While many often think of the Iron Brigade as always wearing frock coats, gaiters, and Hardee hats, the historical record gives us a much more varied picture. The appearance of the units varied from regiment to regiment, and from time period to time period.

All of the three Wisconsin units that made up the brigade went off to war wearing gray uniforms. The 2^nd and 6^th Wisconsin wore gray frock coats and pants, with a gray "bummer" style hat that had a whale bone stiffener in it to make it stand up like a shako. The stiffener was often soon removed and the hat took on a more conventional appearance. The 7^th Wisconsin also wore gray, but it wore a short coat (no tails) rather than a frock. The units were quick to replace these uniforms though after the experiences of the 2^nd Wis. at 1^st Bull Run. There the 2^nd not only had to face the fire of the enemy, but also of regiments in its own brigade when the 69^th New York fired into the back of the 2^nd killing and wounding several of the regiment. In addition, the clothing was not always of the highest quality, so by August 1861, the 2^nd Wis. had well earned its nickname the "Ragged-Assed" Second.

When new uniforms did appear, for the 6^th and 7^th Wisconsin, along with the 19^th Indiana who by then was a member of the brigade, the regiments would not differ from any other in the Army of the Potomac. Their uniform was given in the August/September time frame of 1861 was a blue sack coat, kersey pants, and bummer. Only the 2^nd Wis. received what was later to be the "official" Iron Brigade uniform in October 1861, with the receipt of Hardee hats and frock coats. They would be unique too in having dark blue pants just as the regular army of the time wore. They would retain and replace these dark blue pants as the war continued, though it is doubtful that many survived to be seen in the Spring 1863 campaigns. No units had gaiters yet.

In Spring 1862, Lysander Cutler, Col. of the 6^th Wis. and in temporary command of the brigade, ordered the other units to obtain Hardee hats. Some also would don the frock coat at this time, though the decision appears to be at the whim of the regiment’s colonel. Only with the arrival of Gen. John Gibbon in May of 1862, did the entire brigade receive orders to acquire Hardee hats, frock coats, and the now famous leggings or gaiters. This was also the time the regiments were given white gloves. It is important to note too that the gaiters were of the lace variety, not buckles! For many of the men the gloves and gaiters soon disappeared, but not for all. Photos show some companies of the brigade with gaiters in June/July/August of 1862. In fact one member of the 6^th Wis. was mortally wounded at Gettysburg, and when an inventory of his effects was done, a pair of gaiters was noted.

As the men wore out items, due to either hard marching or weather, an attempt to replace them with the same type article was made. It is interesting to note that over the course of the brigade the greatest effort was made to ensure the replacement of the Hardee hat. This headgear was also sometimes modified by the men when they bought via private purchase some dark black hat that suited their taste. Only in the Spring of 1863, with the advent of Gen. Hooker taking command of the army though, would corps badges appear on the hats. The frock coat was another matter though. The 19^th Indiana and 6^th Wisconsin appear to have made great efforts to retain the frock as the main uniform of choice. In the 2^nd, a sprinkling of sack coats could be seen, and in the 7^th the sack coat gained in popularity. The appearance of the sack coat would be much more obvious in the late 1862 and early 1863 period due to the hard campaigning in the fall of 1862. Still, many frock coats would be found amongst the men.

Knapsacks were favored in several regiments over blanket rolls. References of their use are abundant, as are their ability to save men from bullets or shell fragments on occasion. They appear in references from Brawner’s Farm to the end of the war, they men sometimes even leaving them on as they enter a fight. This is possibly due to the 2^nd stripping off their blankets at the start of the 1^st Bull Run fight, and never seeing them again.

In conclusion, the Fall 1862 uniform of the Iron Brigade would be (if you were looking at the 2^nd Wis.) a mixture of frock coats and sacks, Hardee hats, and dark blue pants with some kerseys sprinkled in due to wear and tear. The dark blue pants probably disappeared that winter. The hats would have a variation of numbers, letters, horns, and feathers on them, allowing for personal taste and the loss due to hard campaigning (feathers in particular don’t last long!). The hats are both turned up on the right or left or not at all. There seems to be a great deal of variation there. The other regiments would be similar, but no dark blue pants. No corps badges in 1862 though! The men would in some cases have leggings, and knapsacks would be seen. Remember, the 24^th Michigan only joined the brigade after Antietam, and the name "Iron Brigade" is only found after the fight at South Mountain on 14 Sept. 1862. Before then, they were Gibbon’s brigade, the Black Hat brigade, or the Western brigade.
Marc Storch