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(Brigadier General John) Buford’s heart was stirred; the Black Hats, Sander Cutler’s Iron Brigade; best troops in the Union Army.

From Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels

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The Iron Brigade, proportionately, suffered the most casualties of any brigade in the Civil War. For example, 61% (1,153 out of 1,885) were casualties at Gettysburg. Similarly, the 2nd Wisconsin, which suffered 77% casualties at Gettysburg, suffered the most throughout the war; it was second only to the 24th Michigan (also an Iron Brigade regiment) in total casualties at Gettysburg. The latter regiment lost 397 out of 496 soldiers, an 80% casualty rate.

The fearsome reputation of the brigade can be seen by the losses of its opponents. The top three losses by Confederate regiments in single engagements during the war were the 1st Texas at Antietam (82.3%), the 26th Georgia at Brawner's Farm (76%), and the 26th North Carolina at Gettysburg (71.7%). All three engagements were against regiments of the Iron Brigade.

From Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Brigade_of_the_West

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