A Brief History of the MN Second Volunteer Regiment

A Summary of Their Service

The 2^nd Minnesota Veteran Volunteer Regiment was originally mustered into service by companies during the summer of 1861, and was employed in post and garrison duty at the different frontier forts in Minnesota, until the close of September of the same year.

            About the middle of October, 1861, the regiment left Fort Snelling 1000 strong, with orders to report at Washington, D.C. Arrived at Pittsburgh, it was met by orders to report to Gen. W.T. Sherman, at Louisville, Ky., and, having so reported, was stationed at Lebanon Junction, Ky., until the 10^th of December, when it was assigned to Col. Robert L. McCook’s Brigade of the 3^rd Division, (Gen. Geo. H. Thomas, commanding,) Army of the Ohio, and joined the division at Lebanon, Ky. On the first of January 1862, it marched with Gen. Thomas from Lebanon, on the Zollicoffer campaign and on the 19^th of January participated in the battle of Mill Springs, losing twelve killed and thirty-three wounded. Its gallant conduct on this occasion was fitly acknowledged on its return from the campaign, by the presentation of a beautiful flag by “The Loyal Ladies of Louisville”.

            From Louisville the regiment went with the division, by the Ohio and Cumberland River to Nashville, Tenn., arriving on the 5^th of March, 1862. Thence it marched with Gen. Buell’s column for Shiloh, arriving there on the 8^th of April, participating in the siege of Corinth, and in the pursuit of the enemy after the evacuation of that place, following as far as Booneville, Miss. On returning the regiment was stationed at Corinth, and afterwards at Tuscumbia, Ala., until about the 1^st of August, when it marched with the division to Winchester, Tenn. It was during this march that the beloved and lamented General “Bob” McCook was murdered by a squad of guerrillas, near New Market, Ala. From Winchester the regiment marched with Buell’s army, via Pelham, Manchester, and Murfreesboro to Nashville, Tenn., and thence in the famous race with Bragg, to Louisville.

            Marching October 1^st from Louisville, it participated in the battle of Perrysville and in the pursuit of Bragg’s army as far as Crab Orchard, where, after a march and campaign of extraordinary hardship, it rested for a week. Thence it was ordered to Gallatin, Tenn., where it remained on duty until the close of January, 1863. The next five months while Rosecran’s army lay at Murfreesboro, the regiment was stationed at Concord Church and at Triune, Tenn., 20 miles south of Nashville. While here in February, Sergeant (now Captain) L. N. Holmes of Company H, with a squad of twelve men had a brilliant skirmish with two companies of rebel cavalry, killing two and wounding five without loss to themselves.

            On the 23^rd of June the army again marched, and the 2^nd Minnesota participated in the campaign against Tullahoma, the crossing of the Tennessee River August 30^th, (a very severe engagement,) and in both battles of Chickamauga, September 19^th & 20^th, in which they lost 35 men killed and 113 wounded, more than one-third of the strength of the regiment at the time. In the official report by the brigade commander, this regiment enjoyed the high and enviable honor of mention as having endured the terrible fighting of two days with heavy loss mentioned, “Without a straggler”.

            Having endured with the army the starvation and other hardships of October and November at Chattanooga, the regiment participated at Mission Ridge, November 25^th, 1863, losing five killed and thirty-four wounded—one fifth of the entire number present—and is officially credited with the capture of two Napoleon guns—twelve pounders. In this assault five of the non-commissioned officers composing the color guard were killed or wounded.

            The regiment re-enlisted in body December 29 ^th, 1863, left Chattanooga for veteran furlough January 8^th, 1864, rejoined the division at Ringgold, Ga., about the 1^st of April, having marched through from Nashville.

            It participated in the Atlanta campaign, including the battles of Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, and Jonesboro, losing four killed and thirty wounded. Accompanied Sherman in his pursuit of Hood northward to Galesville, Ala., and returning to Atlanta, joined in March to Savannah, losing one man killed and one wounded. Thence the campaign through the Carolinas, to Goldsboro, N.C., it bore an honorable part, losing two men wounded at Bentonville. Marched with Sherman’s army to Raleigh, thence after Johnston’s surrender to Richmond, and thence to Washington, and from Washington to Louisville, Ky.

            After more than four years honorable service it goes home for discharge. Of the 1751 men mustered into the regiment, the total casualties since the muster in have been: Killed 57; wounded 213; died of disease 171; the number discharged has been 489. The aggregate strength on July 10^th, 1865, was 821, of whom 699 are present with the regiment. Of the commissioned officers now with it all but four have risen from ranks, educated for their positions in the school of actual war.

Reporting Yours Truly,

J. W. Bishop, Colonel Commanding

“Official Records Concerning the Second Regiment Minnesota Veteran Volunteer Infantry”, (St. Paul: H.M. Smith Printing Co., 1887), pp. 56-58.