The Iron Brigade | Reupload | Battle of Gettysburg

The Students and the People of Gettysburg know how the Battle Started. General John Buford a Union Cavalry Officer, commanding a Division of Dismounted Cavalry set up positions West in Gettysburg to block the way for the lead elements of the Confederates Third Corp, In the form of Harry Heath's division they held off a couple of hours while desperately sending a message to the Infantry to come here with all possible speed. Reynolds knew that he had to get there because he and Buford were Friends and he trusted Buford's Judgement Buford's said this is the ground we have to defend. And so. As the Cavalry held off, furious attacks from the Confederates he waited for the lead elements of Infantry to arrive, and when they did it was the Division of General James Wadsworth, Wadsworth have two Brigades. Lysander Cutler's brigade went into battle on the right side and they fired the First shots of infantry in the Battle of Gettysburg for the Union, it was the 56th Pennsylvanian. On the left side, it was the Brigade of Solomon Meredith, men from the west as it was known then as the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, The 19th Indiana, and the 24th Michigan and we know them today as The Iron Brigade.

And Today I want to tell them their Story.

The Iron Brigade we know as today was Composed of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana Troops. They earned that Famous nickname while being held Under Command by a North Carolinian Brigadier General John Gibbon. Who led them into their first battle on August 28, 1862, during the first phases of what we know as the Second Battle of Bullrun. The Brigade stood up against Superior and well-led Commander Stonewall Jackson, but it was their next engagement to earn their Famous Nickname The Iron Brigade. That name was said to be originated during the Brigade's Engagements at Turner's Gap which was part of The Battle of South Mountains. Which was Part of Robert E Lee's first invasions of the North which culminated at the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. Joe Hooker who was the Commander of the US 1st Corp approached General George B. McClellan who was the Commander of The Army Of Potomac looking for orders. As the Brigade Marched up on the National Road forcing the Confederate's line back to the Gap. McClellan asked Hooker, What troops are those fighting in the Pike, and Hooker replied it was General Gibbon's Brigade of Western Boys. To which McClellan was supposedly said,

"Well, they must be made of Iron."

Hooker said that the brigade has fought better in the Earlier weeks at the Second Battle of Bullrun, to which McClellan then replied that he thought they consisted of the Best Troops in the World. Hooker was Excited because he received High Praise from the Army Commander and he rode off back towards the Battle without receiving any Orders. No other stories have been told concerning the Origin of the Iron Brigade but we do know that Very soon after the Battle of South Mountain the name begin to Appear in Print.

The Men of the Iron Brigade weree easily identified on the Battlefield because of their Black Hats

Around 10:15 AM on the Morning of July 1st, Confederate Brigadier General James Archer's Brigade which was comprised of 1,100 Men approached Gettysburg from the west intent to push the cavalry offf the ridges on the out outskirts of town. Archer's Brigade's 1st, 4th, 13th, and 14tn Tennessee 13th Alabama. Archer's unaware that the Iron Brigade has entered Gettysburg from the south and they were marching along the Emmitsburg road and they were now approaching his position. West of the Herp's Woods near Willie B Run. The 1,800 Men of the Iron Brigade under General Solomon Meredith, marched into position. The units were thrown into the Battle as soon as they arrived and made their way west towards the advancing Confederates. Archer's Brigade was Coming West, and Meredith's Brigade Pushing on the East. The 2nd Wisconsin advanced without even waiting for the other regiments towards Herp's Woods. The 7th and 13th Tennessee Opened Fire against the 2nd Wisconsin and suffered devastating Casualties. It was at this moment we're General John Reynolds who was the commander of the entire wing of the Union Army was killed on the Herp's Woods. He was always found in the thick of Fighting and he was turning around to face his men to encourage them. As they went into the woods and the fight and he fell dead from a bullet to the back of his head. The 7th Wisconsin came to aid the 2nd Wisconsin, the 19th Indiana, and the 24th Michigan Stopped to form their lines and then hurried to support the Wisconsin Regiments. When they saw the supporting regiments coming the 13th Alabama Fell back. The next in line was the 1st and 14th Tennessee and the Iron Brigade quickly closed in. Soon, all of Archer's Brigade was a full-on retreat and the 24th Michigan was able to wrap around the retreat Confederates. As the Pressure on the Front continued to push them, the Iron Brigade killed about 350 Confederates and 240 Including General Archer himself.

During the back and forth struggle on the Woods on July 1st, Private Patrick Maloney of the 2nd Wisconsin spotted an opportunity on the field. They just charged the Tennesseans that opposed them. They made them fall back into Willoughby Run and as they Continued to Pursue Maloney who was quoted as "A Brave Patriotic and Fervent, Young Irishman" Identified among the Rebels none other than Brigadier General James Archer, whose men the Iron Brigade up against. Now without hesitation, Maloney plunged into the Southern line and grabbed Brigadier General Archer who tried to Resist but was very soon overwhelmed. He brought the Prisoner back to the Commanding Officer Maj. John Mansfield who in turn placed Archer in the hands of another Irishman in Second Wisconsin, Lieutenant Dennis Daly. Now according to Daly Archer was so shaken by his encounter with this young Second Wisconsin Private that the General appealed Quote. "For Protection from Maloney." Maloney's Actions resulted in the First Capture of a Northern Virginian Army General since Robert E. Lee had taken over a year earlier, Maloney would be given the Medal of Honor for his actions in capturing Archer. Now the importance of his contribution was enough to merit a note in his commanding officer's official report on the Battle, on July 1st at Gettysburg. Major Mansfield wrote.

"I ordered a charge upon this last position of the enemy, which was gallantly made the double-quick-the enemy breaking in confusion to the rear, escaping from the timber into the open fields beyond. In this charge, we captured a large number of prisoners, including several officers, among them was General Archer who was taken by Pvt. Patrick Maloney of company G of our Regiment. Archer was brought to me, to whom he surrender his sword which I passed over with the prisoners to Lt. D.B Dailey, I regret to say that this gallant soldier, Private Maloney, was killed in the action later that day."

-Major John Mansfield, 2nd W.V.I

While the rest of the Iron Brigade was fighting south on the road going to Willoughby run, the 6th Wisconsin under Lieutenant Colonel Rufus Dawes joined units on the Northside of the Road they charged on the field heading towards north. Because there was a brigade of Mississippians and North Carolinians under Joe Davis that they have turned the Area known as the railroad cut into a natural fortification, it was a beautiful spot as long as you can hold it. It was incredibly deep the railroad wasn't there. But they cut through that area to place a Railroad that existed there to this day. The men would come up here and it was basically like an entrenchment, they could lay on the side with only their heads and their arms and their guns sticking up and began shooting deadly fire on the 6th Wisconsin as they came across the Field. But Dawes led his men into a furious charge losing nearly of his 420 men, as they charge across the field. Eventually, though, they made their way into the railroad cut and now the railroad cut rather than being a strong fortification turned into a death trap. The union men had their guns pointed down on the Mississippians. Over 200 of the Mississippians in the Railroad cuts surrendered to Dawes. Dawes walked away with an arm full of swords from the officers who surrendered to his command it was a Glorious day for the Iron Brigade, It was a Glorious day too for the 6th Wisconsin but dearly suffered Heavy Casualties.

After driving back and effectively destroying Archer's Brigade, The Iron Brigade eventually have to fall back to a position on McPherson ridge it was the better defensive position for them, allowing them to receive waves of Confederate Assaults that continued throughout the morning and early afternoon. On the left, of the Iron Brigade eventually was one of the all-time elite showdowns of combats on a Civil War Battlefield. It was the 26th North Carolina of Pedigree's Brigade versus the 24th Michigan of the Iron Brigade. Two of the Largest Brigades on either side during the Battle would suffer two of the heaviest casualty numbers of any Unit in the American Civil War. At one point the fighting got so bad, that they were 20 Paces away from each other firing Volley after Volley from Both sides. It was devastating and the Casualty number figures that out.

Now the 26th North Carolina was raised in 1861 from Central and Western from the state with Zebulon Vance as its first Colonel, Vance was elected Governor of North Carolina in 1862 and commanded a unit passed to 20-Year-Old, Henry King Burgoyne Jr. The 26th spent the next year defending the North Carolinian Coast. They first saw action in Newbern, North Carolina. Then they went North and Fought in the Seven Days Battles, before returning to North Carolina. In 1863, they marched northwards and became attached to the Army of Northern Virginia. They were given the distinction of being not only the largest Regiment in the army but Also one of the Best Trained. They joined General Pettigrew's Brigade which was attached by Heath's Division of Ap Hill's Third Corp at Gettysburg, Pettigrew's Brigade went into Action later in the morning and early in the Afternoon at Gettysburg and it was there where the 26th North Carolina marched into battle with 800 Men. They suffered horrible casualties in their battle fighting them with one of the largest regiments of the Army of Potomac. In the 24th Michigan, they lost Burgoyne, they lost their Lieutenant Colonel, and lost 588 men out of 800 men. But they forced the 24th Michigan to Retreat. They lost about estimated about 120 or 140 men on Pickett's Charge on July 3rd, leaving the 26th North Carolina with one of the highest Casualties rates of any unit in any battle in History.

The Iron Brigade saw action again at 3:40 PM as they formed in a defensive position with other Union men against the Confederates as they assaulted Seminary Ridge. The Union lines were falling apart along the North and West of the Town. As the Confederates kept up the Attack of the Lines. Although the Union lines were stretched Very Thin, Along Seminary Ridge they have Great Support from Artillery and they were continually ready to keep on fighting. They lined up against three fresh brigades totaling 5,000 men under Confederate General Dorsey Pender. At this point, there were 2,300 Exhausted Union Troops. But, they readied themselves for this Inevitable Assault behind makeshift barricades but many of the men were out of the Open. Four South Carolina Regiments the 1st, 12th, 13th, and 14th began assaulting the Union lines and Exploiting the Gap on the Left. Between the Infantry and Dismounted Cavalry on the Flank, the Union Flank was rolled up one by one and began Retreating off from Seminary Ridge and Down through the Town of Gettysburg. Although the Iron Brigade has Driven off from the Field their Courage and their Fighting Skills we're incredibly slowed the Confederate Advance into Gettysburg on July 1st and helped to secure the high ground of South of Town and will decide the Battle. Despite Getting Horrible Casualties on July 1st, The Iron Brigade remained in line and fought until the End of the Bloodiest Battle in American History.

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