One hundred fifty years after the historic Battle of Gettysburg,
the Minnesota National Guard honored the Soldiers who fought during
that pivotal time of the American Civil War.
On the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg,
Minnesota Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Richard C. Nash, traveled to
Gettysburg to pay tribute to Minnesota’s First Volunteer Infantry
Regiment. As the leader of the Minnesota National Guard, the state’s
volunteer military force, Nash took part in a series of events
recalling the actions at Gettysburg and the valiant efforts of the
First Minnesota.
Yesterday (Tuesday), beginning at the Gettysburg museum, Nash
retraced the steps of the First Minnesota troops on the second day of
battle at Gettysburg in 1863. He met with Alabama Adjutant General,
Maj. Gen. Perry G. Smith at Plum Run or “Bloody Run”. It was there
where two confederate brigades from Alabama and Mississippi stormed
through the broken federal line and the Union Army needed a few
minutes before their reserves would arrive. The First Minnesota, with
262 men, was the nearest unit. When ordered to counter-charge the
confederates, Col. William J. Colvill, the commander of the regiment,
replied, “to the last man.”
Following an exchange of gifts, both Adjutant Generals marched
through the Valley of Death on the land their predecessors fought on.
Together they arrived at the First Minnesota Memorial Monument on
Hancock Avenue where a rededication was held.
Today’s (Wednesday) events include a visit to an area reserved
specifically for Soldiers of the First Minnesota at the Gettysburg
National Cemetery. State and commemorative 150th anniversary flags
will be placed on First Minnesota graves, showing that the great
history of Minnesota’s First Volunteer Infantry Regiment is not
forgotten.
In 1861, when President Lincoln called for 75,000 troops to
support the Union Army in battle, Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey
was the first to commit troops from his state. When he returned to
Minnesota from Washington, it took less than two weeks to obtain 1,009
volunteers to answer the call.
The First Minnesota participated in several battles throughout
the Civil War. In 1861, they were heavily engaged at the First Battle
of Bull Run, as well as the Battle of Ball’s Bluff. In May of 1862,
the First Minnesota became part of the First Brigade, Second Division,
Second Corps of the Army of the Potomac. As a part of this Corps, the
First Minnesota participated in the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days
Battle, and Antietam in Maryland where they sustained heavy losses.
These battles paled in comparison to the fighting which occurred
at Gettysburg, where the First Minnesota was crucial to the future
success of the Union Army. During this second day of fighting at
Gettysburg, troops of the First Minnesota charged the Confederates,
securing the Federals position on Cemetery Ridge, which became
essential to winning the battle. At the outset, the Soldiers of the
First Minnesota were outnumbered approximately four-to-one and
suffered casualties of nearly 82 percent. To this day, that casualty
rate stands as the largest loss by a surviving military unit in a
single day’s engagement during the Civil War.
One hundred fifty years since the First Minnesota entered federal
service, Minnesota’s volunteer force has slowly transformed into the
Minnesota National Guard we know today. “Today’s citizen-soldiers and
airmen continue to play integral roles whenever the U.S. finds itself
in conflict, ensuring that the legacy of the First Minnesota lives
on,” said Nash.
(Photo: Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Richard
Nash and his counterpart, Alabama Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Perry
Smith meet on the Plum Run ravine, the sight of the deadliest battle
in Gettysburg, to exchange gifts during the 150th Anniversary of the
battle to commemorate the service and sacrifice of the First Minnesota
Volunteer Regiment, July 2, 2013. Photo by Master Sgt. Daniel Ewer)