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The Civil War Eagle, Old Abe

from Song of Wisconsin by Jerry Way

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about

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln put out a call for volunteers to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Eighty-two thousand Wisconsin men served in the war. Many Wisconsin soldiers trained at Camp Randell in Madison. Three Wisconsin Regiments served in the Iron Brigade, the most famous brigade in the Union Army.

One famous Wisconsin war hero was not a man, but a bird: The Civil War Eagle-Old Abe. He was captured out of his nest along the Chippewa River near Jim Falls when he was a baby eaglet by a young Native American man whose name translates as “Sky.” He traded the eagle to a farmer named Dan McCann for several sacks of corn. Dan raised the eagle and gave him to some soldiers on their way to join Eau Claire’s Company C. The soldiers named him “Old Abe” after the president. Company C carried Old Abe to Madison to join Wisconsin’s 8th Regiment. Old Abe was made their mascot, and they became known as “The Eagle Regiment.” The Wisconsin 8th carried Old Abe on a shield into battle through 25 of the fiercest battles of the Civil War.

lyrics

THE CIVIL WAR EAGLE, OLD ABE

In eighteen hundred and sixty-one,
The Civil War struggle had just begun.
Some soldiers got an eagle from Old Dan McCann,
And they called the eagle “Old Abe.”

From the Chippewa River to Madison,
Wisconsin’s Eighth Regiment came on the run.
The lumberjack soldiers saw a war to be won,
And they followed the eagle, Old Abe.

REFRAIN:
Old Abe! Singing Old Abe!
Singing a song of a war eagle brave.
Old Abe! Singing Old Abe!
The Civil War Eagle, Old Abe!

In eighteen hundred and sixty-two,
The Eagle Regiment knew what to do.
Perched on a shield colored red, white, and blue,
They carried their eagle, Old Abe.

In eighteen hundred and sixty-three,
The war was raging on land and sea.
To preserve our Union and make men free,
In the midst of the battle, Old Abe. (Repeat REFRAIN)

In eighteen hundred and sixty-four,
The eagle screamed with the cannon’s roar,
And high o’er the battlefield Old Abe would soar.
The soldiers were proud of Old Abe.

In eighteen hundred and sixty-five,
The moment of victory then did arrive.
Wisconsin’s War Eagle was very much alive,
The Regiment’s hero, Old Abe. (Repeat REFRAIN)

In eighteen hundred and sixty-six,
The eagle retired into politics.
At soldiers’ reunions he’d do all his tricks.
They’d always remember Old Abe. (Repeat REFRAIN)



I

credits

from Song of Wisconsin, released February 2, 2021

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Jerry Way Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

I've been composing, performing and teaching music for a fair number of years now. I love the pictures that words and music can paint in a person's imagination, while hearing a good song; A guitar is a fine companion for story-sharing. Music is a life-long journey, so the younger we start enjoying it, the better. I'm proud to pass my songs along to new generations. ... more

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