1800-1914Discuss The Minnesota 1st Regiment at Gettysburg. in the Other Eras forums; I was reading up on Gettysburg (During the war to fight Southern treachery) and found this written up about them.
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I was reading up on Gettysburg (During the war to fight Southern treachery) and found this written up about them.
During the charge, 215 members of the 262 men who were present at the time became casualties, including the regimental commander, Col. William Colvill, and all but three of his officers. ....... The 82 percent casualty rate stands to this day as the largest loss by any surviving military unit in American history during any single engagement.
Organization and early service
The 1st Minnesota was the first state volunteer regiment formally tendered to the Federal government under Abraham Lincoln's call for 300,000 troops in 1861, being offered on April 14 for three months service, Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey happening to be in Washington at the time. It was organized at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on April 29 and subsequently remustered for three years service on May 10.
The regiment suffered significant losses during its term of service in the Eastern Theater. At the First Battle of Bull Run, it took the heaviest casualties of any Federal regiment on the field, an unfortunate honor that it would hold in more than one battle. At the Battle of Antietam, the Minnesotans and their parent brigade, commanded by the regiment's former colonel, Willis A. Gorman, were in General John Sedgwick's ill-famed assault on the West Woods, resulting in a Union rout from that part of the field. However, as always, the 1st Minnesota fought with courage and distinction.
Gettysburg
The men of the 1st Minnesota are most remembered for their actions on July 2, 1863, during the second day's fighting at Gettysburg, resulting in the prevention of a serious breach in the Union defensive line on Cemetery Ridge. Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, commander of the II Corps of the Army of the Potomac, ordered the regiment to assault a much larger enemy force (a brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox) in an effort to buy time while other forces could be brought up. During the charge, 215 members of the 262 men who were present at the time became casualties, including the regimental commander, Col. William Colvill, and all but three of his officers. The unit's flag fell five times and rose again each time. The 47 survivors rallied back to General Hancock under the senior surviving officer, Captain Henry C. Coates. The 82 percent casualty rate stands to this day as the largest loss by any surviving military unit in American history during any single engagement. The unit's flag is now in the Minnesota Capital's rotunda.
Despite the horrendous casualties the 1st Minnesota had incurred, it continued the fight the next day, helping to repulse Pickett's Charge. The surviving Minnesotans just happened to have been positioned at one of the few places where Union lines were breached during that engagement, and, as a result, charged the advancing Confederate positions one last time as a unit.
The monument to the 1st Minnesota at the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park bears the following inscription:
“ On the afternoon of July 2, 1863 Sickles' Third Corps, having advanced from this line to the Emmitsburg Road, eight companies of the First Minnesota Regiment, numbering 262 men were sent to this place to support a battery upon Sickles repulse.
As his men were passing here in confused retreat, two Confederate brigades in pursuit were crossing the swale. To gain time to bring up the reserves & save this position, Gen Hancock in person ordered the eight companies to charge the rapidly advancing enemy.
The order was instantly repeated by Col Wm Colvill. And the charge as instantly made down the slope at full speed through the concentrated fire of the two brigades breaking with the bayonet the enemy's front line as it was crossing the small brook in the low ground there the remnant of the eight companies, nearly surrounded by the enemy held its entire force at bay for a considerable time & till it retired on the approach of the reserve the charge successfully accomplished its object. It saved this position & probably the battlefield. The loss of the eight companies in the charge was 215 killed & wounded. More than 83% percent. 47 men were still in line & no man missing. In self sacrificing desperate valor this charge has no parallel in any war. Among the severely wounded were Col Wm Colvill, Lt Col Chas P Adams & Maj Mark W. Downie. Among the killed Capt Joseph Periam, Capt Louis Muller & Lt Waldo Farrar. The next day the regiment participated in repelling Pickett's charge losing 17 more men killed & wounded.”
During the chaotic fighting that took place in the repulse of Pickett's Charge, Private Marshall Sherman of Company C of the 1st Minnesota captured the colors of the 28th Virginia. Private Sherman received the Medal of Honor for his exploit. The flag was taken back to Minnesota as a prize of war and is displayed at the Minnesota Historical Society. In the mid-1990s, several groups of Virginians unsuccessfully sued the Society to return the 28th Virginia's battle flag to the Old Dominion State.
Syscom 3, Where I'm from, It's referred to as The Second War For Independence, Or The War Between The States.So, don't we have rules about insulting others on this site? my Great,Great Grandfather,James W. Street, was from Ripley, Mississippi. When the war started he formed an artillary Batallion with the men from & around Ripley. They served throughout the war. Since I am a Southern gentleman and a scholar, I will not insult the brave men of the 1st. -Karl
Last edited by Karl Sitts; 04-19-2008 at 10:09 PM.
Reason: Caps lock stuck.
Did you know 24 Congressional medals were won by Canadians in the US civil war I discovered this when I looked up how many Canadians fought and it's between 50 and 60 thousand
Syscom 3, Where I'm from, It's referred to as The Second War For Independence, Or The War Between The States.So, don't we have rules about insulting others on this site? my Great,Great Grandfather,James W. Street, was from Ripley, Mississippi. When the war started he formed an artillary Batallion with the men from & around Ripley. They served throughout the war. Since I am a Southern gentleman and a scholar, I will not insult the brave men of the 1st. -Karl
Others here refer to it as the "War of Northern Aggresion" Thats an insult from where I'm from.
Did you know 24 Congressional medals were won by Canadians in the US civil war I discovered this when I looked up how many Canadians fought and it's between 50 and 60 thousand
Dont get started on the North vs the South thing guys.... Anyone can call it what they want, as long as they dont shame the names of the brave sumbitches that fought for both sides...
Im a damn Yankee and proud of it, and I remind thiese necks down here in Mississippi several times a year that the North won the War, so bragging rights are ours...
Excellent story sys, I was aware of this before, but u reminded me of it, thanks... Talk about Bravery....
Interesting fact pB about ur Canadians.... Knew some fought, but in the 10's of thousands??? WOW...
"September 17, 1862 was the bloodiest one day's fighting of the war. Of the 23,000 casualties, Mc Clellan could count 12,500 and Lee about 2000 less. Hood's division was shattered-his old brigade was decimated. The Texas Brigade went into action numbering 854 and lost 560 killed, wounded and missing,- a casualty rate of over 64%, the third highest in percentage losses for a brigade in a single battle." "The first Texas, led by Lt. Colonel P. A. Work, fought doggedly back and forth across Miller's blood spattered cornfield. The First Texas led the advance of Hood's Division, driving two lines of Federal infantry and over-running an artillery battery. Leading 226 men into battle, Work counted 186 killed, wounded and missing at the end of the day for a casualty rate of 82.3%. This was the highest casualty rate for any regiment, North or South, for a one day battle during the war. Of the 16 flag bearers that the brigade lost at Antietam, the first Texas lost nine." Of course, sometimes casualty records were not all that accurate, particularly for the South. Consequently which regiment had the highest casualty rate is probably still in question. The reports were that Miller's 40 acre cornfield was strewn so thickly with bodies of both sides that one could walk across the field and never step off of a body and there was not one stalk of corn left uncut by gunfire.
I would like to visit there also as well as Gettysburg. They are on my list. Saw a special on TV about Antietam( or Sharpsburg) and they said there was a slight ridge in front of the "sunken road" that let the Union troops get within about 100 yards be fore coming into view. That little ridge saved hundreds of lives. Would enjoy seeing your photos.
I would like to visit there also as well as Gettysburg. They are on my list. Saw a special on TV about Antietam( or Sharpsburg) and they said there was a slight ridge in front of the "sunken road" that let the Union troops get within about 100 yards be fore coming into view. That little ridge saved hundreds of lives. Would enjoy seeing your photos.
Right Sys, some of my books on Civil War refer to it as the Sunken Road and some call it Bloody Lane but it was the place where the TV program said that there was a very slight ridge or perhaps the edge of a fold that is only apparent when one is in the road that concealed on coming troops until they were about 100 yards away. Did you notice that when you were there? Anyway that was the place where John Gordon received 5 gunshot wounds, the last going in one cheek, through his mouth and out the other cheek whereupon he almost drowned in his own blood. He is the one who supposedly said when asked if they could hold the position, "We will hold here all the liv long day or til the sun goes down." Or something like that.
I remember this very well. About 100 yards from the sunken lane, is indeed a small rise. If I remember correctly, the Union troops took position there and started firing at the Confederates that were positioned in the lane.
After awhile, the lane was stacked with bodies, and the Union troops manged to take the position. But, the Union troops suffered such bad casualties, they couldnt exploit the situation.
There is a small stone watch tower that was built when the area was made into a battlefield park. Its right astride the lane, and you get an excellent view of the local battlefield for the Union right and center.
The attached photo is not mine, just to show you whats there.
Thanks Sys, your memories and insight are most valuable. The Confederates held the positon for several hours during the middle of the day. The carnage was terrible on both sides. Part of the time the Union troops making the attack were the Irish Brigade and they were decimated. Finally one Confederate unit under mistaken orders withdrew, allowing Union troops to take over their position and taking the rest of the Southern troops in the Lane under enfilade fire. It was at this time, I think, that General Longstreet, because the situation was so desperate, was actually manning an artillery battery to the rear of the Sunken Road. The whole battle broke down into three segments. In the morning, the fight for the Woods, Miller's cornfield and the Dunker Church. This was where Hood's division and the Texas Brigade was shattered. The midday fight was at Bloody Lane. The afternoon fight was at the Burnside Bridge where Hill's light division saved the day. Of course these actions were continuous. The number of KIAs, something over 6000, is misleading because many of the WIAs died in the following weeks. One interesting point to me is that there were military observers from the armies in Europe with both the Union and Confederate armies and they were all astounded at the ferocity of the fighting and at the huge numbers of casualties.
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Originally Posted by Karl Sitts 
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