Opening of the Mississippi, or, Two years campaigning in the South-west : a record of the campaigns, sieges, actions and marches in which the 8th Wisconsin Volunteers have participated : together with correspondence / by a non-commissioned officer

              TWO YEARS' CAMP.UGNING IN THE SOUTHWEST. /I*
PETS OF THE REGIMENT—"OLD ABE," "
[s the name given to flie " Live Eagle " carried by the Eighth Regiment Wis¬ consin Veteran Volunteers. He was originally taken from his nest in the northern part of Chippewa county, AVisconsin, by a Chippewa Indian, when about two weeks old, and brought to Eau Claire as an object of intere.st and curiosity, -where he was purchased, for a small sum, by the "Eau Claire Badgers," now Company C. of this regiment, on the eve of departure for their regiment at Madison, where he was introduced, and immediately adopted as a pet, and assigned a conspicuous place beside the colors. A perch was built for him of shield sliape, with the stars and stripes painted thereon, to which he is attached by a small rope, giving him liberty of his limbs and wings for a distance of several yards. He has grown from a little, un¬ fledged gosling, to a full feathered, magnificent bird, the largest of his spe¬ cies, causing his "bearer" much trouble, on many occasions, to return him to duty from the "detached service" on which he was detailed by his own order; setting himself at liberty by using his claws and beak to sunder the tie which bound him to so narrow aud contracted a sphere.
Once, when the regiment was in line, ready to march at the signal, they were detained a whole hour by his escape, m.aking several wide circuits over the heads of the gaping crowd, and alighting in a distant tree-top, from which he was recaptured by an ambitious youth, regardless of life or limb. The regiment has become so attached to him, by his long habitation with us, that, rather than lose him, or see him fall into the hands of the enemy, every man would spend his last cartridge in his defence. Gen. Price has been •p.id to declare that he would rather "capture that bird than a whole brig- aile. The eagle's exploits during the battles of Corinth, the 3d and 4th of Ocober, 1862, have no doubt been greatly exaggerated, and the author aims at nothing more than a simple statement of facts. The string that held him to his perch was undoubtedly cut by a Minnie ball from the enemy; he did soar aloft over the heads of the belligerants, and otliers say he returned with the cap of some unfortunate seeesh in his bcfik. Be that as it may, he is undoubtedly Union to the core, manifesting his desire to end the troubles of our now severed country by all means within his power, responding to the cheers of our brave boys on the battle field or in camp by spreading his wings, patiently enduring the tedious march, or whiling away the dull hours of camp life He is very rapacious, eyeing greedily birds in their flight, or domestic fowls in pursuit of rations, beyond his reach. If it were not for his attachment to this mundane sphere, he would excell the best of us in "jayhawking." He is also very discreet, judicious, and somewhat dainty in the selection of his food, preferring all small animals .alive, such as squir¬ rels, chickens, birds, rabbits, etc., thus discarding all modern inventions of cookery. His life and history thus far has been one of excitement, and passed amidst most stirring scenes. He has filled the place assigned him in the regiment with credit and honor, as a living personification of our na¬ tional emblem, gaining for us the appellation of the "Eagle Regiment," aud exciting universal admiration on our marches, from the inhabitants, who are loth to admire anything from " Yankee Land." Various are the names applied to him by strangers, " Owl!" and "Yankee Buzzard !" being very common.
On our advent into Oxford, Mississippi, last year, a young lady of de¬ cidedly Southern origin rushed from a stately mansion by the wayside, with arms extended and hair streaming, exclaiming in scornful and sarcastic tones: " Oh I see that Yankee Buzzard!" which was responded to from the ranks in such unmistakable language that she made for the house on double quick.
With all due respect to the bird, it is fair to state, that he has seen nearly