Old Abe The War Eagle of Wisconsin ,Albery Allson Whitman was a 19th century African American poet who, despite being born into slavery, carved out a career for himself as a poet and orator. He served as a pastor throughout the south and mid-western regions of the United States. His poetry was universally well received and he became known as the “Poet Laureate of the Negro Race”. He is included in the anthology African-American Poetry of the Nineteenth Century where his efforts are described as “attempts at full-blown Romantic poetry”. Some even compared his verse to that written by well-known American and British authors who wrote in the Romantic tradition. One of Whitman’s poems is called Ye Bards of England which extols the virtues of the great literary figures from English history and begins:
Old Abe The War Eagle of Wisconsin by Albery Allson Whitman
Heard ye of “Old Abe,” the war eagle who went
From his home by the Lakes to the far sunny coasts,
To share the brave fortunes of that regiment
Which numbered the Eighth in Wisconsin’s proud hosts?
When army clouds mingled in that civil storm
Which hung o’er the Nation in deep low’ring gloom,
Above a horizon of breastworks his form,
The emblem of Liberty, proudly did plume.
Away in the dimness of uncertain strife
He spread his bold flight towards Victory’s sky —
Tho’ treason smote hard at the National life —
And soared to her parapets looking on high.
From whence mangled Slavery, low at the feet
Of proud stamping battle, he stooped then to spurn,
And homeward flew back with the brave boys to meet
The loved ones who wainted to hail their return.
