Iron Brigade
The Iron Brigade , also known as The Black Hats , was a major unit in the 1st Corps of the Union Potomac Army during the American Civil War . Most of their soldiers came from the American Midwest ( Wisconsin , Indiana and Michigan ).
history
The following regiments were part of the Iron Brigade :
- 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
- 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
- 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
- 19th Indiana Infantry Regiment
- 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment
The first regiments were set up in June / July 1861 in the respective states and quickly transported to the combat area in the east ( Virginia , Maryland , Pennsylvania ). With the exception of the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment , which at that time was still wearing gray (!) Uniforms, the units did not arrive in time to fight in the first battle of Manassas .
The Iron Brigade was formed after Bull Run from the 2nd Wisconsin, 6th Wisconsin and 7th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and the 19th Indiana Infantry Regiment. The 24th Michigan Infantry Regiment did not join the brigade until August 1862, after the second Battle of Manassas , to reinforce the weakened units.
She had her nickname since the Battle of South Mountain in September 1862. Allegedly, the Commander-in-Chief of the Potomac Army, George B. McClellan, said of the men there against a great odds: "They must be made of iron".
The Iron Brigade took part in all the major battles in the east, from the second battle of Manassas to the battles at Antietam and Fredericksburg to the battles at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and the siege of Petersburg .
The trademark of the Iron Brigade were black hats (the so-called "Hardee hats"), the left brim of which was folded up, which is why the brigade was also called "Black Hats".
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Origin of the Famous Iron Brigade's Name . Wisconsin Historical Society, accessed August 17, 2019