The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-06-06

GUS intervals that day he sent mes
sages by pigeon, keeping his regiment
al commander informed Of develop
ments. By the morning Of October 4,
he had only two pigeons left, and
about eleven o'clock he sent one of
these with a message telling of the
growing seriousness Of the situation
for the detachment.
That afternoon the American artil-
lery started to lay down a barrage, but
instead of falling upon the enemy it
rained shell and shrapnel upon the
beleaguered detachment. Then out of
that inferno Of noise, dust and con-
fusion flew Whittlesey's last pigeon,
Late that evening soldier in charge
of the pigeon cote at division head
quarters came upon a pigeon, blinded
in one eye by scattered shot and
standing upon one leg. The other leg
was almost severed and attached to
the dangling leg was the pellet con-
tanning this message: 1--WE are along
the road paralleled 276.4. Our own
artillery is dropping barrage direct
~ on us. For heavens sake, stop it."
Immediately the barrage lifted and
Whittlesey's men were no longer swept
by the fire Of their own artillery.
A war bird" Of another type and
more picturesque, perhaps. than these
feathered veterans Of the World war
was the famous eagle "Old Abe" which
served through three years Of the
Civil war with a Wisconsin regiment,
taking part in % battles and 80 skirm-
ishes and being wounded in three of
them. "Old Abe" was captured by an
Indian. Chief Sky, on the banks of the
Flambeau river In northern Wisconsin
in 1861. The Indian sold the bird and
finally 1t came into possession of a
company which was formed at Eau
Claire and which became Company G
Of the Eighth Wisconsin regiment
when it went into camp at Madison.
There Captain Perkins Of Company G
named him "Old Abe" in honor of the
President, standard was made for
him and he was carried beside the reg
mental flag.
When the regiment went into action,
"Old Abe" gave evidence of the wild
est delight in the smoke and roar of
battle. Spreading his wings he would
jump up and down on his perch. utter
ing wild and piercing screams which
could be clearly heard above the noises
Of the conflict. But this Berserker
spirit was not the only evidence of
"Old Abe's" being true soldier. II
we are to believe the stories that have
been told of him, before he had been
year in the service, he would give heed
to the commands Of the officers on pa
rade, or when preparations for
march began. OF his military habits
one chronicler has written:
with his head obliquely to the
front, his right eye turned upon the
commander, he would listen and obey
orders, noting time carefully. After
parade had been dismissed, and the
ranks were being closed by the SER
geant, he would lay aside his soldierly
manner. flap his wings, loll about and
make himself at home generally.
when there was an order to form
for battle, he and the colors were the
first upon the line. His actions upon
those occasions were uneasy. He
would turn his head anxiously from
right to left, looking to see when the
line was completed. AS soon as the
regiment got ready, faced and began
to march, he would assume a steady
and quiet demeanor. He could always
be seen little above the heads of the
soldiers, close by the flag. That po-
sition of honor was never disallowed
him.
''At the battle of Pennington May
8, 1862, the men were ordered to lie
down on the ground. The instant they
did so, old Abe flew from his perch.
He insisted upon being protected as
well as they, and fiattened himself on
the ground, remaining there until the
men rose, when, with outspread wings.