The Iron Brigade, also known as The Black Hats, Black Hat Brigade, Iron Brigade of the West, and originally King's Wisconsin Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Civil War Veterans’ Reunions: The Iron Brigade and the Construction of Memory. By Lisa Ungemach Mar 11, 2015 Featured Posts, Marking Hoosier History, Researching Hoosier History Memory is a tricky thing. After the North won the Civil War, the nation began to focus on Reconstruction, the process of putting the country back together.

Contents.Nicknames The brigade gained the sobriquet “Horn Brigade” while under the command of, a former officer who favored using to signal movements. It was also known as the Dutch Brigade because of the ethnic makeup of the brigade (mainly the 32nd Indiana) and the brigade commander. Later, it also became known as the “Iron Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland” following its actions on September 20, 1863, when it drove back an entire Confederate division during the Battle of Chickamauga.

History The brigade that would later become known as the Horn Brigade originally consisted of the,. These units were later joined by the,. A portrayal of August Willich's system of 'advance firing' utilized by the brigade at Liberty Gap and ChickamaugaThe brigade was known by the following designations:Johnson's Brigade, McCook's Command, to November 1861. 6th Brigade, to December 1861. 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Ohio, to September 1862. 6th Brigade, 2nd Division, I Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November 1862.

1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Right Wing, Army of the Cumberland, to January 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Cumberland, to October 1863. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, to August 1865.The brigade was further distinguished by a tactic invented by August Willich known as “advance firing,” in which the regiments were organized into four ranks (rather than two), with one rank moving forward, firing, and reloading as it was replaced with the rank farthest to the rear. This tactic was used by the 49th Ohio to great effect at the Battle of Liberty Gap during the and again by the brigade at the Battle of Chickamauga.At the Battle of Missionary Ridge, the brigade led the charge against the Confederate lines against orders, and was among the first to reach the top of the ridge. Commanders. Charles T. Hotchkiss.References.

Larry J. Daniel, Days of Glory: the Army of the Cumberland, 1861-1865. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2004.). “German Americans in the Civil War,” St. Louis Public Library Genealogy:. Richard Mann, The Buckeye Vanguard: the 49th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry (Milford, Ohio, Little Miami Publishing, 2010).

E.W. Niles, “Willich's Dutch Brigade on the March.” National Tribune (Texas, 1865, December 6, 1888.). Official Records of the War of the Rebellion Volume XXIII, Volume XXX. Otto, John Henry; Gould, David; Kennedy, James B. Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill: The 'War Memories' of John Henry Otto, Captain, Company D, 21st Regiment, Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. Phillip Reyburn, Clear the Track: A History of the Eighty-Ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, The Railroad Regiment, (Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse, 2012).

Taft, W.F. 'About Willich's Bugles' (PDF). National Tribune.Notes.

Why another book on the Iron Brigade? Because this is really the first book on this storied outfit-and it could not have been written without the lifetime of study undertaken by award-winning author Lance J. More than a standard military account, Herdegen's latest puts flesh and faces on the men who sat around the campfires, marched through mud and snow and dust, Why another book on the Iron Brigade? Because this is really the first book on this storied outfit-and it could not have been written without the lifetime of study undertaken by award-winning author Lance J. More than a standard military account, Herdegen's latest puts flesh and faces on the men who sat around the campfires, marched through mud and snow and dust, fought to put down the rebellion, and recorded much of what they did and witnessed for posterity.The Iron Brigade is one of the most celebrated military organizations of the American Civil War. Although primarily known and studied because of its remarkable stand on the first bloody day at Gettysburg, its stellar service during the earliest days of the war and from the Wilderness to Appomattox has been routinely slighted. Herdegen has finally rectified this historical anomaly with his The Iron Brigade in Civil War and Memory.

Composed originally of the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, 19th Indiana, and Battery B of the 4th U.S. Artillery, the brigade first attracted attention as the only all-Western organization serving in the Eastern Theater. The Regular Army's distinctive felt dress hat earned them the nickname 'Black Hat Brigade.' The Westerners took part in the fighting at Gainesville (Brawner's Farm), Second Bull Run, South Mountain (where General McClellan claimed he gave them their famous 'Iron Brigade' moniker), and Antietam. Reinforced by the 24th Michigan, the Black Hats fought at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. But it was at Gettysburg on July 1 where the brigade immortalized a railroad cut and helped save the high ground west of town that proved decisive, but was nearly destroyed for its brave stand.

Reorganizations, expired enlistments, and different duties split up the famous outfit, but some of the regiments fought on through the Wilderness to Petersburg and finally, Appomattox. Only when the war was ended did the Western boys finally go home.Herdegen's magnificent The Iron Brigade in Civil War and Memory, sure to be looked upon as his magnum opus, is based on decades of archival research and includes scores of previously unpublished letters, photos, journals, and other primary accounts. This well researched and written tour de force, which includes reunion and memorial coverage until the final expiration of the last surviving member, will be the last word on the Iron Brigade for the foreseeable future.When we were young, explained one Black Hat veteran many years after the war, we hardly realized that we 'had fought on more fields of battle than the Old Guard of Napoleon, and have stood fire in far greater firmness.' Here, at long last, is the full story of how young farm boys, shopkeepers, river men, and piney camp boys in a brigade forged with iron helped save the Union.About the Author:Award-winning journalist Lance J. Herdegen is the former director of the Institute of Civil War Studies at Carroll University. He previously worked as a reporter and editor for the United Press International (UPI) news service covering national politics and civil rights and presently works as historical consultant for the Civil War Museum of the Upper Middle West.

Herdegen is the author of many articles and is regarded around the world as the authority on the Iron Brigade. His many book credits include Those Damned Black Hats!: The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign; Four Years with the Iron Brigade: The Civil War Journal of William R. Ray, Seventh Wisconsin Volunteers; The Men Stood Like Iron: How the Iron Brigade Won its Name, and In the Bloody Railroad Cut at Gettysburg.Reviews:'Lance Herdegen's The Iron Brigade in Civil War and Memory is the first book-length treatment of this famous fighting unit from the first days of the war until the final drum roll at Appomattox.

Herdegen is the leading authority on this legendary command. His compelling narrative, buttressed with solid research that utilizes many previously untapped sources, moves along with a pace akin to an action movie.

It also examines the changing social face of the war as Native Americans and runaway slaves go into the ranks of the Black Hat Brigade. This is a book that had to be written. It has been by the only person who could do it.' - Ted Alexander, Chief Historian, Antietam National Battlefield'Alan Nolan's The Iron Brigade has been the standard work on this famous unit for fifty years. Esteemed historian Lance Herdegen has now supplanted that work with this first comprehensive, scholarly treatment of the Iron Brigade. Herdegen, the recognized expert of this famous unit, builds upon an impressive foundation of fresh primary source material. This work brings the fighting men of the Iron Brigade to life as never before.

Herdegen follows the brigade from its earliest inception to the surrender at Appomattox. Written in a flowing, narrative style that does not sacrifice detail, this important work is both a definitive history and a pleasure to read. The Iron Brigade in Civil War and Memory: The Black Hats from Bull Run to Appomattox and Thereafter is destined to be the standard for the next fifty years.' Girardi, author and historian'Lance Herdegen is the preeminent living Civil War historian on 'those damned black hats.'

His years of research and unparalleled knowledge of the Iron Brigade are clearly evident in this definitive study of an outstanding Union command. I recommend this book without reservation.'

Pinocchio full movie. Wert, author, A Glorious Army: Robert E. Lee's Triumph, 1862-1863. I have previously read two good books focusing on the Army of the Potomac's Iron Brigade (the First Brigade of the First Division of the First Corps at Gettysburg-a designation that filled many of the Black Hats with pride).

One, by Nolan, is the classic. The other, a comparative work examining the Iron Brigade and the Stonewall Brigade (of the Confederacy).This book had access to more records and sources than Nolan's. Thus, the volume has more depth.

Also, Nolan's work (and others') tend to I have previously read two good books focusing on the Army of the Potomac's Iron Brigade (the First Brigade of the First Division of the First Corps at Gettysburg-a designation that filled many of the Black Hats with pride). One, by Nolan, is the classic.

The other, a comparative work examining the Iron Brigade and the Stonewall Brigade (of the Confederacy).This book had access to more records and sources than Nolan's. Thus, the volume has more depth. Also, Nolan's work (and others') tend to focus on the unit up until the battle of Gettysburg-with much less coverage thereafter. This book makes a terrific contribution by considering in detail the role of the remnants of the Brigade after Gettysburg to Appomattox Court House.The Iron Brigade, originally, consisted of four regiments-three from Wisconsin (2nd, 6th, and 7th Regiments) and one from Indiana (the 19th Regiment). After the Brigade was decimated by Brawner's Farm (at Second Manassas), where they stood toe to toe with the Stonewall Brigade and gave as well as they got, South Mountain, and Antietam, the original brigades had the 24th Michigan added to the Brigade. The soldiers all took pride in being a 'Western' outfit-the only fully Western brigade in the Army of the Potomac.They were called the Black Hats when they began to wear the tall Hardee hats.

Originally, called the Black Hat Brigade, they became known as the Iron Brigade, apparently as a result of their valor at South Mountain, just before the battle at Antietam.The point at which most volumes slow done is Gettysburg. The Iron Brigade arrived at a critical moment and stopped cold an assault by a brigade from the Army of Northern Virginia. However, the weight of numbers-with Confederate forces outnumbering Union troops-told and the Iron Brigade was 'used up' trying to hold ground. They did play a further role at Gettysburg.But after that? Eastern troops were added to the Brigade to bring its numbers up, and it lost its role as a Western force. The book then takes us through the Brigade's work after Gettysburg-from the Wilderness to Appomattox Court House.The book provides valuable detail on the Brigade-with many photographs and with the fate of many of the troops being revealed. The Brigade lost a large percentage of its cohort, partially a result of the valor of the troops.Want to know about the Iron Brigade of the West?

Then take a look at this book. Move over Alan Nolan. This is a new classic telling of the storied Iron Brigade of the West. Alan Nolan set the bar high fifty years ago, but with respect, Lance Herdegen has set the bar even higher. This book was deeply researched and elegantly written. Herdegen goes further than Mr.

Nolan, following the Iron Brigade from its initial conception; mustering in and deployment; through its early training and eagerness to join the fight; to its first real test - a stand-up, give-no-quarter, Move over Alan Nolan. This is a new classic telling of the storied Iron Brigade of the West. Alan Nolan set the bar high fifty years ago, but with respect, Lance Herdegen has set the bar even higher. This book was deeply researched and elegantly written. Herdegen goes further than Mr. Nolan, following the Iron Brigade from its initial conception; mustering in and deployment; through its early training and eagerness to join the fight; to its first real test - a stand-up, give-no-quarter, shoot-as-fast-as-you-can-fire-and-reload, fight at Brawner's Farm against Stonewall Jackson's famous brigade; and beyond its stand at Gettysburg that decimated the brigade but gave the Union Army time to take the high ground at Cemetery Ridge. The Iron Brigade is, without a doubt, the most famous brigade which fought for the Union during the American Civil War.

Strangely enough, throughout the many regimental histories written about the famous brigade, there has always been something missing in the study. With either a dry narrative, or the lack of a continuous thought process, the previous Iron Brigade studies have fallen short. Thankfully, Lance Herdegens The Iron Brigade in Civil War and Memory is the book on the famous brigade we The Iron Brigade is, without a doubt, the most famous brigade which fought for the Union during the American Civil War. Strangely enough, throughout the many regimental histories written about the famous brigade, there has always been something missing in the study. With either a dry narrative, or the lack of a continuous thought process, the previous Iron Brigade studies have fallen short. Thankfully, Lance Herdegen’s The Iron Brigade in Civil War and Memory is the book on the famous brigade we have all be waiting for.

Throughout the detailed chapters, this book never fails to keep the interest high and fills the pages with the myriad of action which these boys saw during the war.Lance J. Herdegen is an award winning journalist and is the former director of the Institute of Civil War Studies at Carroll University. He experience in journalism is from working as an editor for the United Press International news service. This covered national politics, civil rights, and is currently working as a historical consultant for the Civil War Museum of the Upper Middle West.

He is also the author of many articles and other books such as Those Damned Black Hats!: The Iron Brigade in the Gettysburg Campaign, Four Years With the Iron Brigade, and In the Bloody Railroad Cut at Gettysburg. He is considered by many to be the expert on the Iron Brigade.This book has every bit of information any scholar could want on the Iron Brigade.

Their entire history is placed on the table for all to see. This tome covers all the action which the brigade saw through the entire war and is sectionalized for the reader by year of conflict. One of the things which I enjoyed was the section on the Battle of Gettysburg where so many of the Iron Brigade fell. It has been some time since I have felt emotion reading a brigade history and Herdegen does the job well. One of the major points which can be appreciated is the section on Gettysburg is not a carbon copy of his other book Those Damned Black Hats! He offers a different narrative and is not repetitive. My favorite part of the book had to be the final pages of the narrative talking about the post war for some of these men.

Accompanied by maps and photographs, this book is essential for any study on the Iron Brigade and the campaigns in which they were involved. The appendices are invaluable as they list off the regiments of the Iron Brigade and which counties the companies were formed within.

Overall, this volume is the full treatment of the Iron Brigade any Civil War student or scholar could ever hope for.I highly recommend this book and overall cannot recommend it enough. From the action packed chapters to the very well organized narrative, there is not enough time for me to say good things about this work. While there have been previous works on the Iron Brigade, Herdegen proves that he is the all-time master of the Iron Brigade’s history and a phenomenal historian who clearly has an incredible grasp on his subject.Matthew Bartlett - Gettysburg Chronicle.