William R . Brewster William Root Brewster ( July 27 , 1828 – December 13 , 1869 ) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War who commanded a regiment in the famed Excelsior Brigade of the Army of the Potomac . He later commanded the brigade , including at the Battle of Gettysburg where Brewster and his men were overrun by Confederates while defending the Emmitsburg Road position of the ACW not far from the Peach Orchard . Early life . William Root Brewster was born on July 27 , 1828 , in Goshen , Connecticut , the son of Nelson Brewster and Lucretta Hannah Root . He later moved to New York State , probably to Brooklyn . Civil War . When the war broke out , Brewster was commissioned as the major of the 28th New York State Militia at Brooklyn in the spring of 1861 . He and his regiment were not engaged at the First Battle of Bull Run because it was on guard duty along the Potomac River . Brewster returned to New York , where he became involved in the recruiting efforts of the controversial politician Daniel Sickles , which led to creation of the Excelsior Brigade . Brewster became colonel of the 73rd New York Infantry , Fourth Excelsior , on September 13 , 1861 . The recruits were mostly from the fire departments of the New York and Brooklyn area . The Excelsior regiments subsequently served in the Peninsula Campaign of Maj . Gen . George B . McClellan . The brigade served in the Second Division , III Corps . Brewster is reported to have been taken prisoner in this period , but the details are unknown . He was exchanged about August 15 , 1862 . Consequently , he was not present at the Second Battle of Bull Run . Brewster was in command of his regiment at the Battle of Fredericksburg . He missed the Battle of Chancellorsville , likely because of illness . When he returned to the Army of the Potomac , Brewster found himself in command of the Excelsior Brigade in the division of Brig . Gen Andrew A . Humphreys . Brewster led the brigade during the Gettysburg Campaign in June and July 1863 . On July 2 , the brigade was advanced to an area near the Peach Orchard . It was flanked out of that position by the Confederate division of Maj . Gen . Lafayette McLaws . Brewster ' s horse was shot out from under him in that action . The remains of the brigade took part in a counterattack late on July 2 that recaptured some abandoned Union guns . Brewster reported that his brigade lost 778 of 1 , 837 engaged . Brewster again fell ill after the battle , and the brigade was led by Brig . Gen . Francis Barretto Spinola during the pursuit of the Confederate army into Virginia . ( Spinola was wounded at the Battle of Manassas Gap on July 23 , 1863 . Col . J . Egbert Farnum commanded until Brewster returned to active duty . ) Brewster was present for the autumn campaigns of 1863 , and it is reported that he inspired his men by rising from his “ sick bed ” to lead the Excelsiors in the Mine Run Campaign . When the Army of the Potomac was reorganized for the Overland Campaign of Lt . Gen . Ulysses S . Grant , Brewster retained brigade command . The brigade , augmented with two regiments , served in the Battle of the Wilderness in the Fourth Division , II Corps under Brig . Gen . Gershom Mott . When the remnants of the division became part of the Third Division of Maj . Gen . David B . Birney shortly before the Battle of Spotsylvania , Brewster ’ s brigade became the division ’ s Fourth Brigade . He led these men at the Battle of Cold Harbor and in the initial operations of the Siege of Petersburg until May 13 , 1864 . Then the brigade was abolished . Most of the Excelsiors were moved to the First Brigade , Third Division . When Brig . Gen . Régis de Trobriand joined II Corps during the siege , he took command of the First Brigade , with Brewster as the senior colonel . When de Trobriand was acting division commander October 8 - October 21 , 1864 , Brewster led the brigade in his place . Colonel Brewster was mustered out with the 73rd New York on October 24 near Petersburg , Virginia , and subsequently returned to New York . He was given the brevet rank of brigadier general on December 2 , 1864 . Postbellum activities and memorialization . Following his mustering out of the service , Brewster returned to Brooklyn and resumed his civilian life . He was active in early reunions of his former regiment . William R . Brewster died in Brooklyn on December 13 , 1869 , at the age of 41 . He was buried there at the Green - Wood Cemetery , a cemetery that also contains the remains of several other Civil War officers and generals . A monument to the Excelsior Brigade stands in the field in which it deployed at Gettysburg , now known as the Excelsior Field . It was dedicated on July 2 , 1893 .