14th Regiment (New York State Militia)

14th Regiment, New York State Militia (14th Brooklyn) 84th New York Volunteer Infantry
Active	Founded 9 June 1847; April 1861–1864; 1898 {as 14th New York Infantry}; 1917 - 1945 {as part of the 106th Regiment}
Country	United States of America
Allegiance	Union
Branch	United States Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Infantry
Size	1,100
Nickname(s)	Red Legged Devils
Motto(s)	Baptized by Fire
Engagements	American Civil War First Bull Run Falls Church Rappahannock Gaines' Mill Second Bull Run South Mountain Antietam Fredericksburg Chancellorsville Gettysburg Mine Run The Wilderness Spotsylvania Court House World War I World War II *Battle of Saipan
Commanders
Colonel	Alfred M. Wood
Colonel	Edward Brush Fowler
Lt. Colonel	William H. DeBevoise
Notable commanders	Ardolph L. Kline
Insignia
1st Division, I Corps
2nd Div, V Corps
3rd/4th Div, V Corps

The 14th Regiment New York State Militia (also called the 14th Brooklyn Chasseurs and officially known during the American Civil War as 84th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment) was a volunteer militia regiment from the City of Brooklyn, New York. It is primarily known for its service in the American Civil War from April 1861 to 6 May 1864, although it later served in the Spanish–American War and World War I (as part of the 106th Regiment).

In the Civil War, the regiment was made up of a majority of abolitionists from the Brooklyn area. It was led first by Colonel Alfred M. Wood and later by Colonel Edward Brush Fowler. The 14th Brooklyn was involved in heavy fighting, including most major engagements of the Eastern Theater. Their engagements included the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. During the war, the men of the 14th Brooklyn were well known by both armies and throughout the country for their hard drill, hard fighting, and constant refusal to stand down from a fight. During their three years of service they never withdrew from battle in unorderly fashion.

On 7 December 1861, the State of New York officially changed the regiment's designation to the 84th New York Volunteer Infantry (and its unit histories are sometimes found under this designation). But at the unit's request and because of the fame attained by the unit at First Bull Run, the United States Army continued to refer to it as the 14th.^[1]

The 14th Brooklyn received its nickname, the "Red Legged Devils", during the First Battle of Bull Run. Referring to the regiment's colorful red trousers as the regiment repeatedly charged up Henry House Hill, Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson yelled to his men, "Hold on Boys! Here come those red legged devils again!"^[2]

In the early part of the war, when the 14th Brooklyn was in General Walter Phelps' brigade, the brigade was named "Iron Brigade". It would later become known as the "Eastern Iron Brigade" after John Gibbon's Black Hat Brigade was given the name "Western Iron Brigade". At the conclusion of the war, all members of the "Eastern" or "First" Iron Brigade were given medals for their service within the Iron Brigade.