5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment


Historical Notes HISTORICAL NOTES:
On October 23, 1861, Assistant Secretary of War Thomas A. Scott sent correspondence to Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey, authorizing him to raise a fifth regiment of infantry in the state. The 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry was organized at Fort Snelling, Minnesota on March 15 to April 30, 1862.

The 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was mustered into Federal service at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, between March 15 and April 30, 1862. The Regiment was split with B Company posted to Fort Ridgely, C Company to Fort Ripley, D Company to Fort Abercrombie, with the remainder heading off to fight the south. B Co. was the escort that took the women, children and elderly to Fort Snelling from the Yellow Medicine Lower Sioux Agency in November 1862. Companies B, C, and D were relieved and sent south in November- December that year. It mustered out on September 6, 1865 after a duty at Montgomery, Selma and Demopolis, Alabama.

The 5th Minnesota Infantry suffered 4 officers and 86 enlisted men killed in action or who later died of their wounds, plus another 4 officers and 175 enlisted men who died of disease, for a total of 269 fatalities.
Officers OFFICERS:
  • Colonel Rudolph von Borgesrode - April 30, 1862, to August 31, 1862.
  • Colonel Lucius Frederick Hubbard - August 31, 1862, to September 6, 1865.
  • Assignments ASSIGNMENTS:
    Company "D" moved to Fort Abercrombie, D. T., March 15-29, and garrison duty there (with a detachment at Georgetown until August 20) until November, 1862. Action at Fort Abercrombie June 20. Defense of Fort Abercrombie September 3-26. Actions with Sioux Indians September 3-6. Company ordered to join Regiment and Joined at Germantown, Tenn., February 14, 1863. Company "C" moved to Fort Ripley March, 1862, and garrison duty there until November, 1862. Rejoined Regiment near Oxford, Miss., December 12, 1862. (Part of Company under Lieut. T. J. Shehah, marched to Fort Ridgly June 19-28, 1862.) Company "B" moved to Fort Ridgly March 22-25, 1862, and garrison duty there until November, 1862. Companies "B" and "C" march to Sioux Agency on Yellow Medicine River June 30-July 2, to preserve order during annuity payment to Indians. Sioux outbreak August, 1862. Battle of Redwood August 18 (Co. "B"). Defense of Fort Ridgly August 20-22 (Cos. "B" and "C"). (A detachment of Co. "C" moved to Fort Ripley September 18.) Company "B" marched for Fort Snelling November 9 as escort to captured Indians. Rejoined Regiment near Oxford, Miss., December 12, 1862. Regiment moved to Mississippi May 10-24, 1862. Attached to 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of Mississippi, to November, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 8th Division, Left Wing 13th Army Corps (Old), Dept. of the Tennessee, to December, 1862. 2nd Brigade, 8th Division, 16th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to April, 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 15th Army Corps, to December, 1863, 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, to November, 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division (Detachment), Army of the Tennessee, Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 16th Army Corps, Military Division West Mississippi, to September, 1865. Service SERVICE:
    • Siege of Corinth, May 26–30, 1862 (Companies A, E-K)
    • Farmington, Mississippi, May 28, 1862 (Companies A, E-K)
    • Battle of Redwood Ferry, Aug 18, 1862 (Company B, Dakota Conflict)
    • Battle of Fort Ridgely, August 20–22, 1862 (Companies B & C, Dakota Conflict)
    • Fort Abercrombie, Dakota Territory, September 3–6, 1862 (Company D, Dakota Conflict)
    • Iuka, Mississippi, September 19, 1862 (Companies A, E-K present, but in reserve)
    • Corinth, Mississippi, October 4, 1862 (Companies A, E-K)
    • Mississippi Springs, Mississippi, May 13, 1863 (5th Regiment from here on)
    • Jackson, Mississippi, May 14, 1863
    • Assault on Vicksburg, May 22, 1863
    • Satartia, Mississippi, June 4, 1863
    • Mechanicsburg, Mississippi, June 6, 1863
    • Richmond, Louisiana, June 14, 1863
    • Canton, Mississippi, October 16, 1863
    • Brownsville, Mississippi, October 18, 1863
    • Barton's Station, Mississippi, October 20, 1863
    • Assault on Fort De Russy, Louisiana, March 14, 1864
    • Henderson's Hill, Louisiana, March 21, 1864
    • Grand Ecore, Louisiana, April 2, 1864
    • Campti, Louisiana, April 3, 1864
    • Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, April 9, 1864
    • Cloutierville, Louisiana, April 23, 1864
    • Cane River, Louisiana, April 24, 1864
    • Moore's Plantation, Louisiana, May 3, 1864
    • Bayou La Moure, Louisiana, May 6 and 7, 1864
    • Bayou Roberts, Louisiana, May 7, 1864
    • Mansura, Louisiana, May 16, 1864
    • Bayou De Glaise, Louisiana, May 18 and 19, 1864
    • Lake Chicot, Arkansas, June 6, 1864
    • Tupelo, Mississippi, July 14, 1864 (non-veterans only; veterans on furlough June 17-August 17, 1864)
    • Oxford, Mississippi, August 21, 1864
    • Abbeville, Mississippi, August 23, 1864
    • Nashville, Tennessee, December 15 and 16, 1864
    • Fish River, Alabama, March 24, 1865
    • Capture of Spanish Fort, Alabama, April 8, 1865
    • Fort Blakely, Alabama, April 9, 1865
    • Garrison Duty at Montgomery, Selma, and Demopolis, Alabama, until August, 1865
    ROSTERS:
    The composite rosters of this unit contains the names of 1621 men.
  • Company A - Goodhue County and Dodge County
  • Company B - Fillmore County
  • Company C - Freeborn County and Faribault County
  • Company D - Carver County, Ramsey County and others
  • Company E - Ramsey County, Carver County, and Scott County
  • Company F - Waseca County, Ramsey County, Faribault County and Anoka County
  • Company G - Wabasha County and Dakota County
  • Company H - Goodhue County and Wabasha County
  • Company I - Ramsey County, Olmsted County, and others
  • Company K - Washington County
  • BIBLIOGRAPHY:
    Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Vol. 2. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources 1998. E491D992. A concise summary of each regiment's service.

    Fridley, Russell, editor. Charles E. Flandrau and the Defense of New Ulm. New Ulm, MN: Brown County Historical Society, 1962. 62 p. F6l4N4F7.

    Jennison, Samuel P. "The Illusions of a Soldier." In Glimpses of the Nation's Struggle (MOLLUS, MN, Vol. 1). St. Paul, MN: St. Paul Book & Stationary Co, 1887. pp. 369-80 (7 photocopied pages). E464M5.1991v26.

    Jorgenson, Wayne. Minnesota in the Civil War: A Photographic Legacy. Military Images (May/Jun 2008): p. 29. Per.

    Minnesota. Board of Commissioners on Publication of History of Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars. Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars. Vol. 1. Cartersville, GA: Eastern Digital Resources 1998. Unit history and roster.

    Wakefield, Larry. "Volunteer's Tour of Duty." [Henry McConnell] Military History (Apr l989): pp. 42-49 (8 photocopied pages). Per.
    REFERENCES:


    Dyer, Frederick H. - A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion







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