Giants in Their Tall Black Hats: Essays on the Iron BrigadeEditors Alan Nolan and Sharon Eggleston Vipond's insightful essays provide fresh perspectives on the Iron Brigade's exploits, detailing military and political events in the words of actual combatants. Military Review Originally called The Black Hat Brigade because the soldiers wore the regular army's dress black hat instead of the more typical blue cap, the Iron Brigade was the only all Western brigade in the Eastern armies of the Union. From Brawner