we 10 to abe the bird looked vat fully into his keepers face and then sunk back into his arms around him were lne t ne armed and ono one legged veterans whose teara tears showed that they had bad lost a comrade besides betides the war eagle lucius fairchild post G 0 A R loses many high ly prized mementos tattered etan stan dards of overy every company bloodstained blood stained c in the war weapons indian relics relies and a large library ther there were books of camp incident and scrap scrip book picture albums things that can not be collected again |
