Title: Old Abe Collection
Inclusive Dates: 1864-1990

Creators:

• Zeitlin, Richard H.
• Borrell, Robert G.
• Edwards, Pam
• Hobbs, Mike
• Lower, Stephanie
• Quenin, Thomas
• Roshell, Marvin
• Scholkoff, Fredericke
• Wertheimer, Mark

Call Number: WVM Mss 34

Quantity: 1.2 linear ft. (3 archives boxes and 6 oversized folders) of papers, 1.3 linear ft. (2 archives boxes, 1 oversized flat box, 2 folders, and 13 oversized folders ) of photographs, 2 sound recordings (1 master tape and 1 user tape), 2 video recordings (1 video cassette and 1 film strip).

Repository:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Have questions? Contact the Reference Archivist

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)

See the catalog entry for current shelf locations and additions.

Abstract:

Photographs, historical materials, and book project information related to Old Abe the Civil War eagle who went to war with Company C of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and then lived in the Capitol as a patriotic symbol after the war. Included are writings about Old Abe, both research-based and as stories for children, and educational materials related to Abe. There are also early accounts of the bird compiled by members of the Grand Army of the Republic, information about the McCann family who originally owned Old Abe, and souvenir items related to the eagle. Files related to the book, Old Abe the War Eagle: a True Story of the Civil War and Reconstruction authored by Dr. Richard Zeitlin are included with this collection. These files include research, photo orders, book drafts, and correspondence about the book's production. Of note, are Zeitlin's bibliography of published sources and his research notes. An educational film strip with audio cassette narration and a video of the dedication of the Old Abe Memorial in Jim Falls (Wisconsin) are also included. Photographs found in this collection include perched views of Old Abe, charcoal drawings, color representations, a “beak-autographed” carte de visite, and images planned for use in Zeitlin's book.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00034

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In 1861, when he was two months old, Abe was captured by O Ge Ma Ke Zhik (also called Chief Sky), an Ojibwe Indian. He was sold to Daniel McCann of Jim Falls (Wisconsin) for a bushel of corn and was a pet of the McCann family. McCann and Abe traveled to Eau Claire where McCann sold him to Company C of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry for two and half dollars. J. M. Jeffers of Eau Claire, learned of the sale and told McCann to refund the money to the soldiers and bought Abe for the 8th Wisconsin.

Abe traveled to Camp Randall with the 8th and was carried South with the regiment upon a flag. He was carried in many of the 8th's battles including Holly Springs (where he was shot in the wing), the siege of Vicksburg, and the Red River Campaign. He returned to Madison, Wisconsin with the Regiment in 1864, given to the state, and classified as a war relic. The eagle lived in the capitol and was taken to Capitol Park when weather permitted.

After the war, Abe became a patriotic symbol and stories of his participation reached Southern and Northern newspapers and the soldiers of Wisconsin used him as a political and fundraising tool. He traveled to veterans reunions, the Northwest Sanitary Fair, Soldiers' Aid Society fundraisers, Milwaukee Soldiers Home Fair, and many other patriotic and political events. His presence was used to garner votes for presidential elections and to raise money for state and national veterans homes.

Abe's health began to decline in the 1870s. In 1875 he participated in two parades where his feathers became frozen. After this, his disposition became more cantankerous and his health declined. However, he continued to participate in events, such as the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. In February 1881, a small fire broke out in a capitol storage room, Abe's handlers reported that the smoke negatively effected him. In March of 1881, he began refusing to eat, lost strength, and died. Abe's remains were stuffed and continued to bring people to the building and later to the State Historical Society's room in the State Capitol. The eagle's body was lost in the 1904 State Capitol Fire.

The Old Abe papers are divided into three series: Biographical, Wisconsin Veterans Museum, and Still Images.

Biographical (1880-1990) contains background and historical information about Old Abe. There are both published and non-published accounts. Most of the published accounts are factual or reminiscences of the bird, however three of particular note are those of Brownell's, Bradish's, and Lindop's which are aimed at children.

Historical materials include a history of the eagle compiled from the meeting minutes of Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 52, the Eagle Post. Some of the information seems to have been taken from newspaper accounts. There are also reminiscences from descendants of the McCann family. Of interest is a letter certifying a feather as having come from Abe and a letter from the 101st Airborne Division (who used the eagle as their mascot) asking for information about the eagle.

An educational film strip featuring historical photographs and press information about its release is found as is a video of the dedication of a monument to Old Abe at Jim Falls, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Veterans Museum (1864-1988) materials primarily include information about the preparation of Dr. Richard Zeitlin's Old Abe the War Eagle: a True Story of the Civil War and Reconstruction. The work was a joint publication of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and was published in 1986.

Correspondence about the project spans the research and publication of the work. It deals with the development for a book idea, interaction between the two state agencies, preliminary research inquiries, and publication information. Of interest is publicity-related correspondence including a letter from Walt Disney Pictures and the Silver Eagle Penman.

Photo orders show the research in locating images and the process of choosing what photographs were included in the book. Research files describe specific aspects of the Old Abe story and that of the 8th Wisconsin. Of interest are Zeitlin's research note cards containing information from both published and manuscript sources. Researchers should note that these have been alphabetized by source to assist in finding specific information. An extensive bibliography of published sources is also included. There is also a 1st, 2nd, and final draft of the book documenting the process of book production.

Still images include images of Old Abe individually, perched on items such as a cannon, flag shield, and traditional wooden perch. Of particular interest is an image of Old Abe that has a bite mark "autograph." The CDV was held up to Old Abe's beak until he bit it, leaving an "autograph." Another interesting image is of Old Abe and his handler, John F. Hill, taken during the Philadelphia Exposition. There are also thee charcoal drawings of Old Abe and a 1905 poster done by J. H. Tiff. Also included is a magnificent color J. I. Case advertising poster featuring Abe.

The Borrell Print Collection consists of a variety of Old Abe portraits. There are also two images of an eagle (which does not seem to be Old Abe) with troops, stereoviews, relics like feathers, and prints of Old Abe books. The W.V.M. does not hold title to these images. Researchers must credit

The W.V.M. Book Project images are samples of the images that appeared in Zeitlin's book. Researchers should know that these images are arranged by book page number and they will need to refer to the page in the book for information about the image. The W.V.M. does not hold title to these images. Therefore, researchers must contact the institution holding the original image for reproduction permission and information.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Robert G. Borrell Sr. (Accession Number: VI1987 Feb 24), Pam Edwards (Accession Number: VA1989 Aug 28), Mike Hobbs (Accession Number: TR0641), Stephanie Lower (Accession Number: VI1987 Dec 17), Thomas Quenin (Accession Number: 1993.94), Senator Marvin Roshell (Accession Number: VA1983 Mar 3), Fredericke Scholkoff (Accession Number: I1998.85.2), Mark Wertheimer (Accession Number: VA1987 Apr 13), Dr. Richard Zeitlin (Accession Number: TR1079 and I2000.10), and others. This collection was organized as a result of the National Historic Publications and Records Commission project grant (2003-075).

Processing Information

Preliminary inventory by Mark Van Ells, undated; processed by Abigail Miller in 2004.

	Series: Biographical
	Subseries: Accounts
	Non-Published
Box   1 Folder   1	Paulette Thompson “Old Abe, the War Eagle,” 1984
Box   1 Folder   2	Robert Warnke, Speech, 1978
	Published
Box   1 Folder   3	Sarah P. Bradish, “Old Abe,” from Little People of the Air, 1884
Box   1 Folder   4-5	H.H. Brownell, “The Soldier Bird,” from 5th Union Reader, 1890
Box   1 Folder   6	Guy Burnahm, “Abe the Famous War Eagle,” The Lake Superior County in History and Story, 1930
Box   1 Folder   7	Bruce Catton, “Old Abe the Battle Eagle,” from American Heritage, 1963
Box   1 Folder   8	Eau Claire High School Handbook, 1945-1946
Box   1 Folder   9	Ray Hoffman, “The End of the Eagle,” from Old Abe News
Box   1 Folder   10	Edmund Lindop, War Eagle: the story of a Civil War Mascot, 1966
Box   1 Folder   11	C.P. Nelson, Abe, the War Eagle, 1899
	Subseries: History	⇧
Box   6	Educational filmstrip, 1983
Am   1 Folder   3	Audio cues (master)
Au   1 Folder   4	Audio cues (user copy)
Box   1 Folder   12	Screening Invitation, 1983
Ov   14 Folder   1	Newspaper clippings, 1983
Box   1 Folder   13	History taken from Eagle Post (G.A.R.) Minutes, 1923
Box   1 Folder   14	Letter certifying feather, 1880
Box   1 Folder   15	Mascot, 101st Airborne Division (the “Screaming Eagles”), 1943
	McCann Family
Box   1 Folder   16	Mary Mischler Hubbard [granddaughter McCann], Memoirs, 1881
Box   1 Folder   17	Henry McCann, “Story of Old Abe,” 1937
Box   1 Folder   18	Mrs. Charles Sweeny, Memoir, 1905
Video   1 Folder   2	Monument dedication at Jim Falls, Wisconsin, 1990
Box   1 Folder   19	Newspaper articles, 1964-1987
Box   1 Folder   20	Obituary, 1881
	Souvenirs
Ov   14 Folder   2	Calendar issued by Eagle White Lead Co., 1908
Box   1 Folder   21	Ephemera
Ov   14 Folder   3	Flag and image
Ov   14 Folder   4	Old Abe and the Eau Claire Badgers
Ov   14 Folder   5	Sign hung under replica eagle
	Series: Wisconsin Veterans Museum	⇧
	Subseries: Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   22	Old Abe Pamphlet, 1964
Box   1 Folder   23	Reference questions, 1915-1964
	Subseries: W.V.M. Book Project	⇧
Box   1 Folder   24	Correspondence, 1977-1988
	Drafts
Box   2 Folder   1-2	1st
Box   2 Folder   3-4	2nd
Box   2 Folder   5	Final
Box   2 Folder   6	Photograph Orders, 1984-1985
	Research Files
Box   2 Folder   7	Bibliography
Box   3 Folder   1	Civil War generals, undated
Box   3 Folder   2-3	Maps, 1984-1985
Ov   14 Folder   6	Southern States (photocopy), circa 1862
Box   3 Folder   4	McCann Family Scrapbook, 1903-1985
Box   3 Folder   5-6	Robert Murphy, 1982-1983
Box   3 Folder   7	Newspaper clippings, 1864; 1962
Box   3 Folder   8	Notes, undated
Box   3 Folder   9-17	Note Cards, A-Z, undated
Box   3 Folder   18	Published accounts, undated
Box   3 Folder   19	Proofs
	Series: Still images	⇧
	Subseries: Abe
PhOv   39 Folder   30-34	Carte de Visites (one “autographed”) [5]
PhOv   39 Folder   82	With John F. Hill, 1876 [1]
Box   4 Folder   3	Centennial Celebration [2] , 1876
	Charcoal drawings
Box   6	Original drawings [2]
PhOv   8 Folder   7	Print of original charcoal drawing [1]
Box   4 Folder   18	Copy photographs of charcoal drawings [2]
Box   4 Folder   4	Color Images [5]
Ov   16 Folder   1	J. I. Case Advertising Poster, undated
Box   4 Folder   5	Perched on cannon [1]
Box   4 Folder   6	Perched on shield [1]
PhOv   8 Folder   4	Poster [5]
Box   4 Folder   7	Perched views [2]
Box   4 Folder   8	With soldiers [2]
	Borrell Print Collection
Box   4 Folder   9	Abe with troops [2]
Box   4 Folder   10-11	Perched views [5]
Box   4 Folder   12	Relics [7]
Box   4 Folder   13	Steroviews [8]
Box   4 Folder   14	Writings [5]
Box   4 Folder   15	Feather Bouquet [1]
Box   4 Folder   16	McCann Home [1]
Box   4 Folder   17	Christian Scholkopf souvenir [4]
	Subseries: Prints	⇧
	Art Work
Box   4 Folder   19	Oil Paintings [5]
Box   4 Folder   20	Painting, Abe with Bouquet [4]
PhOv   2 Folder   16-18	Centennial Celebration [3] , 1876
Box   4 Folder   21	G.A.R. Scrapbook [3]
Box   4 Folder   22	Souvenir Items [2]
	Subseries: Wisconsin Veterans Museum	⇧
Box   4 Folder   23	Filmstrip donation, 1983 [1]
	W.V.M. Book Project
	Image Plans Pages
Box   4 Folder   24	1-4c [6]
Box   4 Folder   25	5-6c [6]
Box   4 Folder   26	7-11 [5]
Box   4 Folder   27	13-20 [5]
Box   4 Folder   28	22-34 [5]
Box   4 Folder   29	36-43 [5]
Box   4 Folder   30	44-54 [5]
Box   4 Folder   31	57-64 [5]
Box   4 Folder   32	65-71 [5]
Box   4 Folder   33	74-75c [6]
Box   5 Folder   1	76-80 [5]
Box   5 Folder   2	81-91 [5]
Box   5 Folder   3	93-113 [3]