- Military - Janesville Sesquicentennial
-
- Old Abe: Mascot died a hero
- It was a common practice during the Civil War for military
regiments to have mascots.
- The most famous mascot in the Union Army belonged to the
8th Regiment, of which Janesville's
- Company G was a member.
- He was "Old Abe," the 8th Regiment's bald eagle.
- Old Abe was captured in the Flambeau River area by a Chippewa
Indian in 1861. The eagle was
- sold to a farmer who brought it to Eau Claire, where the
8th Regiment was forming.
- Company C of the 8th bought Old Abe, named after Abraham
Lincoln, for $5. He brought the
- nickname "Eagle Regiment" to the 8th.
- Old Abe proved to be more than just a passive mascot. According
to legend, "when parading
- through Madison on the way to Camp Randall, Old Abe sprang
from his perch, seized a corner of the flag in his beak, and
proudly helped carry it through the gate to regimental headquarters."
- Old Abe accompanied Janesville's Company G and the rest of
the 8th south towards battle.
- A correspondent wrote at the time that "our progress
was marked by many demonstrations of
- enthusiasm - the regiment as a whole and our 'glorious bird'
carried aloft at the head of our company appearing to divide
about equally the attention and applause. I fancied the eagle
seemed for once to be of more importance than the Eagles, and
received cheers and flattering comment enough to spoil any less
sensible bird."
- In the 8th Regiment's first battle in Farmington, Mo., Old
Abe "broke his cord and got into the
- thick of the fighting, sailing and screaming high over the
action." In all the battles the 8th fought, Old Abe was
never hit.
- Once the 8th Regiment was late arriving for a scheduled hook-up
with other regiments. An irritated
- general asked the 8th's commander what his excuse was for
keeping a column of men waiting nearly an hour.
- "General," said the commander, "Old Abe was
off when your unexpected orders were received
- and the boys of the 8th would not march without their eagle."
- "I don't blame them," the general said. "Under
the circumstances, damned if I would have marched,
- either."
- When the war ended, Old Abe was given a home in the basement
of the state Capitol. Visitors
- from all over Wisconsin came to see the famous eagle.
- He appeared at fairs and soldier's reunions all over the
country. P. T. Barnum offered $20,000 for
- Old Abe, but was turned down. The bird even made an appearance
at the Centennial celebration in Philadelphia in 1876.
- Income from Old Abe's photos, pamphlets describing his war
experiences and feathers from his
- wings raised money for sick and wounded soldiers.
- In the spring of 1881, fire destroyed the state Capitol.
- Old Abe was rescued from the blaze, but he died March 1881
from the effects of the smoke.
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