The 14th Brooklyn Regiment became officially known during the American Civil War as the 84th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment. It was a volunteer militia regiment from Brooklyn, best known for its heroic service from April 1861 to May 1864. However, the regiment later participated in both the Spanish-American War and World War I. Read more about the legendary unit’s military history at brooklyn-yes.com.
The Founding of the Unit
During the Civil War, the regiment was mostly composed of abolitionists from Brooklyn. It was initially led by Colonel Alfred M. Wood and later by Colonel Edward Brush Fowler. The 14th Brooklyn Regiment fought in some of the fiercest battles on the Eastern Front, including the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and more. The soldiers of the 14th Brooklyn Regiment were well-known and feared by the enemy but admired and respected in their hometown. Their reputation was earned on the battlefield, as they refused to retreat, even in the direst situations. Throughout three years of war, they never fled a battle in disarray.
It was during the First Battle of Bull Run that the regiment earned its famous nickname, the “Red-Legged Devils”. Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, noticing the bright red trousers worn by the regiment as they repeatedly charged Henry House Hill, shouted to his men, “Hold on, boys! Here come those red-legged devils again!”
Assisting the Police
Although the primary mission of the 14th Regiment was to defend Brooklyn and its surrounding areas, in its early years, it functioned more like a social club. It was a place where men of respectable background could train in military tactics while spending weekends with other militia members. The regiment used an armory located at Henry and Cranberry Streets as its headquarters.
On June 4, 1854, a detachment of the 14th Regiment, led by Colonel Jesse C. Smith, was called upon to help suppress a riot caused by an anti-Catholic street preacher known as “Angel Gabriel”. During the so-called Angel Gabriel Riots, the regiment assisted the police in making multiple arrests. In early 1861, the 14th was called to Brooklyn Navy Yard several times, anticipating an attack by Confederate sympathizers.
“Lincoln’s Pets”
The regiment’s distinctive uniform has an interesting origin. In 1860, a traveling drill team known as the U.S. Zouave Cadets from Chicago, led by Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, passed through Brooklyn. The officers and soldiers of the 14th Brooklyn Regiment were so impressed by their uniforms that they adopted a similar French-style Chasseur uniform. This uniform remained their battle attire throughout the Civil War. The city of Brooklyn funded the regiment’s uniforms, making it one of the few regiments that did not wear the standard Union Army blue uniform.
Another notable story is that the 14th Brooklyn became a personal favorite of President Abraham Lincoln. He requested that the regiment act as his personal guard whenever he was in camp or near the battlefield. Due to this presidential recognition, the 14th Brooklyn Regiment earned the nickname “Lincoln’s Pets”.
The regiment later fought in the Spanish-American War, serving as the 14th New York Infantry Regiment. Many sons of Civil War veterans who had fought with the 14th Brooklyn joined the unit. After the Spanish-American War, the 14th New York Infantry Regiment merged into the 106th Infantry Regiment, which went on to serve in World War I.