OLD ABE

The story begins in the early spring of 1861. In the wild north
woods of Wisconsin, along the historic Flambeau River, the Chippewa
Indians had just set out on their annual sugar-making
pilgrimage.

Atop a great pine along the trail was a nest of mud and sticks,
and in the nest, an eaglet. The Indians felled the tree and took
the eaglet captive. The bird was still too young to fly. Chief Sky,
leader of the Chippewas, carried the eaglet back to Jim Falls,
Wisconsin, as a pet. There, Thunder of Bees, son of the Chief,
bartered the bird for a bushel of corn to a settler named Daniel
McCann. Remarking on the incident many years later, a poetic
commentator wrote: ‘And for this paltry sum was a nobel bird
sold from freedom to captivity; from barbarism to civilization;
from the murmur of pines to the crash of battle; from obscurity to
fame.’

Growing eagles make poor pets even for the hardy children of
pioneer settlersand when the bird reached enough growth to attempt
escape, McCann determined to sell him. The eagle was already
magnificent in appearance and displaying much spirit.

During those early days of the War Between the States, men were
being recruited for service. Soldiers have a weakness for mascots,
so McCann took his bargain bird directly to the nearest camp.

At Eau Claire, Company C of the Eighth Wisconsin Regiment was
being organized under the command of Captain John E. Perkins. The
men of the Company admired the bird, McCann made a sale for $2.50,
and the Eau Claire outfit had a mascot. They dubbed the eagle
‘Old Abe’ after their commander-in-chief, Thereafter, eagle
and Company were to make each other famous.

Once he had joined Company C, Old Abe became a legend almost
overnight. Gifted with remarkable intelligence, he became a soldier
among soldiers, more than a mascot, an inspiration to the men
around him.

A little later, when Company C joined the Eighth Regiment at
Madison, Old Abe became the mascot for the entire outfit. He was
inducted into military service in a special ceremony which included
placing red, white and blue ribbons around his neck and a rosette
of similar colors on his breast. He was carried on his perch in
regimental parades and given a place of honor, in the very center
of the front ranks, alongside the flag.

Throughout the bitter, unhappy struggle, Old Abe went through
thirty-eight battles and skirmished, and the Eighth Regiment became
known as the Eagle Regiment. With his wild piercing cry, he was
familiar to men on both sides of the fight and gained equal respect
as one of the brave and courageous fighters.

Old Abe’s remarkable loyalty was known to all and on
occasions he broke his bonds and winged swiftly away and
disappeared. After a short interval of freedom, the kingly bird,
his wings spread to a magnificent six and a half feet, would swoop
silently down to his perch beside the flag. Ed Homiston was the big
bird’s best known keeper, and he never lost faith in him when
he escaped his tethers.

After the war, Old Abe appeared in many parades and reviews and
received the cheers of the nation. He was quartered in the State
House at Madison to spend his mature years and was visited by
thousands annually.

His last public appearance was in 1880 at a great reunion of
veterans held in Milwaukee. There he shared the platform with
General Grant. In the big parade Old Abe was a figure of
magnificent dignity. When the band struck up a stirring march, he
answered with his celebrated battle cry.

The very next winter a fire broke out in the basement of the
capitol where paints and oils were stored. Almost suffocated by
heat and smoke, Old Abe never recovered from the ordeal and the
great eagle died on March 26, 1881, following a memorable life.

Stuffed and mounted in a glass case, he continued to attract
attention long after his death. But in February, 1904, came another
fire which destroyed even his remains. And now, in the new Memorial
Hall, there are two oil paintings to keep fresh the memory of the
eagle who earned his place in the sun.

Mr. Case first encountered the eagle in 1861 while on a business
trip to Eau Claire where Company C was parading. Over the ruffle of
drums and the tramp of marching feet, the bird was screaming his
battle cry. Mr. Case questioned a boy standing along side
‘Where did he come fromthe eagle?’ The boy told him Old
Abe’s story.

Then and there Mr. Case determined to adopt Old Abe as the
symbol of his business just as soon as the unhappy war was over. In
1865 Old Abe began his career as the most famous bird in
agricultural history as the trademark of the J. I. Case
Company.

For nearly 100 years the Case Eagle has made its mark wherever
men obtain their living from the soil. Today the Eagle trademark
identifies Case machinery parts, literature, branch houses, and
dealers. Just as Old Abe came through the battles of a long hard
war to make a place for himself among the immortals, so has the J.
I. Case Company come through the turmoils of more than a century
and emerged as one of the leaders in the agricultural industry.