This is one of the finest Brigades in the army. It is called the Veteran Brigade. It is an honor to belong to it. — Col. Robert McAllister on assuming command 7 Oct 1863
OOKER’S BRIGADE was formed in August 1861 and served together until March 1864. It was Joseph Hooker's first command in the Union army, and even though Hooker commanded the brigade for only a short period of time, the original members always considered themselves part of Hooker’s Brigade. The men had a particular fondness for him because of his fair-minded and solicitous treatment of the brigade during its formative months, during which time he instilled in them for the first time a sense of military discipline. Hooker was their division commander during the hard-fought Peninsula and 2nd Manassas campaigns. The men looked on with pride as they watched their old commander’s star rising in the Army of the Potomac, and were particularly pleased upon his appointment to army command in early 1863. The defeat at Chancellorsville did not dim their esteem for Hooker — they blamed the loss entirely on the "Flying Dutchmen" of the Eleventh Corps — and they were mystified at the appointment of Meade just before Gettysburg.
The brigade never acquired a nickname like other famous units such as the Iron Brigade and Excelsior Brigade. They were sometimes called the New England Brigade in the Official Records. But the rank and file always associated themselves with their first commander. When corps badges were issued in 1863 many of the men inscribed the words "Hooker’s Bde" on their white diamond corps badges — homage to the man who rose from command of their brigade to the head of the Army of the Potomac.
When the Army of the Potomac was reorganized in March 1864, General Meade abolished the Third Corps and assigned its regiments to other corps. "Hooker’s Brigade" was broken up in the process, upsetting the rank and file (and many of the line officers), who felt they should be allowed to remain together for the final two months of their enlistment.
Third Corps veterans erected a "headstone" for the corps at the army's winter encampment near Brandy Station.
This comradeship of three years’ service will never be effaced as long as one is left who won the right to wear the white diamond, with "Hooker’s Brigade" inscribed thereon. — Sgt. Gustavus Hutchinson, 11th Massachusetts
original text and graphics copyright © 2008 Robert Morss, rdmorss at morssweb dot com