Old Abe the War Eagle: A True Story of the Civil War and Reconstruction

by Richard Zeitlin

Book Overview

The story of Old Abe, the bald eagle that became the mascot of the Eighth Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. It is also the story of the men among whom Old Abe lived: the farmers, loggers, clerks, and immigrants who flocked to the colors in 1861.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870202391
• ISBN13: 9780870202391
• Release Date: December 1986
• Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society Press
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.3" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Eagle makes good in war effort

A rather interesting story of a civil war mascot. Abe was captured as an eaglet in 1860 and donated to the company that was forming near there. It is most telling of the effort from the point of view of the basic infantry that fought the war. At times you understand the confusion surrounding any battle and other times you feel proud that folks just like you and me could acquit themselves so well in face of horrendous circumstances. You do not see the blood and guts but you know that it was there and awful. The bird may as well have been any other animal, but for some reason, the aura of the bird and, maybe, the name, created a situation that made Old Abe into a symbol of the war effort. This continued for the rest of its life and on into its afterlife as a stuffed bird.