Eastern Iron Brigade

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Badge of the Army of the Potomac's 1st Division, I Corps
Badge of the Army of the Potomac's 1st Division, I Corps

The Eastern Iron Brigade or First Iron Brigade was a brigade of infantry that served in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. For much of its service, it was designated as the 1st Brigade, 1st Division, I Corps.

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[edit] What was the Eastern Iron Brigade?

The Eastern Iron Brigade consisted of the 22nd New York, 24th New York, 30th New York, 14th Regiment (New York State Militia), and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters. During the Fredericksburg Expeditions, the brigade had two cavalry regiments attached to it, including the 2nd New York Cavalry Regiment "Harris Light" under the command of Lt. Col. Judson Kilpatrick (originally of 5th New York Zouaves). The pair of cavalry regiments were later sent back to their normal divisions.

Original Veteran's Medal for Eastern Iron Brigade
Original Veteran's Medal for Eastern Iron Brigade

The veteran brigade, under Col. Walter Phelps, received its nickname when Brig. Gen. Christopher C. Augur began a campaign near and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, from April 16 to July 23, 1862. After the Fredericksburg Expeditions, Brig. Gen. Marsena R. Patrick commented to Augur: "Your men must be made of iron to make such marches." The men of the 1st Brigade adopted this well received nickname. From then on they were known as the "Iron Brigade," and then later on as the "Eastern Iron Brigade."

[edit] After Fredericksburg

After the successful campaign, the brigade mostly did skirmishes and reconnaissance work for the Army of the Potomac. Before the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, the original 1st Brigade, 1st Division, I Corps was disbanded, and all of its regiments were transferred to other brigades or mustered out. Sgt. Major James Mero Matthews of the 2nd USSS wrote in his Journal the day they were transferred out of the First Iron Brigade.

(December 30th 1862) "Orders Came Late last night to join Berdan's 1st Regiment. So this morning after taking leave of the Brigade and Colonel Phelps, we left this Old Iron Brigade. Colonel Phelps made a short heartfelt speech and then the brigade stacked arms and took leave of us by shaking hands." [1]


At that time, the brigade under Brig. Gen. Solomon Meredith, which had received considerable press attention as the Iron Brigade since the September 1862 Battle of South Mountain (at that time under Brig. Gen. John Gibbon), was redesignated 1st Brigade, 1st Division, I Corps. Disputes between the veterans of the two brigades increased in frequency and bitterness. Regiments like the 14th Brooklyn kept up the fight and always reminded their 2nd Iron Brigade Counterparts that the 14th Brooklyn was in fact a member of the First Iron Brigade. The men of the 14th Brooklyn never referred to the First Iron Brigade as the Eastern Iron Brigade because they felt as though they were in fact the First.

[edit] Traces of the First Iron brigade in history

Since the American Civil War much has been forgotten, and sadly the First Iron Brigade was almost lost to time itself. But over the past 10 years much evidence and records and accounts of the actual First Iron Brigade has surfaced. Below are some accounts taken from records and reports from the war itself.

The following is taken from The Union army: a history of military affairs in the loyal states, 1861-65 -- records of the regiments in the Union army -- cyclopedia of battles -- memoirs of commanders and soldiers. Madison, WI: Federal Pub. Co., 1908.:

"In June the regiment became a part of the 1st brigade, 1st division, 3d corps, Army of Virginia, and in Sept., 1862, the same brigade and division, was made part of the 1st corps, Army of the Potomac. This brigade was known as the Iron Brigade before the Iron Brigade of the West was formed."

Below is the poem written by Captain Austin W Holden of the 24th New York State Infantry:

“The Old Iron Brigade” From the camp and its now peaceful revels, The bugles will soon call us forth, The “Thirtieth" and “Red Legged Devils", “Twenty-second" and the brave “Twenty-fourth." To terror each heart is a stranger, Tis cowards alone are afraid, Then on to the front line of danger, With the gallant old “Iron Brigade."[2]

A report from William Fox of the 107th NY states that:

"“The brigade that was composed of the 22nd New York, 24th New York, 30th New York, 14th Regiment [New York State Militia], and 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters was the first to be called the “Iron Brigade” because of its brave fighting at South Mountain and Antietam”"[3]

[edit] Other Iron Brigades

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There were and are other brigades known to some extent by the same nickname:

  • Another brigade in the Army of the Potomac from three western states was later named the Iron Brigade, or the "Iron Brigade of the West". This brigade, composed primarily of units from Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan, was also known as the Black Hat Brigade.
  • Recent scholarship[4] identifies two other brigades referred to by their members or others as "The Iron Brigade":
    • 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, III Corps (17th Maine, 3rd Michigan, 5th Michigan, 1st, 37th, and 101st New York)
    • Reno's Brigade from the North Carolina expedition (21st and 35th Massachusetts, 51st Pennsylvania, and 51st New York)
  • The Third Brigade of the Fourth Infantry Division is also known as the Iron Brigade.

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Sgt. Major James Mero Matthews Diary, Soldiers In Green Diary (Soldiers in Green: Civil War Diaries of James Mero Matthews, 2nd U.S. Sharpshooters.)
  2. ^ Captain Austin W. Holden, New York State Official Records - 24th New York State Volunteer Infantry
  3. ^ William Fox of the 107th New York, Regimental Losses In the American Civil War 1861-1865
  4. ^ Clemens, Tom, Will the Real Iron Brigade Please Stand Up? (August 2000 presentation to the Richmond, Virginia, Civil War Round Table.)