Talk:1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry

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[edit] Format

I did a bit of re-formatting to get this article into closer alignment with other ACW Wikipedia articles. I hope the original author will propagate some of these formatting conventions to the other Minnesota regimental articles. Hal Jespersen 16:02, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Colvill

Just a note: The link for Col William Colvill goes to the wrong William Colvill: the principal of Edinburgh University, not the infantryman. 214.13.209.200 13:14, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. Hal Jespersen 15:19, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Henry D. O'Brien

Henry D. O'Brien also won a Medal of Honor for his actions at Gettysburg, you can learn about it here:

http://1stminnesota.net/SearchResults.php3

"Henry was slightly wounded, in his side, on July 2, 1863, during the unit's famous charge at Gettysburg. During the battle he helped a badly wounded comrade, Ernest Jefferson, to a place of some shelter. After the battle Ernest was found on the field and taken to a field hospital. He would later have his leg amputated but lived a long life and was always thankful for Henry's help that day.

Though wounded himself, Henry was able, however to stay with the regiment and was in line with his comrades the next day. The First Minnesota lay waiting behind a fence in the middle of the line to the left of the copse of trees toward which Pickett's army was headed.

Henry picked up the First Minnesota's battle flag when Corporal Dehn, the color bearer, was shot through the hand during the early firing between the Rebels and the Union line. The shot broke the staff in half. It was difficult to hold, but hold it he did. He leaped over the fence and charged toward the Confederates. His comrades, as much to protect their colors as anything else, followed.

Lt Lochren was angry at first, blaming O'Brien for "imperiling" the regiment's flag, stained in blood the day before. But the effect of O'Brien's act "was electrical," Lochren wrote later. "Every man of the First Minnesota sprang to protect its flag, and the rest rushed with them upon the enemy."

Charging head long onto the field, the Minnesotans encountered the 28th Virginia Infantry Regiment and engaged in fierce hand to hand combat. "If ever men became devils, that was one of those times," Lt William Harmon recalled. "We were crazy with the excitement of the fight. We rushed in like wild beasts. Men swore and cursed and struggled and fought, grappled in hand to hand fight, threw stones, clubbed their muskets, kicked, yelled and hurrahed!"

1st Sgt James Wright, of Company F, wrote about the incident later in life.

"Captain Messick was in command, and Corporal John Dehn carried the flag-he being the only one of the color guard of the day before able to be on his feet at the close of fighting the evening of the 2nd-a new detail being necessary. In the 'mix-up' with Pickett's men he was shot through the hand, and the same shot splintered the flagstaff so that it broke in two pieces. Corporal Henry D. O'Brien then took the piece with the flag on and kept it until twice wounded, when it passed to the hands of Corporal William N Irvine, who carried it through the fighting. The flag of the 28th Virginia was captured by Marshall Sherman. A portion of this staff was used to replace the broken portion of ours. The splice made in the field by a little rough whittling and bound with a knapsack strap and was carried afterwards until the regiment returned to Minnesota the next February."

Marshall Sherman, a 37 year old painter from St Paul, who fought barefoot the last day at Gettysburg because his shoes had come apart, captured the flag of the 28th Virginia. Both he and O'Brien, who had been wounded again while carrying the flag, were, years later, awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for what they did that day.

Caleb Jackson of Co G saw it this way. "When general Pickett made his famous charge his men succeeded in striking our line near a battery and close to our right flank and for a moment it seemed that we would be overwhelmed. At this critical time the last of our color guards was shot and the flag fell to the ground. Corporal Henry D. O'Brien, of Company E, though not a member of the color guard, instantly seized it and waving it over his head rushed ahead of the Regiment and close up to the muzzles of the Confederate muskets. His example was quickly followed by the rest of the men and the Confederates were beaten back leaving the colors of the 28th Virginia with our command. Corporal O'Brien's action at that time was fearless and as daring as anything I saw during the war, and there is no doubt in my mind that it was one of the principal causes that led to the defeat of the Confederates at that point. I looked at his face and smiled as he broke off a piece of the shattered staff and threw it to the ground and marched on. He was struck in the head by a musket ball and although stunned by the force of the blow,he held to the colors until he was again struck in the left hand. This occurred at the moment of victory."

After the great clash was over the Union army took time to care for its wounded and bury its dead. Henry and many of the wounded men of the First Minnesota were sent to Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia."

- Carter O'Brien (great-great grandson)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.158.70.254 (talk) 15:33, 17 January 2008 (UTC)