George L . Willard George Lamb Willard ( August 15 , 1827 – July 2 , 1863 ) was an officer in the Union Army who commanded a New York regiment and , briefly , a brigade in the American Civil War . He lost his life leading the brigade in the II Corps at the Battle of Gettysburg . Early life and career . George L . Willard was born in New York City on August 15 , 1827 . He served in the Mexican War . By the war ’ s end , Willard had reached the rank of sergeant in the 15th U . S . Infantry . For his part in the war , he was made a second lieutenant in the 8th U . S . Infantry . Willard remained in the regular service until the outbreak of the Civil War , rising to the rank of captain in the 8th Infantry . At the outbreak of the war , Willard was unwilling to give up his regular commission — by then a major in the 19th U . S . Infantry , and so he missed for a time any chance to command a regiment of volunteers . Civil War . Harpers Ferry . Willard became colonel of the 125th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment . In this case Willard was allowed to retain his commission in the regular army . Willard suffered misfortune while commanding his regiment at Harpers Ferry , West Virginia , in 1862 . His raw recruits did not distinguish themselves in the Battle of Harpers Ferry , in which they fell apart under fire during the fighting on Bolivar Heights . They were too frightened , especially by the enfilade fire coming in from Loudon Heights to rally . When the garrison was surrendered to Stonewall Jackson by Col . Dixon S . Miles , Willard and his men became prisoners of war . When 125th was paroled in early 1863 , Willard was in charge until it was exchanged for captured Confederate troops . During that period , these New Yorkers were encamped at Camp Douglass in Chicago , Illinois . Then they were assigned to the defenses of Washington , D . C . in the division of Brig . Gen . Silas Casey , part of a brigade of New York veterans of Harpers Ferry led by Brig . Gen . Alexander Hays . The brigade became the third in Casey ' s division of the XXII Corps in February 1863 . Willard also testified before the military commission that investigated the surrender of Harpers Ferry . He was critical of the conduct of Miles and was quoted by another officer as thinking the garrison ’ s commander unfit to be in charge . Gettysburg . The units of the “ Harper ’ s Ferry Brigade ” were joined the Army of the Potomac on June 28 , 1863 . They were assigned to II Corps , where they became the 3rd Brigade , 3rd Division under General Hays . Maj . Gen . William H . French having been assigned to detached duty in the Middle Department , Hays became division commander in his place . Willard duly succeeded by seniority to command of the brigade . The veterans of II Corps did not greet the “ Harpers Ferry Cowards ” ” kindly until they had proven their courage in combat . The 3rd Brigade marched northward in heat and dust of the summer of 1863 , halting at Uniontown , Maryland , on June 30 . The grueling march had caused many to fall out of the ranks , joining only when the division encamped . On July 1 , when the division crossed into Pennsylvania , the third brigade was at the rear of the column , guarding the wagon train . Reaching Gettysburg , Pennsylvania late on July 1 , Willard ’ s command camped along the Taneytown Road behind the Round Tops . Early on July 2 , the brigade moved up to Cemetery Ridge , taking a position near the Bryan farm . Late on July 2 , when Maj . Gen . Winfield S . Hancock had been placed in charge of the Army ’ s endangered left flank , he sent back to his II Corps for reinforcements . A courier found Hays and Willard together . Hays ordered Willard to take his brigade to the left and “ knock the Hell ” out of the Confederates . Hancock appeared and led Willard ’ s brigade to the left himself . Forming a line of battle just north of Weikert ’ s Woods , the brigade had three regiments in line with a fourth in reserve . ( That regiment participated in repulsing the Confederate brigade of Brig . Gen . Cadmus Wilcox . ) Willard ’ s men stopped the victorious advance of Brig . Gen . William Barksdale , which had captured the Union position at the Peach Orchard and then pressed forward toward Cemetery Ridge . Willard ordered the two regiments on his right forward , pushing the Confederate back . Some of Willard ’ s men are reported to have yelled , as they charged , “ Remember Harpers Ferry ! ” The New Yorkers recovered abandoned Union guns , but they came under heavy fire from Confederate artillery after crossing Plum Run . Willard had just ordered his men back to their start line when he was hit in the face by an artillery round . Colonel Willard died on the spot , leaving command of the brigade to Col . Eliakim Sherrill . Lt . Col . James M . Bull , 126th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment , who filed the brigade ' s report , gives a detailed account of this counterattack . Memorials . Fort Willard in the defenses of Washington , D . C . was named for the fallen colonel . A small monument — dedicated in 1888 — stands on the Gettysburg battlefield near where Willard fell . His body was recovered and transported back to his family . He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy , New York . Camp # 154 of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in Albany , New York is named for Willard .