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Lac du Flambeau's Famous Eagle:

A Civil War Legend

The most famous bird in American history came from the Waswagoning area, now known as the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation. In 1861, the Lac du Flambeau Indians were on their annual spring expedition into the maple sugar bush of the northern forests. Chief Sky, the son of Chief Thunder-of-Bees, encountered two baby eaglets way up atop the pines and took them down. As the people traveled down river they came upon the home of Dan McCann to whom they gave the baby eaglet who would one day become the famous "Old Abe."

McCann cared for the eagle until it became older and decided to present the special eagle to the Union soldiers of Wisconsin. McCann presented Old Abe to the 8th Wisconsin Regiment at Eau Claire. After accepting the eagle, the company changed their names from the Badgers to the War Eagles and Old Abe served as their mascot for many years.

As a part of the War Eagle Company, Old Abe became more famous each day and provided a great source of pride to the men of the Wisconsin 8th. Abe was carried into battle on a perch in the same way as the American Flag. He withstood battles in Wisconsin, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. After the war ended, Old Abe traveled across the country and attended national conventions, centennial celebrations and many major events. Abe rested in his home in Madison, Wisconsin at the end of his life and actually resided in the Capitol building.

In recent years, Abe has been awarded honors by the U.S. government and military service. In 1999, the 8th of Wisconsin rededicated the Old Abe statue in Jim's Falls, WI, along with a 20-mile trail in that area in his name. This famous bird, born in the beautiful north country of Lac du Flambeau, an area still abundant in eagles, was found by Chief Sky, and then spent his life with the brave soldiers and historical leaders of the United States.

From Wikipedia

Old Abe was captured in 1861 by Chief Sky near the Chippewa River, near the town of Jim Falls, in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. She was subsequently traded to local farmer, Daniel McCann, for a bushel of corn, who in turn sold her to the 8th Wisconsin's Company C for $2.50.

Company C named the eagle after President Abraham Lincoln, and designed a special perch on which they carried the bird into battle. Old Abe participated in the Second Battle of Corinth (in which the 8th Wisconsin lost half of its men) and the Siege of Vicksburg, among other battles. In battle, Old Abe quickly became legendary, screaming and spreading her wings at the enemy. Confederate troops called her the "Yankee Buzzard" and made several attempts to capture her but never succeeded. Several times she lost feathers to bullets and saw her handlers get shot out from under her. When passing by, Generals Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and William Rosecrans were known to doff their hats to the eagle.

In 1864, Old Abe returned to Wisconsin with several veterans who did not reenlist. Nevertheless, she remained famous and was invited to, among other events, the 1880 Grand Army of the Republic National Convention, and the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When not at public events, her caretaker kept her in the Wisconsin State Capitol.