California Brigade
| Philadelphia Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | September 1861 - July 1865 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Type | infantry |
| Size | Five regiments |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Brig. Gen. Oliver O. Howard Brig. Gen. Joshua T. Owen Brig. Gen. Alexander S. Webb Brig. Gen. William W. Burns |
The Philadelphia Brigade (also known as the California Brigade) was a Union Army brigade that served in the American Civil War. It was raised primarily in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the exception of the 106th regiment which contained men from Lycoming and Bradford counties.
The brigade fought with the Army of the Potomac in the Eastern Theater for the entirety of its existence and fought in several major battles, including the battles of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and the Overland Campaign. One of its most famous actions was during Pickett's Charge on July 3 at the Battle of Gettysburg, where it defended the Angle on Cemetery Ridge. Half of the brigade was mustered out in June 1864 and the remainder was transferred to another brigade.
The regiments in the Philadelphia Brigade were originally designated as California regiments. Some residents on the West Coast wanted California to have a military presence in the Eastern army and asked Oregon Senator Edward D. Baker to form a regiment to be credited to that state. Baker was able to recruit a regiment from Philadelphia, designated the 1st California. By October, he increased his command to a brigade, adding the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th California regiments, all of which were from Philadelphia. After his death at the Battle of Ball's Bluff, Pennsylvania claimed the regiments as its own and renamed them as the following:
Now commanded by Brig. Gen. William W. Burns, it was then assigned to the Army of the Potomac's II Corps as the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division. It fought in the Peninsula Campaign, during which the 69th was credited by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker with making "the first successful bayonet charge of the war" at the Battle of Glendale. It also fought during the Seven Days battles, including Allen's Farm and Savage Station; at Malvern Hill it was posted on the Union right with the rest of the II Corps and consequently wasn't engaged during the battle.
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