The Iron Brigade
Wisconsin's most famous Civil War unit was
the Iron Brigade. It was composed of the 2nd,
6th, and 7th Wisconsin Infantry regiments,
the 19th Indiana Infantry, 24th Michigan
Infantry, and Battery B of the 4th U.S. Light
Artillery. Made up chiefly of Wisconsin men, it
saw action at Bull Run, Virginia, Antietam,
Maryland, Gettysburg, Virginia, and other
major battles.
The name "Iron Brigade" came from a remark
made by Gen. George McClellan when he saw
the brigade advancing under a murderous
fire. He was told, "It is Gibbon's Wisconsin
brigade." "They must be made of iron,"
McClellan replied, and the name stuck. The
Iron Brigade suffered unusually high
casualties in battles at Gainesville, Virginia,
Antietam, Maryland (the Civil War's bloodiest
battle), and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Old Abe the War Eagle and Col. Joseph Bailey
Wisconsin regiments became known for their
individual contributions. For example, some
regiments were known for their ethnicity. The
9th, 26th, 27th, and 45th Wisconsin
regiments were primarily Germans, while
Norwegians filled the ranks of the 15th
regiment. The 8th Wisconsin Infantry became
known as the "Eagle Regiment" because of a
pet bald eagle, named Old Abe, who they
carried into battle on a perch with an
American flag. He enjoyed a wide celebrity at
soldiers' reunions and fairs until his death in
1881.
Wisconsin soldiers distinguished themselves
in a number of famous engagements. Under
Cadwallader C. Washburn, the 2nd Wisconsin
Cavalry fought valiantly in many western
battles, including the Siege of Vicksburg,
Mississippi. In 1864, Colonel Joseph Bailey,
with the help of lumberjacks from the 23rd
and 24th regiments, saved a fleet of Union
gunboats and transports stranded by low
water in the Red River of Louisiana. Using a
technique for damming and deepening the
river, these men used skills learned in
Wisconsin's lumber camps to aid the Union
cause.