Most of us have heard of 'Old Abe' the famous eagle mascot of Co. C, 8th Wis. Inf. I've seen the story of how 'Old Abe' while in the heat of battle was shot loose from his perch and flew screaming over the heads of his regiment bravely and then returned to the perch. The following was new to me.

Well thats not how one witnessed saw it. After the first volley by the Confederates a bullet cut the cord holding Old Abe to his perch. Another clipped his wing, carrying away three quill feathers. Old Abe screamed, spead his wings, and flew a few feet upward, then along the the line of battle. David McLain [Old Abe's carrier] rammed the perch in the ground and chased after him. Overtaking Old Abe some fifty feet from his perch. But Old Abe would have no more of that. Captain James Greene of Co. F said, "He hopped off his perch to the ground and ducked his head between his carriers legs. All attempts to make him stay on the perch were useless. He was throughly demoralized."..."They [the 8th] broke and ran before the advancing Rebel charge..the carrier of the eagle picking him up and carrying him under his arm as fast as he could run. It was a new experience for us, for heretofore we had always been the victors."

From "The Darkest Days of the War The Battles of Iuka and Corinth" by Peter Cozzens.

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David Upton