Best Brigade?

I previously pontificated about Civil War commanders.  Today I've been thinking about those following the commanders.  The question that I've been asking myself  is simple to ask but hard to answer.  If you could pick one and only one brigade from either side to either attack or defend, which brigade would that be?

On the Northern side, I immediately think of the Irish Brigade, the Iron Brigade, or the Gibraltar Brigade.  Of course, those aren't the only options.  On the Confederate side, the Texan in me immediately wants to yell out "Hood's Texas Brigade."  But what about Granbury's Texans?  Or the Stonewall Brigade?  As I ponder the possibilities, my head feels like it is going to burst!

This is not to take away from all of the brave soldiers on both sides who did not serve in a "famous" brigade. But I am left to wonder which troops might be considered the "best" or to phrase it another way, "elite."  I've thought about this all day and I have to confess that I am unable to narrow it down.

Can you?

My name is Lee Hutch and I am a Civil War Addict.

Fighting Fools

Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, Cold Harbor.  No, this isn’t a National Park Service commercial.  It is a list of the major engagements of which the “Fighting Fools” of the 8^th Ohio Infantry took part.  Now, the vast majority of my ancestors were Confederates who fought in the Western Theater.  (And two Federal ancestors who did as well.)  But I do have a handful of ancestors (three Confederate and two Federal) who fought in the, “gasp”, Eastern Theater!

My two “Yankee” ancestors weren’t true Yankees I suppose because they were immigrants.  When the war began, they enlisted in the 8^th Ohio Infantry for 90 days.  Once their enlistments expired, they reenlisted for three years.  After the three years were up, one of them went home and his brother joined the 4^th Ohio Battalion for the duration of the war.

The 8^th Ohio was part of the “Gibraltar Brigade” and their exploits at Antietam and Gettysburg earned them the respect of friend and foe alike.  There are some good references available for them online.  Check them out if you are interested.  Click here for a really good list of sources or here for some more!

You know, if I had to have ancestors fighting in that little sideshow in the East, the 8^th Ohio is a good regiment for them to have belonged.

My name is Lee Hutch and I am a Civil War Addict.

(My wife was discharged from the hospital this morning and is recovering nicely.  Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes.)