Animals and the Civil War

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Animals and the Civil War
By Erin Patterson
Group Members Kendall Davis and Erica Eyester
Gorman 6th Period
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What were animals used for?

• It was very common during the Civil War to see
  a platoon of soldiers headed out to war or
  reporting for duty accompanied by a fuzzy or
  feathered friend. These animals represented the
  bravery and loyalty possessed by the soldiers
  they traveled with. The animals were an
  inspiration to the worn down soldiers and often
  reminded the soldiers of pets left behind while
  they went off to war which helped forge bonds of
  loyalty. Caring for the animals also reduced the
  boredom that often set in at camps.
• Animals were also used for simple necessities
  such as food and transportation.

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What Types of Animals Were Used As Mascots?

• Dogs and horses were the animals most widely
  used as mascots, but fierce animals such as
  eagles and bears were seen around the
  battlefield. An example of unusual mascots would
  be the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry which
  had a badger as its mascot. Both the 12th
  Wisconsin Unit and the 104th Pennsylvania Unit
  kept tame raccoons and used them as mascots.

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Units With Animal Names

• It wasnt uncommon for military units to adopt
  the names of animals and some examples are the
  Louisiana Tigers and the Pennsylvania Bucktails.
• The Louisiana Tigers eventually became the name
  for all of the troops from Louisiana that were in
  General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern
  Virginia. The Tigers gained a reputation for
  being fearless and using hand to hand combat on
  the battle field, but with the good came bad. The
  Tigers also became for thievery, fighting in
  camp, and for constantly being drunk.
• The Pennsylvania Bucktails was made up of
  mainly lumberjacks who used distinctive yells
  that sounded like wildcats. They got their name
  from their customs of having a man wear the tail
  of a deer he had shot on his hat, hence the name
  Bucktails.

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What Do All Of These Animals Mean?

• It is widely know that animals symbolize or
  represent things and these meanings can be
  applied to the animals that accompanied soldiers
  of to war.
• Dog Loyalty, independent, protectiveness
• Horse Stamina, mobility, strength
• Badger Determination, tenacity, focus
• Bear Power, adaptability
• Tiger Ferocity, power, protection
• Raccoon Determination, sneaky, bandit

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Famous Animals of the Civil War

• Many animals in the Civil War have become famous
  through actions, meaning, or by simply being the
  companion of a famous war hero. Here are many
  famous animals and their stories of great
  success.
• Cincinnati Favorite horse of Lt. Gen. U.S.
  Grant
• Traveller Preferred horse of Gen. Robert E. Lee
• Confederate President Jefferson Davis also had a
  dog named Traveler.
• Old Sorrell Thomas Stonewall Jacksons
  favorite horse
• Jack A brown and white bull terrier that was a
  part of the 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry. Jack
  would search out the wounded and dead members of
  his regiment and only obeyed the commands of the
  men in his regiment. Jack was severely injured
  and captured twice. The second time he was traded
  for a Confederate soldier. He was stolen after
  being presented a silver collar by his human
  comrades.

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Famous Animals of the Civil War Cont.

• Major A mutt that accompanied the 10th Maine
  unit who had a habit of snapping at bullets that
  flew by. One day, he actually caught one and
  died.
• Gen. Robert E. Lee also kept a pet hen and was
  presented with an egg under his cot every morning
  for breakfast.
• The 3rd Louisiana CSA had a donkey that attempted
  to enter the tent of the commander every night to
  sleep with him.
• The 43rd Mississippi Infantry kept a camel named
  Douglas.
• The 12th Wisconsin Volunteers had a tame bear
  that marched with them on their way to Missouri.

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Old Abe The Battle Eagle

• Old Abe was one of the most prominent and famous
  mascots of the Civil War. Abe was a bald eagle
  and was the mascots for the 8th Regiment
  Wisconsin Volunteers. The magnificent eagle
  participated in marches, parades, recruitment
  events, and even accompanied his regiment to
  battle. He would fly over the battle and screech
  at the enemies while the Southerners tried in
  vain to capture and kill the Yankee Buzzard.

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Old Abe The Battle Eagle Cont.

• The Confederates attempted to kill the bird
  because they knew the death of the bird would
  have a detrimental impact on the regiment and
  other Northern soldiers. Old Abe was also the
  center and inspiration of many fundraising events
  for relief causes. Thousands of photographs of
  the bird were sold to raise money for soldier
  relief.

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History of Old Abe

• Old Abe was found as an egg by some Chippewa
  Indians in northern Wisconsin. The egg was traded
  to the McCann family and raised as a pet. He
  received his name as a tribute to Abraham
  Lincoln. The bird was eventually offered to the
  8th Wisconsin Volunteer regiment which adopted
  him and swore him as their mascot. Old Abe was
  with the regiment for over forty battle and
  little disputes.

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History of Old Abe Cont.

• He retired from duty September 28, 1864. He was
  presented to the state of Wisconsin and put on
  display in a cage. In of 1881 Old Abe died of
  smoke inhalation from when the state capital
  caught on fire a few weeks prior. He was
  immediately stuffed and preserved, then put back
  on public display. Ironically, a second fire
  destroyed the bird. A replica is now on display
  as a memorial to the brave stands on display in
  the state capital as a memorial to the brave
  eagle.

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The End!