I believe Terrell Suggs on 30 for 30 said it best

"WAR F*CKIN EAGLE"

I had no idea. Great story.

So it will be 12th Man vs. War Eagle.

BTHO Auburn and the War Eagle

I am confused how an Auburn student was in the War of Nothern Aggression. cause Auburn didnt exsist until the 1960s. Are you sure it wasnt a East Alabama Male College student??

"Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College,[8] a private liberal arts school..."

"The college continued expanding, and in 1960 its name was officially changed to Auburn University to acknowledge the varied academic programs and larger curriculum of a major university. It had been popularly known as "Auburn" for many years.[10]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_University

War Eagle - really cool tradition. Thanks for sharing the story.

Thanks for sharing! I'd never heard the story before.

If I had a nickle for every story about the origin of "War Eagle" in the 2 years I lived in Auburn...

War Damn Bat!

The embellishments that have transpired over the years are mighty.
The mortality rates from a battlefield wound during the War of Northern Aggression were 24% or more depending on the injury. Knowing these facts ( or having an idea of his diminished chances of survival ) the idea a wounded combatant would befriend a wounded bird is far fetched unless he was planning on making a meal out of said bird. That being said how many people take a pet bird to an away game ( talk about Jackass of the Game - some idiot brought his eagle who crapped in my nachos ) ?
Finally said eagle escapes yet hangs around rallies the team then dies after victory on the field. All that's missing is him attacking an opponent racing for the end zone allowing an Auburn player to catch up and tackle him.

You guys were full of "Bo" at the Cotton Bowl then you cheated and bought a national title 2 years ago. I enjoyed your fairy tale. I hope we destroy you Saturday.

1864-> 1892, approx. 28 years, average life span of an eagle, approx. 20 years. If the bird lived this long it probably did die of exhaustion.

I fail. I took some pictures of the Battle of the Wilderness this summer and can't figure out how to post an image.

Anyway, it's a cool story.

Sorry - 12th Bird doesn't have the same zing as 12th Man.

Cool story

Great story. Another example of why our school, rich in tradition, should be in the SEC and away from the likes of t.u. Who wouldn't know tradition and loyalty to team (as a fan) if it slapped them in the face.

Is the War Eagle trained or does it naturally want to be around people?

We already have a War Hymn so who needs bats?

Hymn> > > > > Bat> > > > Eagle

Terrible time in our nations history.