The Irish standard., 1902-07-12
A BRAVE REGIMENT.
The First Minnesota at the Battle Of
GETTYSBURG.

The First Minnesota at the Battle ,
3sA Gettysburg.
The first monument or memorial o
any nature erected on the field Of Get
tysburg in commemoration of anything
connected with the battle was a small
unpretentious shaft, vase-crowned, il
the Minnesota section of the nationa
cemetery. 1t bore a simple Inscription
stating that it was erected by thei
surviving comrades to the memory o
the So members of the First Mime
sofa regiment there buried. From a,
artistic or picturesque standpoint
this little monument would compar,
very feebly with the hundreds Ct i'm
posing memorials since erected; but il
sentimental and historical association
there is nothing upon the field which
can awaken stronger emotions or more
heartfelt appreciation, writes James
L. Bowen in the Springfield Repub
lican.
The First Minnesota regiment won
for itself at Gettysburg an imperish.
able renown. 1t made one Of the most
brilliant charges of modern times,
against terrible odds, and fully accom-
plished the purpose for which its sac
rifice was ordered. In doing this it
sustained the most severe loss in killed
and wounded, in proportion to the
the Union armies during the war of the
rebellion;and also the heaviest death
rate on record for any regiment Of
modern times in open battle. These
facts alone would give the regiment an
enduring name; but there are other
facts in connection with it's service
which any organization would be just
ly proud Some of these are worthy of
mention in connection with the STIR
ring story of the Gettysburg episode.
The First Minnesota was the first
three-years' regiment mustered into
the United States service, having been
organized April 90, 1861, and won dis
tinction at the battle of Bull Run
July q, following, in which engage
ment it behaved with great gallantry.
In this battle it suffered IS Of 4S
killed and mortally wounded, 1O2
wounded, and 30 missing-the heaviest
loss sustained by any regiment in the
Union army 1t then formed part of
the brigade of Colonel (aftcrward
GeneraD William +. Franklin. and in
his report of the action that officer
says: THE First Minnesota regiment
moved from it's position ON the left
of the field to the support of Ricketts,
battery, and calamity engaged the
enemy at that point. 1t was so near
the enemy's lines that friends and foes
were for a time cOnfounded. The
regiment behaved exceedingly well,
and finally retired from the field in
good ORDER
In the organization of the army of
the Potomac under General Mcclellan,
the First Minnesota became part of
the second corps, with which it was
thenceforth identified until the close
of the war; 1t took active part in the
Peninsula campaign Of 1862, meeting
the most severe loss at the sharp battle
of Savage's Station, and reached the
sanguinary field of Antietam with
about $50 officers and men present for
duty. In that engagement the regi-
ment formed the right Of the first line
Of General Sedgwick's division, and
won high praise for its steadiness and
excellent discipline, and for the accu-
racy and effectiveness Of it's fire. even
when fighting at very close range, and
when almost entirely surrounded by
the enemy. This steadiness and disci-
pline, no doubt, saved the command
from the severity of loss which befell
its ellow-regiments; but, as it was,
the First Minnesota left 20 per cent
of it's number on the field, in killed
and wounded or prisoners. 1t also took
part in the battles of Fredericksburg
and charlottesville, though not heav-
lily engaged
Such, very briefly stated, had been
the history of the organization upon
which, at most critical moment of
the battle of Gettysburg, the fortunes
of war devolved the duty Of NEST des
perate endcavor 1t had, whenever
brought to the test, acquitted itself in
the most exemplary and praiseworthy
manner, and shown its quality rs Il
Fighting regiment to be equal to the
very best and highest standard of
American soldiership.
Its supreme test came during the
fierce contest of the afternoon OF the
second days battle, at about 6 o'clock.
The third corps of the army of the
Potomac had been broken by Long
streets attack, and was being forced
back. Between it's shattered battalions
and the left of the second corps there
was dangerous opening in the Union
lines, which General Hancock was per-
sonally making the most heroic efforts
to fill with such reinforcements as 1t
was possible to bring into position.
But the last available regiment had
I, been employed, and there still re-
n 5,noinod a fatal pan in the line into