Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-12
STORIES OF OLD ABE.
Exploits of Historic War Eagle
Related by Veterans.
CAUGHT BY AN INDIAN CHEF.

Old War Pet That Led "a wisconsin
Infantry Regiment Into Many Bat~
ties Had Its First Escapade at Sc.
LOuis-NHrrOw Escape at vicks-
burg, where IL Performed It's Most
Noted Feat.
Above the lamentations over the
burning of the Wisconsin state capitol,
with its hoard of valuable archives
and chronicles were heard the bewail-
ings of the ''Old Guard" mourning the
loss of Old Abe, the world famous
battle eagle, says Il Madison dispatch
to the Chicago Record-Herald. Hun
dreds of family hearths were turned
into bivouac fires the other night while
veterans foregathered To swap yarns
of the bird that led the Eighth Wis
cOnsIn infantry into thirty-six battles
of the civil war, from Frederickstown
to Hurricane creek.
The loss of the stuffed bird that for
two decades from its perch under the
great dome had surveyed with imper-
turbable gaze thousands of visitors
and sightseers has stirred revival OF
stories of the old war pet.
Old Abe, of whom half Wisconsin is
talking, was captured on the Flambeau
river, between Ashland and Price
counties, in 1861, by Chief Sky, a
Ghippeway Indian. Chief Sky caught
the young bird after Il climb to the
top of a gigantic hemlock tree and a
week later realized on his adventure
by selling his captive for n bushel Of
corn. The bird was carried to Eau
Claire just as Company G was being
mustered in. The lumbermen from the
pine woods voted in the eagle as a vol
unteer, and after a surgeons examina-
ton il was added to the list of recruits
and began its course from obscurlty to
fame
Stories of Old Abe, as they pass
among the veterans, credit him with
miraculous feats and achievements. 1t
was in st. Louis, on the way to the
front, that the bird had it's first es-
capade. The veterans say that it was
annoyed by negroes, who sneeringly
called it "buzzard' and crow" but at
any rate the eagle broke its cord and
scared above the chimney tops and
was captured with difficulty after the
standard bearer had Modified it with
an address in the Chippeway tongue.
In January, 1862, at Cairo, ILL.,, Old
Abe, who was becoming cadaverous
from a diet of hard tack and salt
horse" scraped up an acquaintance
with Frank, a dog that he taught to
go out foraging for squirrels and rab-
bits. According to the stories, the ca
nine friend treated the eagle as the
ravens did Elijah. One day the for
ager was unsuccessful, and Old Abe
dug his talons into the dogs back, and
the partnership was over.
In the battle before COrinth, Old Abe
was alOft in sight of the army, "whirl-
ing and dancing on his perch" Bat
ties made him voracious by this time.
j. Hill of Eau Claire, his
bearer, unavoidably entangled the rope
in clump OF bushes, when the eagle
became exasperated and struck his
talons into his masters face. Blinded,
the soldier rushed down the line, fol-
lowed by his comrades, who made one
Of the most desperate charges In the
history of the regiment.
1t was I'm a charge before Vicksburg,
May %, 1868, that Old Abe performed
MS most renowned feat. w Edward
domaston was carrying the standard
when he fell PROSTATE. His comrades
'ushed by and the eagle, eager to be
1t the front, dragged him I'm the direC-
ion of the battle until they struck q
Og and were thrown back together
nto n clump of bushes At that in
slant a cannon ball passed overhead.
AT Alexandria Old Abe emulated the
example of the geese at Rome and
rave warning of the approach of the
Enemy at nightfall. His whistle sent
tut scouts, who caught a spy. whom
hey forced to give up the countersign
nd lead them into the besieged city.
The bird seemed to bear a charmed
ife. Not one Of his bearers. consplcu-
us marks as they were, was shot
own. The soldiers declared that tho
,lrd lodged the bullets. I'm his last
,attle. where a rout seemed imminent,
I'D Abe rallied his regiment by de-
curing rabbit on his perch, needless
f roaring cannon and shrieking shell.
At the close Of the war the bird be-
anne pensioner at Madison, having n
DOM to himself in the basement OF the
apitol. He was exhibited at gather
lgs of soldiers all over the country.
cold caused the birds death, March
6. 1881
Figuring IL Ont.
did the old lady give you anything
Vhen you took her trunk upstairs with
ut knockin' the lid OFF, inquired the
Tsf Dorfer