Best/Favorite Brigades of the Civil War.

[Legion]

I know this is subjective and has been talked about for ages, but I'm bored and thought it be an interesting discussion.

In your opinion what brigades/units are the best (or your favorite) brigades in the civil war and why?


My personal pics:

Union:
US Regulars.
True professional soldiers that were confident and steadfast in battle, of all the union units that served in the civil war none could hold a candle to the US Regulars imo. Their courage and professionalism during the war in pretty incredible imo, especially after hearing their account at Gettysburg.

One of my favorite quotes of the war was by some unknown soldier at Gettysburg who stated:
“For two years the U.S. Regulars taught us how to be soldiers. In the Wheatfield at Gettysburg, they taught us how to die like soldiers.”


CSA:
So many choices for the Confederacy but imo the two best units were Hoods Texans and Hays Louisiana Tigers, no units in Confederacy (in the ANV at least) are as famous as these two Brigades (except for maybe stonewall).
I wont say much about these two brigades since their reputation is well known but the heroism and fighting spirit of these two brigades pretty much define what I think of Confederate soldiers.


My favorite regiment of all time due to personal bias is the 20th Georgia of Bennings Brigade.
This was my 3rd Great Grandfathers regiment and the more I read about what they did the more I like them.

Their actions at antietam was nothing but heroic and a David vs Goliath type event. They held of Burnside long enough (for over 3-5 hours) for confederate reinforcement to arrive, only reason they retreated was due to running out of ammunition.

After Antietam they served with honor in battles such as Gettysburg fighting alongside Texans at triangular field/devils den and in the slaughter pen (my grandfather was wounded during the fighting at devils den). They also served honorably alongside the Texans again at Chickamauga and the Wilderness (where my ancestor lost his leg).

Overall the 20th Georgia is my favorite unit of the Civil War, this is mostly due to it being my direct ancestors regiment but also because of their actions in battles such as Antietam and Gettysburg.
My second favorite has to be 9th Louisiana from Hays Brigade followed by the 1st Texas.

[A. P. Hill]

Why settle for a Brigade, when you can have a Division? :)

The Light Division, of course.

[Sox]

Hands down it's the Irish Brigade for me. Even though they were never quite the same after Fredericksburg, it's hard to find a unit that quite liked fighting as much as they did. If you elect to keep smoothbores because rifled can't fire buck and ball...then you're men to be feared.

[yoyo8346]

I'm not really interested in making the 'best brigade' argument, but I will say who my favorite is.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/James_L_Kemper.jpg/220px-James_L_Kemper.jpg

For me, it's Kemper's Brigade. Something about James Kemper being a popular politician and Speaker of the House of Virginia while simultaneously leading a brigade always attracted me. He was against secession before the start of the war, but like many, couldn't bring himself to fight his own state. It's probably not that far-fetched to see him as an opportunist that was just in it for the votes. :p

His brigade was eventually (and unfortunately) assigned to George Pickett's division and participated in the charge on the third day of Gettysburg in probably the worst position of the advancing body, the extreme right, where they took enfilade fire from the Round Tops and the South end of Cemetery Ridge. Needless to say, he was wounded badly. He survived the war and returned to state politics.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Pickett%27s-Charge-detail.png/800px-Pickett%27s-Charge-detail.png

[brentcarter]

For me it's rodes brigade. Smart aggressive fighting.

[Warboy]

All these brigades are featured in the Napoleon Total War American Civil War mod by the way.

[Mogyoro15]

1st New Jersey Brigade for me. Can’t wait for south mountain to be added to this game in the far future

[Kyle422]

The Philadelphia brigade for me. has a bunch of irish in it that were treated like shit but on the battle field they proved to be one of the fierce fighting force and one of the reasons why pickets charge failed. The 69th PA part of the Philly brigade. Single handed held back a good portion of pickets charge much so that all the other regiments around them thought they were destroyed. They are the only monument at the angle at Gettysburg to have a chain where their line was because they didn't break. Those damn stubborn Irish.

[T_Patch]

My choice, as a proud Texan, is Hood's Texas Brigade.

When a British journalist remarked about the ragtag uniforms worn by Civil War soldiers of Hood's Texas Brigade, General Robert E. Lee replied:

"Never mind the raggedness. The enemy never sees the backs of my Texans."

---- from "Texas: An Album of History," James Haley, 1985

[Shiloh]

My choice, as a proud Texan, is Hood's Texas Brigade.

When a British journalist remarked about the ragtag uniforms worn by Civil War soldiers of Hood's Texas Brigade, General Robert E. Lee replied:

"Never mind the raggedness. The enemy never sees the backs of my Texans."

---- from "Texas: An Album of History," James Haley, 1985

You should feel proud. I just started reading... Texans at Antietam: A Terrible Clash of Arms. So far so good and the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas really showed up that day even though they were largely outnumbered at that point. The 1st Texas in particular fought bravely out ahead of the rest of the brigade and took horrific casualties at 80+%.

[Saris]

You should feel proud. I just started reading... Texans at Antietam: A Terrible Clash of Arms. So far so good and the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas really showed up that day even though they were largely outnumbered at that point. The 1st Texas in particular fought bravely out ahead of the rest of the brigade and took horrific casualties at 80+%.

The 1st Texas at Antietam took the highest percentage of casualties (82.3%) out of any regiment, on either side, of the entire war. The only regiment that would come close would be the 1st Minnesota at the battle of Gettysburg (82%)

[Ramirez Nicholas J.]

You should feel proud. I just started reading... Texans at Antietam: A Terrible Clash of Arms. So far so good and the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas really showed up that day even though they were largely outnumbered at that point. The 1st Texas in particular fought bravely out ahead of the rest of the brigade and took horrific casualties at 80+%.

Very cool! I was just studying civil war and reconstruction. Reading detailed accounts of a single battle would be cool though.

[Bravescot]

Got the be General John McArthur's Highland Brigade. You want something dealt with proper, use Scots.

[SwingKid148]

Got the be General John McArthur's Highland Brigade. You want something dealt with proper, use Scots.


https://youtu.be/wd0M1IBwpyM?t=41

Skip to 0:42 :p

[Dman979]

Got the be General John McArthur's Highland Brigade. You want something dealt with proper, use Scots.

Anything except for cooking, that is. Haggis is a deadly weapon, one of the precursors to hand grenades.

Best,
Dman979

[Cairnsy44]

The Vermont Brigade.

[Joshua Chamberlain]

The 1st Texas at Antietam took the highest percentage of casualties (82.3%) out of any regiment, on either side, of the entire war. The only regiment that would come close would be the 1st Minnesota at the battle of Gettysburg (82%)

some company of the 11th Mississippi took 100 % at Gettysburg

[Saris]

some company of the 11th Mississippi took 100 % at Gettysburg

That's correct yet that's only a company, the company you are talking about is 11th Mississippi Company A, the famous University Greys. I'm talking about regiments. The 11th Mississippi only lost 53% of its men at Gettysburg, which includes the entirety of Company A.

For the 1st Texas at Antietam, Company F lost all of its men, Company A had 1 survivor, C had 2 and E had 3.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Greys

[Shiloh]

Very cool! I was just studying civil war and reconstruction. Reading detailed accounts of a single battle would be cool though.

They are newspaper, soldier and officer accounts. It was amusing to see the southern newspapers say stuff like, 'the loss to our army was 200 and we took 40,000 prisoners.'

[Cairnsy44]

They are newspaper, soldier and officer accounts. It was amusing to see the southern newspapers say stuff like, 'the loss to our army was 200 and we took 40,000 prisoners.'

Ah, propaganda!

[JaegerCoyote]

The Iron Brigade of the West aka the "Black Hat Brigade" and 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XIII Corps (My ancestor fought in this brigade during Vicksburg)

[Irish Brigade 19th/16th]

The 69th Infantry Regiment



Known as the "Fighting 69th"

Part of the Irish Brigade", then 3,000 strong, saw heavy action during the Seven Days battles.

At Malvern Hill, the 69th led the brigade in a charge against advancing Southern troops. The 69th forced the retreat of the famed Confederate Irish Regiment Louisiana Tigers, an event for which General Robert E. Lee gave the regiment its nickname, "The Fighting 69th".

At Antietam, General Meagher personally led the 69th as the Irish Brigade charged the Sunken Road. They fought for three hours and made five charges against dug-in Confederate forces at the Sunken Road. Fighting became hand to hand as the 69th charged into Confederates lines.

Eight colour bearers were shot down. General Meagher had his horse shot out from under him and he was carried unconscious from the battlefield. Suffering devastating casualties, the 69th withdrew. They suffered 60% casualties.

https://www.warofrightsforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=10643&d=1551647781


On 21 December 1849 the First Irish Regiment was adopted by the state. Michael Doheny, Richard O’Gorman, and James Huston, (who had participated in the failed Irish Revolt of 1848) and Michael Phelan, who had not, all believed in training soldiers within the New York State Militia to free Ireland.

As a result, the "original Ninth Regiment", formed in 1799, was disbanded 27 May 1850 and its companies transferred to the Eighth Regiment. Two days later, on 29 May 1850, the First Irish Regiment was mustered into the New York State Militia as the 9th Regiment with Colonel Benjamin Clinton Ferris, Commander.

The Second Irish Regiment was organized on 12 October 1851 and mustered into the New York State Militia on 1 November 1851 as the 69th Regiment. Michael Doheny left the 9th and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 69th. In May 1852, the 72d Regiment, was established on Long Island.

Thomas Francis Meagher, another leader of the failed Rebellion of 1848, escaped to New York in 1852. Doheny then began to organize another Irish Regiment with Meagher as the commander. Doheny left the 69th to become the Lt. Colonel of this new 75th Regiment formed from new and existing companies as the Republican Rifles (4th Irish Regiment). Since Meagher was rarely in New York, Doheny was the actual commander.

The Irish Brigade was now substantially in place by the summer of 1853.
Leaders moved between the three regiments throughout the 1850s. Captain James Huston left the 9th to join the 69th as did Michael Doheny. Meagher was elected lieutenant colonel by the 69th in 1855 but declined the position as he was not a citizen. The three Irish regiments co-existed until late 1858 when all three were rolled into the 69th. Thus the rest of the Irish Brigade went out of existence until the Civil War.

The 9th Regiment ceased to exist until 1859 when it was once again organized.



https://youtu.be/XZImaphtCaY

[Galahad]

The 69th Infantry Regiment



Known as the "Fighting 69th"

Part of the Irish Brigade", then 3,000 strong, saw heavy action during the Seven Days battles.

At Malvern Hill, the 69th led the brigade in a charge against advancing Southern troops. The 69th forced the retreat of the famed Confederate Irish Regiment Louisiana Tigers, an event for which General Robert E. Lee gave the regiment its nickname, "The Fighting 69th".

At Antietam, General Meagher personally led the 69th as the Irish Brigade charged the Sunken Road. They fought for three hours and made five charges against dug-in Confederate forces at the Sunken Road. Fighting became hand to hand as the 69th charged into Confederates lines.

Eight colour bearers were shot down. General Meagher had his horse shot out from under him and he was carried unconscious from the battlefield. Suffering devastating casualties, the 69th withdrew. They suffered 60% casualties.

On 21 December 1849 the First Irish Regiment was adopted by the state. Michael Doheny, Richard O’Gorman, and James Huston, (who had participated in the failed Irish Revolt of 1848) and Michael Phelan, who had not, all believed in training soldiers within the New York State Militia to free Ireland.

As a result, the "original Ninth Regiment", formed in 1799, was disbanded 27 May 1850 and its companies transferred to the Eighth Regiment. Two days later, on 29 May 1850, the First Irish Regiment was mustered into the New York State Militia as the 9th Regiment with Colonel Benjamin Clinton Ferris, Commander.

The Second Irish Regiment was organized on 12 October 1851 and mustered into the New York State Militia on 1 November 1851 as the 69th Regiment. Michael Doheny left the 9th and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 69th. In May 1852, the 72d Regiment, was established on Long Island.

Thomas Francis Meagher, another leader of the failed Rebellion of 1848, escaped to New York in 1852. Doheny then began to organize another Irish Regiment with Meagher as the commander. Doheny left the 69th to become the Lt. Colonel of this new 75th Regiment formed from new and existing companies as the Republican Rifles (4th Irish Regiment). Since Meagher was rarely in New York, Doheny was the actual commander.

The Irish Brigade was now substantially in place by the summer of 1853.
Leaders moved between the three regiments throughout the 1850s. Captain James Huston left the 9th to join the 69th as did Michael Doheny. Meagher was elected lieutenant colonel by the 69th in 1855 but declined the position as he was not a citizen. The three Irish regiments co-existed until late 1858 when all three were rolled into the 69th. Thus the rest of the Irish Brigade went out of existence until the Civil War.

The 9th Regiment ceased to exist until 1859 when it was once again organized.



https://youtu.be/My1SzxWP_0k


https://youtu.be/EQL_EQi3M3o


My heart fights for the south but here are a few pictures I took of the old armory a couple weeks ago that I shared with my regiment

10639
10640
10641

Edit: one day I'll get better at posting pictures on here lol

[Irish Brigade 19th/16th]

Galahad

Thank you for posting your pictures.



https://youtu.be/XZImaphtCaY

[Henry M.]

Armistead Brigade. The only ones that made it to the stonewall