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The Iron Brigade recalled by a veteran, 20 years after the war

The Iron Brigade. A Member of It Tells Some of Its Experiences


The "Iron Brigade" was one of the most famous military units in the Civil War. A brigade consisted of 2,000-5,000 men organized in regiments of a few hundred soldiers each; a regiment contained several companies of 100-300 soldiers, many of whom would have enlisted together from the same vicinity. The Iron Brigade was made up of five infantry regiments, and one of artillery: Wisconsin's 2nd Infantry, 6th Infantry, and 7th Infantry; Indiana's 19th Infantry; Michigan's 24th Infantry; and Battery B of the 4th U.S. Light Artillery. It gained a reputation for unusual courage and tenacity in the battles at Bull Run, Gainesville, Antietam (the Civil War's bloodiest battle), and Gettysburg. In this 8-page article from 1887, the writer looks back on its history when memory was still fresh and not yet heavily colored by nostalgia.

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Related Topics: Wisconsin in the Civil War Era
The Iron Brigade, Old Abe and Military Affairs
Creator: anonymous
Pub Data: Milwaukee Sunday Telegraph, Sept. 11, 1887.
Citation: "The Iron Brigade. A Member of It Tells Some of Its Experiences." Milwaukee Sunday Telegraph, Sept. 11, 1887. Online facsimile at:  http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=990; Visited on: 11/22/2009
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