Who We Are The Seventh Wisconsin: Then and Now Welcome to the 7th Wisconsin of the famed Iron brigade on the West Coast.  We are a reenacting group based in Washington State.  Our unit was formed in 1994 by four people: Glen Allison, Clyde Carpenter, Bill Cooper, and Sherman Franklin.  At one time or another we have had members from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Wisconsin..  Of the orginal four men, only Glen Allison is still with the unit. Commanders: 1994-1998:Glen Allison      1999: Peter Jensen       2000-2002: Ken Lundy          2003: Glen Allison      2004-2008: John Leyde      2009+:Glen Allison The picture above shows part of the recreated Seventh Wisconsin, Company I part of the famed Iron Brigade, a part of the Army of the Potomac. The 7th Wisconsin Veteran Volunteer Infantry regiment, part of the Union Battalion in the W.C.W.A.   We are a family oriented group that likes to get together in a Civil War setting and have fun while attempting to educate the public about the Civil War and what it was like to live during those troubled times. The Washington Civil War Association (W.C.W.A.) is a club organized to honor America's past by reenacting the War Between The States. It's objective is to interpret and present the daily life of Confederate and Federal soldiers and their families and associates for the public through living history, reenactments, first person characterizations and lectures. It's member units portray military and civilian organizations from all theaters of the Civil war during the period of 1861-1865. We don't just reenact in Washington State although that is where our club and unit are located.  Many of us have participated in reenactments in California, Idaho, and especially in Oregon.  Some members of the unit have fought in mock battles in Wisconsin, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.  For example, the 7th Wisconsin sent 16 people (14 soldiers, 1 civilian and 1 drummer boy) back to participate in the 135th anniversary battles at Gettysburg, the biggest reenactment event in the history of Civil War reenacting. The W.C.W.A. is not attempting to glorify war. The Civil War was our country's most tragic happening. The purpose of these events is to honor the real participants who had to face the horror of the Real Civil War and to stimulate and educate the public regarding this period of our nation's history.  The original 7th Wisconsin was mustered into service in Milwaukee in August of 1861 and became part of the Army of the Potomac, 1st Corps, 3rd Division, 1st Brigade which was soon to be known as the "Iron Brigade."    The 7th arrived in Madison in late August and settled down at Camp Randall, not far west of the Capitol Square, for military training. Colonel Joseph Vandor was given command of the 7th at this time. Lieutenant Colonel W.W. Robinson was second in command. Robinson would take command later when Vandor resigned.   Having received all the military training it would get in camp and mustered in for three years, the 7th was sent by train to Washington. Arriving on October 1st, the 7th was assigned to King's brigade. Governor Randall wanted an all Wisconsin brigade to be formed.  Unfortunately for Governor Randall, the same orders also required General King to transfer a regiment from his command. Army Headquarters chose the 5th Wisconsin regiment to leave and Indiana's 19th remained attached to King's brigade. We have recreated Company I of the 7th Wisconsin. Company I was known as the Northwestern Tigers (referring to the original Northwest Territory that the states of Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio were carved from). Many regiments or companies in a regiment in the Civil War came from a localized area in a state as small as a county or even a city. The men of Company I were scattered across Wisconsin, most of them from counties in the lower two-thirds of the state. However, many of the men in Company I came from the towns of Plainfield, Wautoma, Waukesha, Ixonia, Brooklyn and Watertown. The regiment's final commander, W.W. Robinson, is buried in Seattle, as is his son-in-law who was also a member of the regiment. We are part of the Union Battalion, Army of the Columbia, of the Washington Civil War Association.  By the battle of Gettysburg, the Iron Brigade had been transferred and was now Army of the Potomac, 1st Corps, 1st Division, 1st Brigade. Original Iron Brigaders took this to mean that they were considered the best, although it was just luck that placed them in this position in the Army of the Potomac.  Other regiments in the Iron Brigade besides the 7th Wisconsin were the 19th Indiana, 2nd Wisconsin and 6th Wisconsin. The 24th Michigan joined the brigade later in the war. General McClellan gave them the nickname at the Battle of South Mountain on September 14, 1862, when, as he watched them progress  against stiff resistance up the gap at South Mountain, remarked "that brigade must be made of iron." The brigade already had a nickname, "The Black Hat Brigade", because of their distinctive black hats which were the "1858 Army Dress Hats" and worn for dress parades by the U.S. Army regulars. When General John Gibbon took command in May of 1862, he had these hats issued. The brigade slowly lost its long frock coats and white leggings but they stubbornly clung to their black hats.  There is no recreated Iron Brigade on the West Coast.  However, the 19th Indiana is represented in the Northwest Civil War Council located in Oregon. The other 3 units (2nd and 6th Wisconsin and 24th Michigan) can be found in California.                                                                                                                                                                                          Back to Menu                                                                                                                                                             Brief History                Pictures