acts of gallantry

The Charge of the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry

This was the only regiment from the state of Minnesota.

They were being held in reserve left of the center of the Union line.

Remember from before when Major General Sickles (the one who pled temporary insanity) didn't follow orders and moved his troops forward of the line he was supposed to hold? Well, when he did that he caused gaps to open up in the Union line to his right as parts of brigades shifted to close the holes.

As Sickles was defeated and began to fall back one of the Confederate brigades (from Alabama nonetheless) rushed toward one of these gaps right in front of them. If they could breach the gap they could split the Union line and that would be bad. If they got through that gap a victory for the Confederates would most likely be the outcome.

Major General Hancock of the Union side saw the imminent danger and called for reserves to plug the gap. He needed five minutes for the reserves to get there.

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He looked around desperately and saw the 262 men of the 1st Minnesota and pointed to the oncoming Confederate battle flags and told him to advance and take the colors.

He sent them out against a brigade four times it's size. (1600 men!)

Listen to this. This is a quote from Alfred Carpenter who survived the charge.

"We advanced down the slope till we neared the ravine, and 'Charge' rung along the line, and with a rush and a yell we went. Bullets whistled past us, shells screeched over us, canister and grape fell about us. Comrade after comrade dropped from the ranks, but the line went on. No one took a second look at his fallen companion. We had no time to weep."

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They got the five minutes needed for the reserves to get there.

Out of the 262 men who rushed out only 47 men returned fit for duty.

They suffered 70 percent casualties.

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Hancock had to send them. He would have done it had he known they would all be lost. It was their only hope and the 1st Minnesota knew it and they charged, willing to make that terrible sacrifice.

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The Confederates almost made it through the lines on I think 5 or six separate occasions that afternoon. That is why General Lee thought the middle was weak. And that is one of the contributing factors for his decision to order Pickett's Charge the next day.

Yet another sad sad tale.

Heartbreaking.