The Louisiana Fighting Tigers were made up of the 5th – 9th Louisiana infantry regiments. They were commanded by Brigadier General Harry T. Hays which were under the division commanded by General Jubal Early and in General Richard Ewell’s Corps, which was all part of the Northern Virginia Army under the command of Gen. Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg.
The Tiger Brigade earned its name from a Louisiana infantry company, Company B. 1st Louisiana Special Battalion and was one of the five infantry companies formed in New Orleans in 1861. The Tigers were mainly Irish immigrant dockworkers, “who were just as tough and resolute as their commander, Major Roberdeau Wheat” (Schreckengost, 2010, para 2). They were violent and rowdy soldiers …show more content…
Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia began to cross the Pennsylvania state line and Gen. Jubal Early’s division led the way and among Early’s units were 1,600 Louisiana Tigers from Gen. Hay’s Brigade. Gen. Lee’s intent was to take the fighting away from Virginia, take Harrisburg and convince the Union Army that the fight wasn’t worth it anymore. On June 26, 1863 the Tiger Brigade arrived at Gettysburg, and after a brief stay, continued on to York. They took York on June 28-29 and after that they turned and headed towards Gettysburg to meet the Union forces. On their way back to Gettysburg, the Tigers prowled through southern Pennsylvania and seized whatever they could. This was all part of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s plan which was to conficate food, livestock, shoes and anything else his army could use. (Jones, 2013, para 4). On July 1, 1863, two divisions of Confederate soldiers headed back to Gettysburg and ran into Union cavalry west of the town at Willoughby Run. As the fighting began, the Tiger Brigade was returning from York and was within a mile of Gettysburg on Heidlersburg road. The Union Cavalry was able to slow the advance of the Confederates down until the Union infantry of the 1st and 11th corps had arrived. More Confederate reinforcements had arrived under the command of Generals A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell and the scene would escalate into and all out
The Tiger Brigade earned its name from a Louisiana infantry company, Company B. 1st Louisiana Special Battalion and was one of the five infantry companies formed in New Orleans in 1861. The Tigers were mainly Irish immigrant dockworkers, “who were just as tough and resolute as their commander, Major Roberdeau Wheat” (Schreckengost, 2010, para 2). They were violent and rowdy soldiers …show more content…
Robert E Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia began to cross the Pennsylvania state line and Gen. Jubal Early’s division led the way and among Early’s units were 1,600 Louisiana Tigers from Gen. Hay’s Brigade. Gen. Lee’s intent was to take the fighting away from Virginia, take Harrisburg and convince the Union Army that the fight wasn’t worth it anymore. On June 26, 1863 the Tiger Brigade arrived at Gettysburg, and after a brief stay, continued on to York. They took York on June 28-29 and after that they turned and headed towards Gettysburg to meet the Union forces. On their way back to Gettysburg, the Tigers prowled through southern Pennsylvania and seized whatever they could. This was all part of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s plan which was to conficate food, livestock, shoes and anything else his army could use. (Jones, 2013, para 4). On July 1, 1863, two divisions of Confederate soldiers headed back to Gettysburg and ran into Union cavalry west of the town at Willoughby Run. As the fighting began, the Tiger Brigade was returning from York and was within a mile of Gettysburg on Heidlersburg road. The Union Cavalry was able to slow the advance of the Confederates down until the Union infantry of the 1st and 11th corps had arrived. More Confederate reinforcements had arrived under the command of Generals A.P. Hill and Richard Ewell and the scene would escalate into and all out