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Quiz about The Iron Brigade
Quiz about The Iron Brigade

The Iron Brigade Trivia Quiz


A quiz on one of the best brigades in the American Civil War.

A multiple-choice quiz by guyg07. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
guyg07
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
268,209
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1422
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 38 (5/10), Guest 170 (5/10), Guest 50 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. On which side did the Iron Brigade fight? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The Iron Brigade was made up of men from which states? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What was another name for the brigade? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which regiment fought at the First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Where did the Iron Brigade earn its name? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Who was the first commander of the Iron Brigade? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. When was the Iron Brigade activated? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What Division was the Iron Brigade a part of? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Where did the brigade lose its name? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which of these is true of the Iron Brigade?
Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 07 2024 : Guest 38: 5/10
Mar 04 2024 : Guest 170: 5/10
Mar 03 2024 : Guest 50: 7/10
Mar 02 2024 : Guest 174: 4/10
Feb 19 2024 : Guest 47: 9/10
Feb 09 2024 : Guest 155: 4/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. On which side did the Iron Brigade fight?

Answer: The Union

The Iron Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army during the American Civil War, consisting primarily of Western regiments.
2. The Iron Brigade was made up of men from which states?

Answer: Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan

The Iron Brigade initially consisted of the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiments, along with the 19th Indiana, and was later joined by the 24th Michigan. This led it to be sometimes being referred to as the 'Iron Brigade of the West'.
3. What was another name for the brigade?

Answer: The Black Hats

Early in the war, the brigade was known as "The Black Hats," due to the black Hardee hats that the brigade wore.
4. Which regiment fought at the First Battle of Bull Run/Manassas?

Answer: 2nd Wisconsin

The regiment was transported to Washington, D.C., and saw its first combat at the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861 in a brigade under William T. Sherman.
5. Where did the Iron Brigade earn its name?

Answer: Turner's Gap

The designation "Iron Brigade" originated at the battle for the gaps of South Mountain, the prelude to the Battle of Antietam. Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker, commanding I Corps, approached Army of the Potomac commander Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, seeking orders. McClellan asked, "What troops are those fighting in the Pike?" Hooker replied, "[Brigadier] General Gibbon's brigade of Western men." McClellan stated, "They must be made of iron." Hooker said that the brigade had performed even more superbly at Second Bull Run; to this, McClellan said that the brigade consisted of the "best troops in the world." Hooker became very elated and rode off with his orders; afterward, the name "Iron Brigade" stuck.
6. Who was the first commander of the Iron Brigade?

Answer: Rufus King

King was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as Minister to the Papal States in 1861. On his way to Rome when the Civil War broke out, he took leave of absence to come to the defense of his country. He was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers and was given authorization to raise a Wisconsin regiment.
7. When was the Iron Brigade activated?

Answer: October, 1861

The Iron Brigade was activated on October 1, 1861, upon the arrival in Washington, D.C., of the 7th Wisconsin. The regiments in the original Iron Brigade were the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, and the 19th Indiana.
8. What Division was the Iron Brigade a part of?

Answer: 1st Division

The brigade took pride in its designation, "1st Brigade, 1st Division, I Corps", under which it played a prominent role in the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 1863. It repulsed the first Confederate offensive through Herbst's Woods, capturing much of Brig. Gen. James J. Archer's Confederate brigade, and Archer himself.

It suffered tremendous losses in the second, larger Confederate assault that afternoon.
9. Where did the brigade lose its name?

Answer: Gettysburg

The Iron Brigade lost its unofficial designation on July 16, 1863, following its crippling losses at Gettysburg, when a non-Western regiment (the 167th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment) was incorporated into it.
10. Which of these is true of the Iron Brigade?

Answer: They suffered the most casualties in the war.

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.
Source: Author guyg07

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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