The 14th Brooklyn Chasseurs Regiment was famous as “The Red Legged Devils.” The regiment’s dashing French Chasseur uniform with red trousers made it noticeable from its very first military engagement at First Bull Run. It won a reputation for heroic service from the start. The regiment’s nickname was said to have been given at Bull Run by Stonewall Jackson who called out, “Hold on Boys! Here come those red legged devils again!”
Edward Fowler, a long-time Brooklynite, commanded the 14th Brooklyn during much of its three years of service in the Civil War. Fowler was wounded in the thigh during the Second Battle of Bull Run in 1862, but he returned to command at Gettysburg and was brevetted as a Brigadier General in 1865 in recognition of his gallant service. When he died in 1896 his body lay in state at Brooklyn Borough Hall. In 1902 Brooklyn dedicated this statue of Fowler in Fort Greene Park. The statue was removed from the park to avoid further damage from the elements and vandalism. In 1976 it was installed at the renamed Fowler Square, where it is today.
In 2005 the statue underwent substantial conservation and it is in excellent shape. The square itself went through renovation in 2010 and continues to be a focus of efforts at conservation and improvement. There are many thriving businesses alongside the tiny square making it a heavily travelled pedestrian haven.
The statue was created by Henry Baerer, a German immigrant who lived in New York. He also sculpted the Gouverneur Warren statue in Grand Army Plaza. It is an excellent work of early 20th Century life-like military sculpture. I have visited the statue dozens of times and often seen passersby stop to admire it. The monument is finely restored and the square is lovely.
One reason the statue gets so many views is its location a block away from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). This is Brooklyn’s premier theater and before the pandemic it was a locus of cultural life in the borough since the time of the Civil War. The original BAM burned at the start of the 20th Century, but even the “modern BAM” is over a century old.
The photo below is an older one from a decade ago. Behind the statue you can see the work going on to improve the square. The changes increased the space for pedestrians and created a small performance space just yards from the statue where I have seen local arts groups offer presentations that bring even more people to Fowler Square.
The statue depicts Fowler in full uniform, with his cap in his right hand and his left hand on his sword.
To the right of Fowler (below), you can see the seating area added recently where dozens of locals take their lunch or sit reading on nice days.
As you can see below, it is a popular place for young people and families to enjoy time outside.
The dedication on the back of the base identifies the statue as having been erected by the City of Brooklyn and lists the 14th’s battles.
Fowler’s face shows him as an intense and intelligent commander.
When I was at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs several years ago I photographed this original 14th Brooklyn jacket.
I met two 14th Brooklyn living history members at Old Bethpage Village Restoration on Long Island who had good impressions of the uniform adopted in 1860 by the regiment and worn throughout the war.
There are a number of bars and reasonably priced eateries near the Fowler Monument. Baba Cafe is on the square itself. On Fulton St. is Black Forest where you can have German dishes Brooklyn-style. Fowler Square is at the corner of Lafayette Ave. and Fulton St.
By the way, whenever I visit Gettysburg, I like to snap a shot of the 14th Brooklyn statue there.
There’s a tattoo parlour near the Barclay Center named “The Red-Legged Devils.”
My G G Grandpa Dr. Daniel AyresJr. was a regimental surgeon with the 14th! Buried at Greenwood.