Orphan Brigade

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First Kentucky Brigade
Active	1861 – 1865
Country	Confederate States of America
Branch	Mix of infantry, cavalry, and artillery
Size	Brigade
Nickname	The Orphan Brigade
Engagements	Battle of Shiloh, Defense of Vicksburg, 1862, Battle of Stones River, Siege of Jackson, MS, Atlanta Campaign, Battle of Stockbridge, Oconee River Bridge, South Carolina Campaign, Surrender at Washington, Georgia
Commanders
Notable commanders	John C. Breckinridge Roger W. Hanson Benjamin H. Helm Joseph H. Lewis

The Orphan Brigade was the nickname of the First Kentucky Brigade, a group of military units recruited from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to fight for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The First Kentucky was the largest Confederate unit to be recruited from Kentucky during the war. Its original commander was Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, former Vice President of the United States and candidate for president, enormously popular with Kentuckians.

The Orphan Brigade was so named because of their status as "orphans" during most of the war. Kentucky never seceded from the Union, but military units intent upon assisting the Confederate cause were formed. Since the Confederate States never were successful in occupying and controlling Kentucky, the soldiers of the First Kentucky Brigade were unable to return home for fear of being captured and imprisoned. Many of them stayed away from their homes for the duration of the war.

Elements of the Orphan Brigade were involved in many military engagements in the American South during the course of the war, including the Battle of Shiloh. In 1862, Breckinridge was promoted to divisional command and was succeeded in the brigade by Brig. Gen. Roger Hanson. At the Battle of Stones River, the brigade suffered heavy casualties in an assault on January 2, 1863, including General Hanson. As Breckinridge rode among the survivors, he cried out repeatedly, "My poor Orphans! My poor Orphans."

The Orphan Brigade lost yet another commander at the Battle of Chickamauga, when Benjamin Hardin Helm fell.

1 The original units of the Orphan Brigade
2 Formally in but not directly serving with
3 Other units to join the Orphan Brigade
4 Notable people who served within the Orphan Brigade
5 External links

[edit] The original units of the Orphan Brigade

2nd Kentucky Infantry, organized at Camp Boone, 17 July 1861
3rd Kentucky Infantry, organized at Camp Boone, 20 July 1861
4th Kentucky Infantry, organized at Camp Burnett, 13 September 1861
6th Kentucky Infantry, organized at Bowling Green, 19 November 1861
9th Kentucky Infantry, organized at Bowling Green, 3 October 1861, as the 5th Kentucky Infantry (preliminary organization; final organization not complete until 15 May 1862 (Thompson, p. 434)
Cobb's Battery, organized at Bowling Green, 20 September 1861
Graves' Battery, organized at Bowling Green, 8 November 1861
Byrne's Battery, organized in Washington County, MS, July 1861. (Disbanded during the summer of 1862, at Vicksburg, Mississippi, with men and guns being transferred into Cobb's Battery.
Morgan's Men, organized at Bowling Green, 5 November 1861