During the Civil War, what regiments were the best fighters and/or the most fierce?

Question

Were there Elite Fighting Forces or Regiments during the civil war?

Answer 1

The shock troops of the Confederacy had to be Hood's Division

Their reputation as the premier shock troop or formation of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia came during Longstreet's massive assault on John Pope's left flank at the Second Battle of Bull Run. At Antietem, Hood's division came to the relief of Stonewall Jackson's corps on the Confederate left flank at Jackson was impressed with Hood's performance and recommended his promotion to major general.


Altho, Hood's division missed Chanclorsville and Fredricksburg, their division, composed of 5 regiments from Alabama, 9 regiments from Georgia, 1 regiment from Arkansas, and 3 regiments from Texas, most notably the 1st, 4th and 5th Texas assumed the leading position in the Division. They nearly took Little Round Top at Gettysburg after repeated assaults against the 20th Maine. Hood was wounded early in the contest and was attacking under protest (He wanted to swing further around the Union flank but was over ruled).

Considered the 'fire brigade" of the Rebel Army (Similar to the classic-elite Waffen SS division of WWII), Hood's Division was transferred to the Western Theatre to set things right. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Hood's division broke the Federal line at the Brotherton Cabin, which led to the defeat of General William Rosecrans's Union army.

In succeeding battles, the division was worn down by attrition and succumbed to overwhelming Union forces in later battles. Hood's career faced a similary demise, as he was promoted to higher levels with little successes in battle during the waning months of the war. The 3 regiments from Texas of Hood's Division assumed a distinction for being fierce and brave regiments.

My second pic is men of the First Virginia Regiment - on many hard fought fields they gained the name "Bloody First". At Gettysburg, they made the assault on Cemetery Ridge with Kemper's Brigade of Pickett's Division.

On the union side, i would vote for the 20th Maine Regiment, for their day on Little Round Top (near a small cross roads in southern Pennsylvania, July 2, 1863) attacking with little or no ammunition. Their 'fixed bayonet' charge earned Col. Chamberlain a Cong. Medal of Honor.

Answer 2

In the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia the regiments from Texas/Arkansas in John Bell Hood's brigade had a well-earned reputation as shock troops; so did Richard Taylor's Louisiana brigade. In the Confederate Army of Tenessee Pat Cleburne's division was the best.

In the Union Army of the Potomac the Iron Brigade of midwestern soldiers was far and away the best.

Their was no class of elite troops but some units stood out because of their uniforms or weapons. Berdan's Sharpshooters dressed in green uniforms and were all trained marksmen (this was a Union unit in the Army of the Potomac).

On the other end of the spectrum were the soldiers who failed to fight hard and the prize goes to - the Union XI Corps of the Army of the Potomac. First they were humiliated by Jackson in the Valley, then they were routed by Jackson at Chancellorseville, then they were routed by Early's division at Gettysburg.

Answer 3

There were several on both sides and to be fair to teh yankees I feel the Southern boys fought better and harder because of morale but mostly they were fightening for their homes and families. As the US has found out countless times since then it is a driving force. Here are a few:

9th Virginia - Armistead's Brigade
26th North Carolina.
4th Texas -
15th Alabama -
27th Virginia -
6th Louisiana Tigers

2nd Rhode Island
2nd Wisconsin
69th New York
5th Ohio
1st Minnesota


Happy Holidays. God Bless You and Our Southern People.

Answer 4

They didn't have anything like our Rangers. Any family legends about your GGG Grandfather serving in the 1st Virginia Paratroops is highly suspect, too. (Both sides had an "air force" of sorts - balloonists who observed for the artillery.) They had sharpshooters, men who could pot someone from as far as a mile.

As to fiercest, take your pick.

The 20th Maine ran out of ammunition once, at Gettysburg, so they fixed bayonets and charged downhill. No sense giving up just because you can't shoot.

The 1st Minnesota turned back four times their number, again at Gettysburg; 242 of them charged to fill the gap, 27 or so came back when they were relieved.

Bedford Forrest once routed a body of Union soldiers 10 times his number. It was late in the war, they came across him and a platoon or so of his men. He figured he might as well die with his wounds in his chest instead of his back, so he charged. The first rank of Union men figured they could kill him, but he'd take 20 or 30 of them with him. (Accepted wisdom was that he was so mean he wouldn't die until you shot him half a dozen times then cut off his head and buried it, just like a rattle snake.)

So, the first rank, not wanting to be the last guys in their division to die in the war, turned tail and ran. So did the second, third and fourth ranks. When the dust cleared he had rounted them.

Answer 5

The Iron Brigade -- 1st Brigade of the 1st Division of the 1st Army Corps consisted of the 2nd - 6th and 7th Wisconsin Volunteers along with the 19th Indiana and later the 24th Michigan Volunteers. all part of the Army of the Potomac. at the Battle of Gettysburg the Confederate Army stated " that ain't no militia there's them damn Black Hats again. that's the Army of the Potomac. "

Answer 6

Check out the Orphan Brigade.

The unit I deployed to Bosnia with traces its lineage back to that Brigade.

To say they were "elite" would be a stretch, but to say that they were some of the toughest fighters in the Confederacy would be an understatement.