Philadelphia Brigade

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Philadelphia Brigade

The Philadelphia Brigade (also known as the California Brigade) was a Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
that served in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. It was raised in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is the fifth-largest metropolitan area and fourth-largest urban area by population in the United States, the nation's fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research, and the 49th-most...
. It has the distinction of being the only brigade composed of troops entirely from a single city.

History
The regiment

Regiment

A regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. Depending on the nation, military branch, mission, and organization, a modern regiment resembles a brigade, in that both range in size from a few hundred to 5,000 soldiers ....
s in the Philadelphia Brigade were originally designated as California

California

California is a U.S. state on the West Coast of the United States of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona to the southeast, and to the south the Mexico state of Baja California....
regiments. Some residents on the West Coast

West Coast of the United States

The "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Coastline" are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. It most often comprises California, Oregon and Washington....
wanted California to have a military presence in the Eastern army and asked Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers....
Senator Edward D. Baker

Edward Dickinson Baker

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Philadelphia Brigade'

Start a new discussion about 'Philadelphia Brigade'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The Philadelphia Brigade (also known as the California Brigade) was a Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
that served in the American Civil War

American Civil War

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

History

The regiment

Regiment

California

West Coast of the United States

Oregon

Edward Dickinson Baker

Edward Dickinson Baker was an English people-born Politics of the United States, Law of the United States, United States armed forces. In his political career, Baker served in the United States House of Representatives from Illinois and later as a United States Senate from Oregon....
to form a regiment to be credited to that state. Baker was able to recruit a regiment from Philadelphia, designated the 1st California. By October, he increased his command to a brigade, adding the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th California, all from Philadelphia. After his death at the Battle of Ball's Bluff

Battle of Ball's Bluff

The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison?s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Major general George B....
, Pennsylvania claimed the regiments as its own and renamed them as the 69th

69th Pennsylvania Infantry

The 69th Pennsylvania Infantry was a volunteer regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. Part of the famed Philadelphia Brigade, it played a key role defending against Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg....
, 71st

71st Pennsylvania Infantry

The 71st Pennsylvania Volunteers was an infantry regiment of the Union Army that participated in the American Civil War....
, 72nd

72nd Pennsylvania Infantry

The 72nd Pennsylvania Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the famous Philadelphia Brigade....
, and 106th Pennsylvania

106th Pennsylvania Infantry

The 106th Pennsylvania was a volunteer infantry regiment which served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the famous Philadelphia Brigade, which helped defend against Pickett's Charge in the Battle of Gettysburg....
.

Now commanded by Brig. Gen.

Brigadier General

Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field....
William W. Burns

William Wallace Burns

William Wallace Burns was a career United States soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, reaching the rank of Major general in the volunteer army....
, it was then assigned to the Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
's II Corps

II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
as the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division. It fought in the Peninsula Campaign

Peninsula Campaign

The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War....
, during which the 69th was credited by Maj. Gen.

Major General

Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General....
Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker

Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was a Major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War....
with making "the first successful bayonet charge of the war."

At the Battle of Antietam

Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern United States soil....
, the Brigade was part of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick

John Sedgwick

John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
's attack near the West Woods. The division ran into stiff resistance and was then attacked in the flank. Most of the division was routed, including the Philadelphia Brigade. Some companies had no time to fire before being caught up in the rout. The Brigade lost 545 men in as little as ten minutes.

Just before the Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
, Brig. Gen. Joshua T. Owen

Joshua T. Owen

Joshua Thomas Owen was an educator, politician, and soldier from Pennsylvania who served as a Union Army Brigadier general during the American Civil War....
was relieved of command and replaced by Alexander S. Webb

Alexander S. Webb

Alexander Stewart Webb was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War who won the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg....
, in the hopes of improving the discipline of the brigade. During the battle, it defended Cemetery Ridge

Cemetery Ridge

Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg Battlefield south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863....
near the famous Angle on July 2 and July 3, 1863. On the evening of July 2, it helped drive Brig. Gen. Ambrose R. Wright

Ambrose R. Wright

Ambrose Ransom Wright was a lawyer, Georgia politician, and a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War....
's brigade back after it captured a portion of the ridge and recaptured a cannon. The 106th advanced as far as the Codori Barn near the Emmitsburg Road and the 72nd advanced just over the stone wall, before both regiments withdrew to their previous positions.

On July 3, eight companies of the 106th were sent to Cemetery Hill

Cemetery Hill

Cemetery Hill is a key terrain feature in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the northernmost extent of Cemetery Ridge. It played prominent roles in all three days of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863....
(the other two were deployed along the Emmitsburg Road as pickets). The 71st was briefly sent to Culp's Hill

Culp's Hill

Culp's Hill is a key terrain feature in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, overlooking the main downtown area from the southeast. It consists of two rounded peaks, separated by a narrow saddle....
and was later moved back to the Angle. Half of the regiment was posted at the portion of the wall closest to the Confederates while the other half was 50 yards to its right-rear. The 69th manned the wall to the left of the 71st. The 72nd was posted in reserve behind the copse of trees.

During Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge

Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate States Army General Robert E. Lee against Major general George G. Meade's Union Army positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War....
, the left wing of the 71st retreated from the stone wall, allowing the Confederates to pour over. The 69th refused its right to protect its flank. Due largely to the overwhelming Confederate numbers, the 69th was unable to hold its position and was slowly pushed back.

The 72nd and the two remaining companies of the 106th behind the copse refused to counterattack. Webb was able to rally the 71st and move it in line with these two units. He attempted to get these units to advance to retake the wall but the regiments refused to move. The delay might have been caused by the color bearers of the 71st being shot down (regiments in the Civil War usually followed the movement of the unit's flag, since orders were hard to hear on the battlefield).

After Gettysburg, the Brigade continued to serve in the Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, from the Overland Campaign

Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War....
to the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse

Appomattox Campaign

The Appomattox Campaign was a series of battles fought in Virginia that culminated in the surrender of Confederate States Army General Robert E....
, often losing heavily. On June 22, 1864, the brigade was broken up. The majority of the 71st and 106th and the entire 72nd were discharged. The remaining men of the 71st were merged into the 69th and the 106th reformed as a four-company battalion.

During the war, the brigade lost 3,409 men out of a total 5,320 men who served in the unit, a casualty rate of 64%.

Commanders

Colonel Edward D. Baker
Edward Dickinson Baker

Edward Dickinson Baker was an English people-born Politics of the United States, Law of the United States, United States armed forces. In his political career, Baker served in the United States House of Representatives from Illinois and later as a United States Senate from Oregon....
-to October 21, 1861
Brigader General William W. Burns
Brigader General Oliver O. Howard
Oliver O. Howard

Oliver Otis Howard was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was a corps commander noted for suffering two humiliating defeats, at Battle of Chancellorsville and Battle of Gettysburg, but he recovered from the setbacks while posted in the Western Theater of the American Civil War,...
Brigader General Joshua T. Owen
Joshua T. Owen

Joshua Thomas Owen was an educator, politician, and soldier from Pennsylvania who served as a Union Army Brigadier general during the American Civil War....
Brigader General Alexander S. Webb
Alexander S. Webb

Alexander Stewart Webb was a career United States Army officer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War who won the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg....