The Iron Brigade became one of the most celebrated military units of the American Civil War, with five volunteer regiments—the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, the 19th Indiana, and the 24th Michigan—whose soldiers wore distinctive black hats and earned a reputation as some of the most gallant and effective troops in the Union Army. General George B. McClellan gave them their nickname after seeing them stand like “iron” against the enemy at Turner’s Gap during the Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, on September 14, 1862. They served in all major engagements of the Army of the Potomac, and their casualties ranked among the highest of the war: the 2nd Wisconsin suffered the greatest percentage loss in the entire Union Army, the 7th Wisconsin had more men killed in battle than any other Union regiment, and the 24th Michigan sustained the greatest numerical loss of all Union regiments involved at Gettysburg. The 24th Michigan Infantry entered U.S. service on August 15, 1862, with 1,030 men under Colonel Henry A. Morrow, first distinguished itself under fire at Fredericksburg, fought at Chancellorsville and three other engagements before Gettysburg, and entered that battle with 496 men; after the first day’s fighting, only 99 remained with their flag. The sacrifice of the 24th Michigan and the Iron Brigade helped slow the Confederate advance on Gettysburg and allowed Federal forces to gain a position for victory. The regiment fought through 14 more battles, including the siege of Petersburg, was restored to full strength by new recruits, served as funeral escort for President Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, on May 4, 1865, and mustered out and disbanded at Detroit, Michigan, on June 30, 1865. In 1865 Henry Morrow rose to command the Iron Brigade and is buried nearby in Silver Brook Cemetery in Niles, Michigan.