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| Excelsior Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Excelsior Brigade |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | Union |
| Branch | Union Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Active | 1861–1863 |
| Notable commanders | Daniel Sickles, William W. Averell, Samuel K. Zook |
Excelsior Brigade The Excelsior Brigade was a volunteer infantry formation raised from New York during the American Civil War that served in the Army of the Potomac and fought in major campaigns such as the Peninsula Campaign, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Overland Campaign. Organized under the leadership of Daniel Sickles and integrated into divisions commanded by figures like Daniel Butterfield, the brigade gained a reputation during engagements at Fair Oaks (Seven Pines), Antietam, and Fredericksburg. Its service intersected with units and commanders including the I Corps, II Corps, garrison elements, and corps commanders such as Joseph Hooker and George G. Meade.
Recruitment for the brigade began in New York City under the auspices of Daniel Sickles, a former Congressman and diplomat, who raised regiments including the 70th New York, 71st New York, 72nd New York, 73rd New York, and 74th New York. The brigade formed within the structure of the Army of the Potomac and was assigned to brigades, divisions, and corps led by officers such as David B. Birney and George G. Meade, linking its organization to formations like the III Corps and the II Corps during reassignments. Recruitment methods mirrored other New York efforts tied to municipal leaders like Fernando Wood and state authorities including Horatio Seymour.
Initial command rested with Daniel Sickles, whose controversial political career spanned association with figures such as Winfield Scott, Stephen A. Douglas, and Abraham Lincoln. Subsequent tactical command rotated among field leaders including Samuel K. Zook, who later operated alongside generals like George Sykes and John Sedgwick, and colonels promoted from regimental ranks influenced by patronage networks tied to Tammany Hall and New York State Militia figures. Brigade leadership interacted with corps and army commanders such as Joseph Hooker, George G. Meade, Winfield Scott Hancock, and staff officers like Henry J. Hunt and Alfred Pleasonton, shaping battlefield orders during operations near Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, and along the Rappahannock River.
The brigade saw action in the Peninsula Campaign during the Siege of Yorktown and at Fair Oaks (Seven Pines), where it engaged Confederate forces under leaders like Joseph E. Johnston and Robert E. Lee. It fought at the Battle of Antietam in the Maryland Campaign against units commanded by James Longstreet and Stonewall Jackson affiliated formations, and participated in the Battle of Fredericksburg facing elements under Ambrose Powell Hill and James Longstreet. During the Gettysburg Campaign the brigade was present at Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, opposing brigades led by figures such as Robert E. Rodes and Henry Heth. Its later actions overlapped with operations in the Chancellorsville Campaign and skirmishes near Rappahannock Station and Kelly’s Ford, engaging Confederate generals including J.E.B. Stuart and Braxton Bragg-affiliated units.
The brigade sustained significant casualties at major battles including Seven Pines, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg, losing men to combat, disease, and capture. Regimental muster rolls reflected attrition patterns similar to other Army of the Potomac formations, with fatalities listed among officers and enlisted men recorded in state archives maintained by the New York State Archives and compiled in returns submitted to the United States War Department. Wounded personnel were treated at hospitals such as Armory Square Hospital and Soldiers' National Hospital (Armory Square), with some evacuated to convalescent facilities tied to organizations like the United States Sanitary Commission and United States Christian Commission.
Soldiers in the brigade wore uniforms and accoutrements supplied through New York state contracts and federal quartermaster arrangements overseen by officers such as Joseph K. Mansfield and agents associated with the New York State Arsenal. Typical small arms included the Springfield Model 1855, Enfield Pattern 1853, and captured muskets redistributed after battles such as First Battle of Bull Run though logistical variations meant some companies used Berdan's Sharps or locally procured rifles. Insignia reflected regimental identities with distinctive colors carried by color bearers and standards produced by firms linked to New York City workshops and suppliers known to serve units like the Excelsior Brigade. Headgear ranged from regulation slouch hat styles to state-issued Hardee hat and kepi patterns worn across the Army of the Potomac.
Remembrance of the brigade endures through monuments at battlefields such as Gettysburg National Military Park, tablets in cemeteries like Arlington National Cemetery, and mentions in histories authored by writers including James McPherson, Bruce Catton, and John Keegan. Veterans formed associations connected to the Grand Army of the Republic and participated in reunions in New York City, where civic leaders like Theodore Roosevelt later presided over commemorative events. Archival collections at institutions including the New-York Historical Society, New York Public Library, and the Library of Congress preserve correspondence, muster rolls, and photographs documenting service alongside campaigns involving commanders such as George B. McClellan, Ulysses S. Grant, and William T. Sherman.
Category:Units and formations of the Union Army from New York