GDG- Private Bradshaw Visits Gettysburg

[Laurence D. Schiller]

Greetings - I thought the group might like to 
know a bit more about our weekend. Our group 
consisted of 7 members from Co. F of the 2nd 
Wisconsin and after driving all night Thursday to 
reach the field on Friday, we traced the 
movements of the Iron Brigade for the rest of the 
day. On Saturday and Sunday we gave the usual 
manoever and firing demos behind the PA monument. 
Saturday evening we gathered at the John Burns 
monument and marched to each of the Iron Brigade 
monuments giving speeches as we went. I was 
honored to give the speech for the 2nd and did so 
as William Bradshaw. It follows:

THE SECOND WISCONSIN AT GETTYSBURG

	Good evening comrades, ladies, and 
families. I have been given the singular honor to 
address you on this sacred field, in the shadow 
of the monument to the memory of the senior 
regiment of the Iron Brigade of the West. In 
February 1861, our Martyred President Lincoln 
said that "not with politicians, not with 
Presidents, not with office-seekers, but with 
YOU, is the question, 'Shall the Union and shall 
the liberties of this country be preservedŠ?" 
When the test came in that memorable April, after 
the Secessionists fired on our beloved flag at 
Sumter, the patriots of Wisconsin responded with 
alacrity and companies formed all over the state 
- in Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Oshkosh, and La 
Cross amongst others. 10 of these companies made 
their way to Camp Randall where they were 
composed into the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry. Asked 
to change their enlistments from 90 days to three 
years, they accepted with enthusiasm and were the 
first of the 3 years regiments to arrive to 
defend Washington. They were also the only 
regiment of this brigade to see the elephant at 
1st Bull Run.
	I wish I had the time to thoroughly 
review the history of this remarkable regiment, 
but I don't have to remind you of the formation 
of our brigade in October 1861 under General 
Rufus King, the arrival of General John Gibbon in 
May of '62, or its baptism of fire at Gainsville, 
or Brawners Farm, that August where we stood 
under the most intense fire for two hours against 
5 brigades of Jackson's Corps. General Gibbon 
called it 'the most terrific musketry fire I ever 
listened to' and the brigade suffered mightily. 
Here the 2nd lost Colonel Edgar O'Connor and 298 
casualties out of 500 in the regiment, but we 
'black-hatted fellows' as they called us, wreaked 
havoc amongst the Rebels - causing fully 1/3 of 
the Rebels to fall including General Ewell, who 
lost his leg.

Just weeks later, at Turner's Gap in South 
Mountain, we again showed our mettle, taking the 
highest casualties of any brigade in the army 
while driving Colquitt's Georgians and Alabamians 
off the crest. Here 1st Corps commander Joe 
Hooker christened us his 'brigade of iron'. And, 
who can forget that bloody cornfield at Antietam 
where the old 2nd held down the left flank of the 
brigade, driving the Stonewall Brigade through 
the corn of Miller's field, until exhausted and 
with muskets fouled, we were in turn driven by 
the fresh brigades of Law and Hood. Remember that 
day with pride because of the 348 casualties 
suffered by the brigade that morning (of 800 who 
went in), only 5 were missing - the rest killed 
and wounded on the field. 86 of those were from 
the 2nd.
	Much reduced in numbers, the brigade was 
augmented in October 1862 by the addition of the 
illustrious 24th Michigan and over the winter by 
the return of wounded and sick comrades. Now the 
1st Brigade of the 1st Division of the 1st Corps, 
the Potomac was crossed on June 25, 1863 on the 
way to our fated meeting with Lee on this very 
ground. A mile to our SE the brigade left the 
Emmitsburg Road at the Codori Farm and marched to 
the sound of the guns, the 2nd in the lead. HERE, 
in the swale just to our east, the 2nd formed and 
charged into the maelstrom, relieving Buford's 
cavalrymen and driving Archer's Brigade back 
across Willoughby Run. HERE was martyred our 
brave Corps Commander, John Reynolds. HERE, too, 
was killed the gallant Lt. Colonel of the 2nd, 
George H. Stevens and where Colonel Lucius 
Fairchild lost his arm. Also, not to be 
forgotten, was the capture of General Archer 
himself by the impetuous Patrick Maloney of the 
2nd who picked him up and shook him, soon to fall 
himself.
	HERE in these woods we reformed, but the 
2nd had lost 116 of 302 men killed and wounded. 
But stay we did, knowing that Heth would come 
with new brigades with the rest of Hill's Corps 
behind. The brigade fought like demons, 
contesting every foot of ground, only retiring 
when flanked on the left and right and when we 
left, we left like soldiers, retiring and firing 
- the 2nd and the 7th protecting each other as 
they moved back to the Seminary line. THERE was 
the last stand of the Federal army that day, with 
the 1st Corps, including the remnants of the Iron 
Brigade holding on until Pender's and Rhodes's 
Divisions overwhelmed them with numbers. Finally, 
they retreated in good order to Cemetery Hill and 
entrenched on Stevens Knoll/Culps Hill. This was 
truly the last stand of the Iron Brigade, which 
took the highest percentage of casualties in the 
army - 65%. The 2nd had lost 77% of its numbers. 
But the enemy had suffered severely at its hands 
and the Brigade can take extreme pride in the 
true fact that 'not a single backward step had 
been taken except on orders'.
	While some men of the 2nd veteranized in 
the spring of 1864, what was left of the regiment 
mustered out in June. Reduced to less than 100, 
they were formally detached from the Iron Brigade 
and soon disappeared from the rolls of the 
Federal army. They had distinguished themselves 
by suffering the greatest percentage of loss of 
any regiment in the Union Army. COMRADES, as we 
stand in these woods where they fought so 
gallantly to hold back the hordes of Hill, let us 
remember their sacrifice. Let me conclude with 
the words of General Gibbon who was still in the 
army when invited to a Wisconsin reunion. "I was 
not a Wisconsin soldier, and have not (yet) been 
honorably discharged, but at the judgment day I 
want to be with Wisconsin soldiers". I am sure, 
were he here, he would include the 19th Indiana 
and 24th Michigan in that number as well. Thank 
you for the honor of addressing you.

It was a wonderful weekend and it was great to 
meet the members of the 19th Indiana based in the 
UK.

Best,

Laurie Schiller




>Esteemed GDG Member Contributes:
>
>
>Laurie,
>
>A friend of mine photographed a group in the 
>railroad cut.  Right after Chuck posted the link 
>for his pictures something clicked for me.  I 
>went back and looked at some of my friends 
>pictures....is that you, second from the right, 
>in the group with their backs to the camera?? 
>
>http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/forums/ViewPost.aspx?ForumID=43&ID=6537
>
>The post with the picture is about the fourth post from the top.
>
>Geo.
>

-- 
Dr. Laurence Dana Schiller		Civil War First Person Impressions
Maitre d'Armes				William Bradshaw, Co. F 2nd WI
Head Fencing Coach			George Hammitt, Co. H 104th Ill
Department of History
Northwestern University
Commissioner, Midwest Fencing Conference
Midwest VP, US Fencing Coaches' Association
Vice-Chair USFA Illinois Division
Lds307 at northwestern.edu
847-491-4654
FAX 847-467-1406
Official Sports site: http://nusports.ocsn.com/
Student web site: http://groups.northwestern.edu/fencing/