Old Abe was the bald eagle mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry during the American Civil War and later became a durable Wisconsin memory symbol.

Wisconsin and western-theater Civil War sites, United States

Story

Old Abe accompanied the 8th Wisconsin Infantry as a living eagle mascot during the Civil War.

After the war, his image became part of Wisconsin public memory and later institutional symbols.

Old Abe is archived because his story shows how animals are drawn into war memory and public identity.

Sources

• Wisconsin Historical Society: Old Abe
• Wikipedia: Old Abe
• Wikimedia Commons: Old Abe