Old Abe, the War Eagle

Did you know … During the Civil War, the Eighth Wisconsin Regiment had a very special mascot, a bald eagle. The soldiers named him “Old Abe” in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. Old Abe’s freedom in camp leads to trouble. While the soldiers from Old Abe’s regiment camped at Camp Clear Creek in 1862, his eagle-bearer, Thomas Hill, gave the eagle a lot of freedom. This led to some trouble for the soldiers. The eagle tipped over fire pails filled with water which the soldiers had to refill. Old Abe chased large insects through the camp and knocked down laundry left out to dry. The soldiers played games by rolling round bullets on the ground. Old Abe learned to catch the bullets as they rolled. Old Abe wants to be safe, too. When the...

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