The (First) Iron Brigade, First Division, First Corps, Army of the Potomac

[Hancock the Superb]

I guess now we have to call the "Iron Brigade" (2nd WI, 6th WI, 7th WI, 19th IN) something else because they are not the original Iron Brigade.

Explaination of the Moniker "First Iron Brigade"

[Armchair General]

Gibbon's Brigade will always be the Iron Brigade. They earned their moniker; the New York brigade... meh. Besides the 14th Brooklyn and the 2nd Sharpshooters, who has ever heard of the rest of those units? With Gibbon's men, those regiments will always have their place.

[rvc]

There have been other brigades known by the same nickname. Use of the Iron Brigade name is not taken lightly in the U.S. Army, and the present-day units that have taken Iron Brigade as their nickname have proven themselves in battle as worthy to hold the name.

Recent scholarship 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)

Also:

The 3rd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division is also known as the Iron Brigade. Its unit crest is similar to the medals issued to veterans of the both Western and the Eastern Iron Brigades of the Army of the Potomac.

The 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division (United States) is known as the Iron Brigade as well. Located at Camp Casey Korea, the brigade has a critical role of military deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.

So I guess we can still refer to the (2nd WI, 6th WI, 7th WI and 19th IN) as "The Iron Brigade"!

[Martin James]

And let's not forget the Confederate 'Iron Brigade'. This was Jo Shelby's Missouri cavalry brigade which fought in the Trans-Mississippi.

My goodness, they're breeding :ohmy:

Martin

[rvc]

Yes, you are right there was a Confederate "Iron Brigade" also, thank you.