What was the Western Brigade?
In December 1861 in Michigan there is the hard-coded arrival of the "Western Brigade" led by Col. B Halkett (in the code) and consisting of the 21st Ohio and the 24th Michigan. Historically, the 24th Michigan was a late addition to the Iron Brigade and I can find reference to the "Iron Brigade" where they were called the "Western Brigade". Any ideas what is meant here?
Originally, the Iron Brigade was to be formed from units out of Wisconsin. So, Wisconsin was out west to most Union states. The Iron Brigade lost its "all-Western" status after Gettysburg when the 167th Pennsylvania was added to replace crippling losses.
I'm the 51st shade of gray. Eat, pray, Charge!
This unit appeared in AACW as well. Not sure what it is supposed to represent. I checked out the 24th Ohio and the 21st Michigan, to see if the numbers had been inverted. Both appear to have fought in some of the same battles, but I can't tell at this time if they were part of the same brigade at some point. Neither fought in the eastern armies, and it would be illogical for a Western Brigade to be name such in the Western theater. The 21st Ohio also belonged to western commands. Perhaps it was included for balance issues?
The Western/Iron Brigade itself should arrive in the eastern theater, and it should appear about Early August 1862 as it's first major engagement as a brigade occurred at Brawner's Farm on August 28, 1862. I don't know if this falls within the scope of your efforts, but currently the location and appearance of the brigade are not quite right.
The Western/Iron Brigade itself should arrive in the eastern theater, and it should appear about Early August 1862 as it's first major engagement as a brigade occurred at Brawner's Farm on August 28, 1862. I don't know if this falls within the scope of your efforts, but currently the location and appearance of the brigade are not quite right.
"Thank God. I thought it was a New York Regiment."- Unknown Confederate major, upon learning he had surrendered to the 6th Wisconsin.
There were at least two Iron Brigades:
1st Iron Brigade or Iron Brigade of the East: 22nd, 24th, 30th NY, 14th Rgt & 2nd US Sharpshooters
Iron Brigade or Iron Brigade of the West: 2nd, 6th, and 7th WI, 19th IN, Battery B 4th US Lt ART + later 24th MI
They both served in the AoP and in fact were in the same Division
1st Iron Brigade or Iron Brigade of the East: 22nd, 24th, 30th NY, 14th Rgt & 2nd US Sharpshooters
Iron Brigade or Iron Brigade of the West: 2nd, 6th, and 7th WI, 19th IN, Battery B 4th US Lt ART + later 24th MI
They both served in the AoP and in fact were in the same Division
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
'Nous voilà, Lafayette'
Colonel C.E. Stanton, aide to A.E.F. commander John 'Black Jack' Pershing, upon the landing of the first US troops in France 1917
'Nous voilà, Lafayette'
Colonel C.E. Stanton, aide to A.E.F. commander John 'Black Jack' Pershing, upon the landing of the first US troops in France 1917
I think the question is now: was there more than one Western Brigade? And if so, which regiments belonged to it?
I don't recall ever coming across any other Western Brigade than the Iron Brigade of the West. I could be wrong about this. The other notable large command which came from "western" states and served in the east were the Kanawha Brigade (and later Division), which consisted of Ohio units. The 11th and 12th Corps each had a brigade that consisted almost entirely of Ohio regiments, but neither were purely western brigades. A Western Brigade in the West seems unlikely, as it wouldn't be notable.
There appears to be no association between the 24th Michigan and the 21st Ohio. The 24th organized in August 1862, received assignment to the Washington defenses in October 1862, and joined the Iron Brigade in November 1862, serving with that brigade until February 1865. After that it served in a series of non-combat roles, including the escort of Lincoln's body, until mustered out on June 30, 1865.
There were two 21st Ohios. The first was a three month regiment that served briefly with the Kanawha Brigade before mustering out in August 1861. It therefore could not have served with the 24th Michigan.
The second 21st Ohio was a three year regiment. It mustered in in September 1861. During the 24th Michigan's muster in and pre-Iron Brigade service the 21st Ohio served in the Army of the Ohio and saw active campaigning in Tennessee. It spent its entire enlistment in the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland, mustering out July 25, 1865.
For details, see here.
As I said earlier, I checked out the 24th Ohio and 21st Michigan, on the off chance that somehow the regimental numbers got flipped. Both served with the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland, but appear to have been in separate commands throughout the war.
In AACW, there were several problems with the elite units that appeared by script. For example, the Philadelphia Brigade appeared twice (once as the California Brigade, and later as the Philadelphia Brigade). Since the Western Brigade in question appeared in AACW as well, and there appears to be no historical basis for it, it is likely that it is a holdover from the early days of AACW or was included to provide balance.
I don't recall ever coming across any other Western Brigade than the Iron Brigade of the West. I could be wrong about this. The other notable large command which came from "western" states and served in the east were the Kanawha Brigade (and later Division), which consisted of Ohio units. The 11th and 12th Corps each had a brigade that consisted almost entirely of Ohio regiments, but neither were purely western brigades. A Western Brigade in the West seems unlikely, as it wouldn't be notable.
There appears to be no association between the 24th Michigan and the 21st Ohio. The 24th organized in August 1862, received assignment to the Washington defenses in October 1862, and joined the Iron Brigade in November 1862, serving with that brigade until February 1865. After that it served in a series of non-combat roles, including the escort of Lincoln's body, until mustered out on June 30, 1865.
There were two 21st Ohios. The first was a three month regiment that served briefly with the Kanawha Brigade before mustering out in August 1861. It therefore could not have served with the 24th Michigan.
The second 21st Ohio was a three year regiment. It mustered in in September 1861. During the 24th Michigan's muster in and pre-Iron Brigade service the 21st Ohio served in the Army of the Ohio and saw active campaigning in Tennessee. It spent its entire enlistment in the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland, mustering out July 25, 1865.
For details, see here.
As I said earlier, I checked out the 24th Ohio and 21st Michigan, on the off chance that somehow the regimental numbers got flipped. Both served with the Army of the Ohio and Army of the Cumberland, but appear to have been in separate commands throughout the war.
In AACW, there were several problems with the elite units that appeared by script. For example, the Philadelphia Brigade appeared twice (once as the California Brigade, and later as the Philadelphia Brigade). Since the Western Brigade in question appeared in AACW as well, and there appears to be no historical basis for it, it is likely that it is a holdover from the early days of AACW or was included to provide balance.
"Thank God. I thought it was a New York Regiment."- Unknown Confederate major, upon learning he had surrendered to the 6th Wisconsin.
Keeler wrote:... The 21st Ohio also belonged to western commands. Perhaps it was included for balance issues?
The Western/Iron Brigade itself should arrive in the eastern theater, and it should appear about Early August 1862 as it's first major engagement as a brigade occurred at Brawner's Farm on August 28, 1862. I don't know if this falls within the scope of your efforts, but currently the location and appearance of the brigade are not quite right.
Thanks everyone. I agree that it seems like a holdover that was included for balance (although I think it is odd that there are more special:moral units for the USA than the CSA).
I've mostly figured out how to use the database and will start entering the names into the database soon. I want to make sure the names I added weren't already names in hardcoded units, and while checking that I will go through the hardcoded units. I originally didn't want to change the hardcoded units, but now have decided that I'm interested in changing those, too. Such changes would effect game balance. If I'm changing game balance, I might as well go all the way and change force pools as well. So I've decided that in my first mod, I would only change unit names in the units and models databases, but that I would only use historical names (so no made up names in the navy or made up numbers in the infantry). If that works and is popular, I'll fork the project: 1) I hope time and feedback will help improve the number and accuracy of historical names on the trunk project, 2) I'd be interested in a branch project which more accurately models historic units that arrive as events. For branch 2), I'd want to work with a group of people or at least with a lot of feedback, because I would want 2) to be widely useful and fun and I think less of my opinion as a game designer than as a historian (I'm not a historian, but I've written about history; I haven't designed a game since C++ class in highschool).
I consider the mod to be open source, so others forking it would be perfectly fine, of course.
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