The Irish standard., 1911-07-01

"oANo opPAouSc. 4NoI oIlly III tue
shock of war, but in every post OF
suffering and sorrow,-in pestilential
swamp and fever-laden hospital, in
prison pen, under burning skies and
In ice and snow, laboring with pick
| and shovel, starved, ragged, totter-
ing, crippled by disease and wound,
the volunteer held his path and fall
tered not until victory was Won. There
are little children in this audience
| tonight ~ in the decades of a dis
tant day will tell the eager listeners
of future generations that on this
fesal anniversary they gazed upon
the stalwart form of Josias r. King,
the first volunteer of the Union Army.
The Muster Of the Regiment.
On Monday, April goth, 1861, ten
companies of the First Minnesota as
sembled at Fort Smelling, and 1 shall
now call the roll of honor
The Pioneer Guards of st. Paul,
Capt. Alexander Wilkin,
The saltwater Guards of Saltwater,
Capt Carlisle A. Bromley,
The st. Paul Volunteers, Capt. VIM.
H. Acker
The Lincoln Guards of Minneapolis,
Capt. Henry r. Putnam.
The st. Anthony Zouaves of st.
Anthony, Capt. Geo. N. Morgan
The Goodhue Volunteers of Red
Wing, Capt. VIM Colvin.
The Faribault Volunteers Of Fari-
bault, Capt VIM. H. Dixie.
The Dakota Volunteers of Hastings,
Capt Chas. P. Adams.
The Wabasha Volunteers of Wa
basha, Capt. Geo. H. Pell.
The Winona Volunteers of Winona,
| Capt. Henry c. Lester.
The official muster of the regiment
dates from April Goth, 1861, making
the First Minnesota officially the
senior three years regiment of the
Northern Army. On the same day
Governor Ramsey appointed as First
Colonel of the regiment Willis A.
German. In the long list of brilliant
men who have shed lustre upon the
State of Minnesota, there is no
brighter name than that of the First
Colonel of the First Regiment. At the
time of his appointment he was in
the flush of manly strength and Wig
or. AS an officer in the Army of the
United States he has won laurels for
gallantry in the Mexican War
Lofty in his ideals, spotless in his
integrity. magnetic of presence, elo-
quent of speech, although a political
opponent he was the natural and log
ical choice Of the Chief Executive to
head the Regiment. AS we honor his
memory tonight we are glad to honor
the gallant soldier and splendid gen.
tleman who worthily wears his name
and shares his fame, your comrade
Richard l.. German.
Tho Men Of the Regiment.
The men who composed the First
Minnesota were fine types Of the civil
lization which they represented. All
the professions, including the sacred
ministry, all the avocations of life
are shown upon the roster 1t was
eminently fitting and peculiarly touch
Ing that a great proportion of this
membership was composed of foreign
born citizens, who when the test Of
battle came, gladly made the greatest
sacrifice that man can make in de-
tense Of the government which had
offered them place of refuge.
Frenchmen from France and Cana
da: Scandinavians from Norway, Den
mark and Sweden; slav and Celt:
Englishmen and Scotchmen signed
the muster roll. The large number
OF German names was but a forecast
OF the patriotism and loyalty ex-
hlbited by the men of their blood, who
at the very outset of he War rallied
to the Union flag under Schurz in
Wisconsin and Hecker in Illinois and
In Missouri under the leadership Of
Sigel saved that State to the Union
cause.
1t would be impossible in this .ad-
dress to detail the services of the
First Minnesota. A description of its
battles and its career would REQUIRE
volume. 1t was in every battle of
the Army of the Potomac during the
first three years of the War, and then
the survivors were mustered in again
under the name of the First Minne-
sofa Battalion, and we'll and worthily
supported the honor Of the regiment,
Its splendid achievements were due
to the high character of the enlisted
men, who represented the intelligence
and courage and the lofty ideals of