The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-07-18
First Minnesota Regiment.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED.
Letter from Chaplain Neill.

The following letter from Chaplain Neill
gives brief history of the part taken in
the seven days. battle before Richmond, by
the First Minnesota:
BERKELEY PLANTATION ON JAMES RIVER,
Thursday, July Sd, 1862.
His Excellency, Alexander Ramsey, Governor
of Minnesota;
DEAR SIR An advance of the whole ar.
my of the Potomac having been ordered,
Summers corps darmee was selected for the
arduous and hazardous work of protecting
our rear, and the valuable train, at least II
miles long from annoyance.
SedgwickIs division, that had, since the
battle of Fair Oaks, held our advanced po-
sition, left the camp just before daylight on
Sunday, June goth, the First Minnesota,
commanded by Lieut.. Col. Miller, and the
Brigade of Col. Sully, Gen. German being
sick.
The division had proceeded about mile
and half, when the enemy made their ap'
pearance. After short contest the latter
retired. About FIVE o'clock in the aftero
noon, while our troops were at Savage Sta
ton, on the York Railroad, the enemy
again gave battle. Until dark the conflict
ragged, but kind Providence inspired our
men with vaIor and GOODNESS, and the foe
were held in check.
The LOGS in the Minnesota Regiment, W.
der the circumstances, has been slight, but
the reading of the subjoined list will, there
fore, cause none the less pain to the friends
and relatives of our noble color bearer, Ser.
geant Burgess, and others of the killed and
wounded
Company All. Adams, killed Can"
field, wounded +; Pitkin, do Reyes, slight.
ly THEM, do ; Lyon, DO, in leg !; Matthi.
son, do, slightly Keller, do Crawley, do.
Company B-Gof, slightly wounded
Brown, do. do.
Company Glowing to an order causing
the regiment to fall into line, have not the
list--about II killed and wounded.)
Company D-None.
Company E-Corporal Taylor, slightly
wounded; Patterson, wounded in shoulder;
Hugh Cassidy, do. in leg; Henry E. Scott,
wounded; Calvin G. Sherlock.
Company F-Corporal Whitman, killed;
Corporal johnson, do; Clark, wounded;
Peterson, do; P Davis, do; E E Davis,
do; Severdson, do.
Company G-McKinstry, wounded;
Wells, do.
Company H--Gilman, wounded in the
shoulder.
Company None.
Company K--Sergeans Burgess, the
color bearer, killed.
SUNDAY NIGHT, June 20.
Died of typhoid fever, James Skinner.
MONDAY, June 30.
Company Zone man killed.
Captain Colvil!e, wounded by shot in
the breast.
On Monday, between White Oak Swamp
and Willis Church, the enemy again ap.
peared, and at various points there was
fighting.
In skirmish, in which our division was
engaged, Captain Colville was wounded in
the breast.
On Tuesday, with the whole army, we
were drawn up in line of battle, on the d.
vidipg line of Charles City and Henrico
counties, in sight of james River. Al
though exposed to the shell we were not &C
tual'y engaged. At midnight we moved in
body and arrived, in rain which lasted
all the next day, on the James River, at
Berkley, the place where General Harrison
was born.
Since l have commenced writing, the
enemy have commenced shelling our rear
and the order has just passed for the regi-
ment to fall 10. l must stop.
Yours truly, EDWD. D. NELL,
Chaplain,