MINNESOTA IN THE CIVIL WAR: A PHOTOGRAPHIC LEGACY

Military Images, May/Jun 2009 by Jorgenson, Wayne

Admitted to the Union in 1858 as the thirty-second state, Minnesota contributed some 25,000 men to the Federal armed forces during the Civil War. During the course of the conflict Minnesota troops were photographed in the studio and in the field, leaving behind an extensive photgraphic record of thier heroic particioation in the Civil War.

Lieutenant James DeGray's Slouch Hat, 1st Minnesota Inf. (Michael Cunningham collection)

Right: 1st Lieutenant James DeGray, 1st Minnesota Infantry. Wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg, DeGray proudly wears a Second Corps badge in this image. For more on Lieutenant DeGray and his battle scarred slouch hat, see page 13. (CDV by Whitney Gallery, St. Paul, MN. Michael Cunningham collection)

1ST MINNESOTA INFANTRY

History

The First Regiment of Minnesota Volunteer Infantry has the distinction of being the first volunteer unit tendered to President Lincoln in the defense of the nation. Governor Ramsey was in Washington, D.C. and when going to visit his friend, Secretary of War Simon Cameron, who was heading off to see President Lincoln. Ramsey learned about the shelling of Fort Sumter and that troops would be needed to put down the rebellion. He quickly wrote down his offer to raise 1,000 men for the Union and Cameron took it with him to his meeting with President Lincoln. The First Minnesota served in the 2nd Corps as part of the Army of the Potomac. It participated in all the Army's major engagements in the eastern theater. At Gettysburg it suffered 224 men killed and wounded, the majority in its heroic charge into the Confederate lines on July 2, 1863. It was mustered into service on April 29, 1861. It was mustered out of the service on May 5, 1864. During its existence it lost 187 officers and men killed in action and 99 officers and enlisted men who died of disease for a total of 286 fatalities.

Drummer Morton S. Robinson, Company D, 1st Minnesota Infantry. This picture of eighteen-year-old Mort Robinson was taken in October or November 1861, when the regiment was issued new nine button frock coats with shoulder scales and Hardee hats. The scales were quickly thrown away, because they served no practical purpose other than to draw the enemy's attention. The men also preferred four button sack coats due to its more comfortable fit. Robinson died on July 22, 1864, and was buried at Arlington Cemetery. (Ambrotype- Wayne Jorgenson collection)

First Volunteers, Aaron Greenwald & Josias King

Below: Josias King was the first man to volunteer at a meeting held the same night (April 15) in St. Paul. As a result both King and Aaron Greenwald (pictured left) claimed to be the first man to volunteer for the Union cause in the Civil War. King was mustered in as first sergeant of Company A, and in September of 1861, was commissioned a lieutenant in the same company. On July 10, 1862, Josias was named adjutant of the regiment, retaining this position until January, 1863. When his former regimental commander, Alfred Sully, was assigned to deal with the Indian uprising in Minnesota in 1863, King was chosen as a member of his staff, serving in that summers Indian campaign on the upper Missouri River. With the death of Greenwald at Gettysburg, the honor of who was the first man to enlist for the Union fell, with no further opposition, to Josias King. After service on General Sully's staff, King rejoined the 1st Minnesota, was promoted to first lieutenant and then captain, and was mustered out on May S, 1864. In 1866, King secured a second lieutenant's commission in the regular army, serving in the 2nd U.S. Infantry until 1871, when he resigned his commission as a first lieutenant. (CDV by Brady, New York- Wayne Jorgenson collection)

Above: Aaron Greenwald was the first man to volunteer for service at a recruiting meeting held in Anoka on the evening of April 1 S, 1861. Upon the regiment's formation, Colonel Willis Gorman, who had presided over the Anoka meeting, perhaps put of deference to Greenwald's zeal in being the first at the meeting to volunteer, appointed Greenwald to be the regimental quartermaster sergeant. He may not have been suited for the position. He was eventually given the rank of corporal and returned to his Company C. Greenwald was mortally wounded on July 3, 1863, at the Battle of Gettysburg, dying two days later. Born in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Greenwald's remains were recovered by his father, and buried in Wernersville, Pennsylvania. (CDV by W. W. West, Traveling Artist- Wayne Jorgenson collection)

The 1st Minnesota Infantry at the Battle of 1st Bull Bun

July 21, 1861

Above: Eighteen-year-old Private Edward Needham of Company G participated in the Battle of Bull Run. Afterward, he wrote to his fiance the following recollection, "When I first heard the Fire I was bewildered for an instant, the roar was so terrific & consequently didn't drop as quick as the rest of our men did, but looked around to see what was going on. It did not take me long to find out & I drawed my gun up& was going to fire, when I remembered that we had strict orders not to fire till we had orders to do so. So I did not fire but laid down as quick as possible. I heard somebody yell "fire" so I raided up & fired into the thicket & laid down & loaded as quick as possible and fired again. By this time the boys finding it to hot for them had all gone back over the knoll that I spoke about, but myself and a few others. I saw it was no use for me to stay there as it was sure death as it was a crossfire of our own men & the enemy so I got up to leave & had got a rod or so when I saw our flag bearer, a shot having broken his leg. When he fell he raised the flag again & motioned to the boys to get it. I sprang forward & grabbed it & then retreated to the rest of the company.... I followed our Lieutenant [Nathan Messick] back down into a hollow & left the flag & then we all rushed forward up onto the hill again & at the rebels." (CDV by Bowdin, Taylor & Co., Alexandria, VA- Wayne Jorgenson collection)