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Giants in Their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade
"Editors Alan Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond's insightful essays provide fresh perspectives on the Iron Brigade's exploits, detailing military and political events in the words of actual combatants." ―Military Review
Originally called "The Black Hat Brigade" because the soldiers wore the regular army's dress black hat instead of the more typical blue cap, the Iron Brigade was the only all-Western brigade in the Eastern armies of the Union. From Brawner Farm and Second Bull Run to Chancellorsville and Gettysburg―the Western soldiers earned and justified the proud name Iron Brigade. And when the war was over, the records showed that it led all federal brigades in percentage of deaths in battle. These essays, by some of the best known historians of the brigade, spotlight significant moments in the history of the Civil War's most celebrated unit.
Originally called "The Black Hat Brigade" because the soldiers wore the regular army's dress black hat instead of the more typical blue cap, the Iron Brigade was the only all-Western brigade in the Eastern armies of the Union. From Brawner Farm and Second Bull Run to Chancellorsville and Gettysburg―the Western soldiers earned and justified the proud name Iron Brigade. And when the war was over, the records showed that it led all federal brigades in percentage of deaths in battle. These essays, by some of the best known historians of the brigade, spotlight significant moments in the history of the Civil War's most celebrated unit.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1998
15 people are currently reading
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About the author
Alan T. Nolan
14 books2 followersHe was born in Evansville, IN to Val and Jeannette Covert Nolan. When his father was appointed U.S. District Attorney in 1933, the family moved to Indianapolis. He graduated from Shortridge High School and from Indiana University, a Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation from Harvard Law School, he clerked for Sherman Minton at the United States Court of Appeals. In 1948 he returned to Indianapolis to practice law for 45 years with the firm that is now Ice Miller where he served as chairman of the management committee. For seven years, he was Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the Indiana Supreme Court.
Mr. Nolan was also an author. In 1961, Macmillan published The Iron Brigade, a military history, which has been named by Civil War Times Illustrated as one of the 100 best books ever written on the Civil War. It remained in print 47 years. He also wrote Lee Considered: General Robert E. Lee and Civil War History, UNC Press, 1991; Rally Round the Flag Boys; Rally Once Again; Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade, with Sharon Vipond, and As Sounding Brass, a contemporary novel. He was a regular contributor to numerous Civil War publications, the Indiana Magazine of History, Traces and other periodicals. His last article appeared in Traces in 2008. He lectured widely on Civil War topics at various colleges, universities, round tables and the Smithsonian Institution. He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Indiana University in 1993. In 1994, he was given the Nivens-Freeman award by the Chicago Civil War Roundtable. He was a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians.
His deep interest in history led to an active role at the Indiana Historical Society where he served on the board and was Chairman for twelve years during the planning and construction of the present facility. He was named a Living Legend in 2003.
Mr. Nolan had wide ranging community interests. He was a founder of the ICLU, the Civil War Round Table and a member of the Catholic Interracial Council. He held a position on the board of the NAACP in 1948 and received the National Council of Christians and Jews Brotherhood Award in 1968. He was instrumental in the successful effort to save the Meridian Street corridor from commercial encroachment in the mid-1960s. He served on the board of the Ensemble Music Society. Two governors named him a Sagamore of the Wabash. He was a member of the Indianapolis Literary Club.
Mr. Nolan was also an author. In 1961, Macmillan published The Iron Brigade, a military history, which has been named by Civil War Times Illustrated as one of the 100 best books ever written on the Civil War. It remained in print 47 years. He also wrote Lee Considered: General Robert E. Lee and Civil War History, UNC Press, 1991; Rally Round the Flag Boys; Rally Once Again; Giants in their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron Brigade, with Sharon Vipond, and As Sounding Brass, a contemporary novel. He was a regular contributor to numerous Civil War publications, the Indiana Magazine of History, Traces and other periodicals. His last article appeared in Traces in 2008. He lectured widely on Civil War topics at various colleges, universities, round tables and the Smithsonian Institution. He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Indiana University in 1993. In 1994, he was given the Nivens-Freeman award by the Chicago Civil War Roundtable. He was a Fellow of the Company of Military Historians.
His deep interest in history led to an active role at the Indiana Historical Society where he served on the board and was Chairman for twelve years during the planning and construction of the present facility. He was named a Living Legend in 2003.
Mr. Nolan had wide ranging community interests. He was a founder of the ICLU, the Civil War Round Table and a member of the Catholic Interracial Council. He held a position on the board of the NAACP in 1948 and received the National Council of Christians and Jews Brotherhood Award in 1968. He was instrumental in the successful effort to save the Meridian Street corridor from commercial encroachment in the mid-1960s. He served on the board of the Ensemble Music Society. Two governors named him a Sagamore of the Wabash. He was a member of the Indianapolis Literary Club.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 19, 2023
An excellent anthology of articles covering the Civil War campaigns of the Iron Brigade, as well as post- Civil War veteran’s activities. Compelling details about the battles , and savage combat. I was also struck by the evidence presented contradicting the popular nonsense that all military participants from both sides in the Civil War somehow put aside their mortal struggle to attain some kind of nonsensical “brotherhood.” It is quite apparent from the articles that these Union veterans held the CSA soldiers as traitors and disloyal citizens long after the war had ended. It is good to know they continued to recognize who the enemy still was and remember the sacrifices of their comrades.
October 31, 2024
A nice collection of essays. It contains numerous personal accounts of one the Union's premier military units during the Civil War. Well written with citations to original sources. A must-read for Civil War enthusiasts.
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August 2, 2011Actually edited by Alan T. Nolan (author of the classic, "The Iron Brigade") and Sharon Eggleston Vipond. A collection of 10 essays following the Iron Brigade from Brawner's Farm to the Wilderness, their relationships w/ John Gibbon and John Reynolds, their association with Battery B and the use of their battle flags after the war. Well worth reading for anyone interested in the Iron Brigade.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews