The Mankato free press., 1903-08-21
OF HISTORIC INTEREST.
Newspaper Issued BY the Boys OF First
Minnesota Forty Years Ago.
From Saturdays Daily.

| 1t was gaia DAY Ior tne DoyS ol the
First Minnesota regiment when on the
night of March 10, 1862; they followed
; the First Michigan cavalry into the little
town of Berryville, not far from the
Shenandoah river and about ten miles
east of Winchester.
| Long years before this event the little
burg was place of historic associations,
and was known at 'Battletown," on ac-
: count of the many skirmishes and bat
! ties in that vicinity-that vicinity being
the home of General Morgan of Revolu-
| tionarv fame. In still earlier times
Berryville, Va, was the headquarters OF
: George Washington while he was engaged
: in surveying county lines in that section
long before he became famous.
! On this eventful night of March 10,
; 1862. when the invaders-the "mudsills
: of the North'-burst into that sequester-
ed spot, about 100 Confederate cavalry
made a simultaneous exit from the place,
followed as early as practicable by a
considerable number of leading secession
F.! lists.
| Among those who sought safety in
flight was the editor and proprietor of
| the only newspaper in town, the Berry
vile Conservator, small quarto sheet,
with four columns to a page. The edi-
tor, HK Gregg, was blatant rebel, and
one side of his paper had already been
printed, dated March II. The First Min
nesota boys, among whom were large
number of newspaper men, Immediately
took possession of the office and pro-
ceeded to get out an edition with "Berry-
vile Conservator'' on one side, and "The
First Minnesota" on the reverse side.
The first column on the editorial page
! is prefaced: The First Minnesota, Pub
lished in the office of the now defunct
'Berryville Conservator', by Ed A. Stew
ems, Thomas H. Pressnell, o. Nelson,
| Charles S. Drake, Frank j. Mead, Julian
j. Kendall, Henry w. Lindergreen.
This issue of the paper-labeled "The
First Minnesota, Vol l, No. l"-was
filled with jibes and jeers at the ex-
pense of the fugacious editor and all who
sympathized with the cause of secession.
One article headed: Runaway Editor
Lost, Strayed or Stolen," is given a
prominent position in the paper. No re-
ward is offered, and no description of the
man is furnished.
But the fun for our boys was of short
duration and the first edition of the
"First Minnesota" proved to be the last,
although it was confidently asserted by
the publishers that No. 2 of the paper
would undoubtedly be issued in Win
chester.
A few days later an order from head
quarters sent them hurrying off in the
direction of Alexandria and later to
Washington, but whether the truant
Gregg ever returned to claim his own
and to take up the burden of life again,
| is unknown to the writer.
In their peregrinations hither and
thither, advancing and retreating, zig
zaging about in that particular locality
| the First regiment fellows say they once
came in sight of Winchester, buse like
! Moses of old, sight of the promised
| land was all that was vouchsafed.
The items, which strongly smack OF
| Ed. Stevens, have mostly lost their force
by the lapse of many years, although
la few are af historic interest We copy
] Battery A. Rhode Island, Captain j. A.
Tompkins, threw two shells into the
| borders of the town yesterday-two were
sufficient.
| The first Union flag which has met the
public gaze in this town since the COM
mencement of this rebellion was borne
by Sergeant Shepard of Company B,
First Minnesota.
Extracts from the market reports from
Richmond are given. Rio coffee is quot
ed at 70 cents, brown sugar p cents, n.
| O. molasses $l.25, salt so cents sack
and butter AZ cents a pound.
| The first side of this historic sheet, the
one printed by Mr.. Gregg before he ''went
and run away" contains the official re-
port of the battle of Manassas by Cen
eral Joseph E. Johnston, dated October
IA, 1861, covering alittle more than one
page.
One page is devoted to advertisements
of the usual variety. One fellow, of the
bitter, vindictive kind, named G. B.
| Rouss, dealer in dry goods located in
Winchester, INDUCES in the vilest abuse
of sold Lincoln" and the Abolitionists,
designating the latter as Hessians, and
closes his vicious TRADE by offering $780,
900 for the head of Lincoln, or 1000 for
either of his pet kangaroos."
One fellow signing himself A. L. P.
Larue, offers a reward of 800 for the
Capture of TWO SLAVES, one a girl
eighteen years old, bright mulatto, tall
and slender, hair quite straight. Calls
herself Mary Randolph. The other a boy
of fifteen years, bright mulatto, about
SO feet high. Stammers slight
ly. He is brother of the girl and calls
himself Frederick Randolph
Another William a. Castleman, offers
$500 for the apprehension of negro man.,
James johnson, belonging to the estate
of Jacob Isler, deceased. Said negro Is
about five feet four inches high, of cop
per color, and twenty years old. Fifty
dollars will be given if taken out of the
county of Clarke, in this state, and $lO0
if taken in Maryland or any of the free
states"
These advertisements are dated Au
gust and December, 1861, and doubtless
long before this date, March, 1862, these
slaves had reached some of the points
where the 'Linkum. gunboats lay and
had been transported safely to freedom.
The copy of this "Conservator First
Minnesota" was formerly owned by Com
rade Henry Van Vorhes, and later passed
as a legacy into the hands of Adam
Marty, who as may be supposed, prizes it
highly saltwater Gazette.