SPINOLA, Francis B (BEP engraved portrait)

The Spinola Brigade, also known as Spinola's Empire Brigade, was a unit of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Composed of several regiments mainly from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

; it was named after its initial commander

Francis B. Spinola Francis Barretto Spinola (March 19, 1821 – April 14, 1891) was an American politician and military leader often considered to have been the first Italian AmericanMultiple sources: * * * * to be elected to the United States House of Repres ...

. Spinola was commissioner of

New York Harbor New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in t ...

when the civil war erupted. He joined the volunteer army in a New York regiment and was commissioned as an officer. He was appointed

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of Volunteers on October 2, 1862. General Spinola commanded two relief efforts to lift the Confederate siege of Washington, North Carolina. In 1862 he recruited and organized a brigade of four regiments from New York, mainly composed of Italian Americans, known as Spinola's Empire Brigade. The regiments did not serve together in the field as a brigade. The four regiments of Spinola's brigade included: * First,

158th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 158th New York Infantry RegimentPhisterer, Frederick ''New York in the War of the Rebellion'', 3rd ed. Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912 was organized in Brooklyn as one of the regiments of the Empire-Spinola Brigade, and on August 13, 1862 Jam ...

; * Second,

132nd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 132nd New York Infantry Regiment, the "Second Regiment, Spinola's Empire Brigade"; or "Hillhouse Light Infantry", was an infantry regiment of the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The regiment was raised in July 1862, and was ...

; * Third, 163rd New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment; and * Fourth (incomplete), 164th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later transferred to the Corcoran Legion). Spinola later assumed command of the

Excelsior Brigade The Excelsior Brigade was a military unit in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Mainly composed of infantry regiments raised in the state of New York primarily by former U.S. Representative Daniel Sickles, the brigade served in several ...

after the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

, but this was not the same organization.

References

External links

New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center Spinola's or Empire Brigade
Brigade Spinola Union Army brigades 1862 establishments in New York (state) {{AmericanCivilWar-unit-stub

See also

References

External links