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Mark "Peg Leg" Smith was born in Linden on June 14, 1839. On August 29, 1861, he enlisted at Linden in Company H, 7th Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. On May 5, 1864, in the Battle of the Wilderness, Mark was wounded above the right ankle and his leg was amputated below the knee. He was discharged January 19, 1865.
From 1879 to 1880, Mark was the keeper of Old Abe , the 8th Wisconsin war eagle, described by some as the most famous bird of ancient and modern times. Mark and Abe were the best of friends.
Old Abe's story began in 1861 when Chief Big Sky of the Flambeau Band of Chippewa captured him as an eaglet on the Flambeau River near the line between Ashland and Price Counties. Chief Big Sky traded the eaglet to Daniel McCann and his family for a bag of corn, and Abe became the McCann family pet. Later in 1861, when President Abraham Lincoln called for troops, McCann tried to enlist, but a childhood accident that left him with a limp prevented his enlistment. Anxious to show his support of for the war, McCann suggested that his eagle would make a grand mascot and sold him to the Eau Claire militia for $2.50. The newly enlisted men of the militia donated 10 cents each to cover the cost and the eagle was ceremoniously sworn into military service.
The militia, with the eagle in tow, traveled to Madison for training, and became part of the 8th Regiment of the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Captain John E. Perkins named the eagle "Old Abe" after President Lincoln. After completing training at Camp Randall in Madison, Old Abe accompanied the regiment south. As the mascot for Infantry Company C, Old Abe saw action in 37 battles and skirmishes, raising troop morale as he swooped above them. Old Abe quickly became legendary, screaming and spreading his wings at the enemy. Confederate troops called him the "Yankee Buzzard" and made several attempts to capture him but never succeeded. On several occasions he lost feathers to bullets and saw his handlers get shot out from under him. When passing by, Generals Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, and William Rosecrans were known to doff their hats to the eagle. During encampment, Abe would perform stunts to entertain the soldiers. Abe traveled 14,000 miles with the regiment during the war. Famous for his wartime exploits, Abe became a symbol of valor and freedom after the war.
One of the memorable occasions to which Abe lent grace and spirit was the banquet given to General Ulysses S. Grant in 1879, on the return from his trip around the world. He [Old Abe] had been on the road for some days and was, therefore, weary and sleepy. He [Old Abe] did not take a place in the parade, but had a conspicuous position at the banquet in the Palmer House.
On arriving at the door of the banquet hall the managers proposed to take in Abe, but not his keeper, Smith. "No, sir," said Mark. "Where this bird goes, I go."
But," interposed the esthetes, "this is a private dinner and you have no invitation."
All right," responded Mark. I was good enough to fight with Grant, [even] if I am not good enough to eat with him. If this place is too good for me, it is too good for Abe," and he turned to go.
That speech did the business, and Mark, with his long raven locks, broad sombrero hat and flashing black eyes, stumped up to the head of the hall on his wooden leg, and sat by the side of his plumaged veteran until 3 o'clock of the following morning.
More of Mark's story is at the Iowa County Historical Society thanks to Brian Krueger and Lori Caygill. Because of their efforts, this piece of history won't slip away.
To share your story, write it up and drop it off at the Iowa County Historical Society Museum 1-4 p.m. any weekday or E-MAIL it to IowaCountyScrapbook@gmail.com. If you would rather, you can call the Iowa County Historical Society at 935-7694.