First Minnesota
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The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was a volunteer regiment during the Civil War which became modestly famous for repulsing a Confederate charge on the Second of July, 1863 during the Battle of Gettysburg. During that charge, 215 members of the 262 men who were present at the time became casualties, including the unit commander, Col. William Colville, and all but three of his officers. The unit's flag fell five times and arose again each time. The 47 survivors rallied back to General Hancock under the senior surviving officer - a Captain - and continued the fight, helping to repulse Pickett's Charge the following day.
During the course of the Civil War, the 1st Minnesota captured the 22nd Virginia. The flag of the 22nd Virginia was taken back to Minnesota as a prize of war and is displayed at the Minnesota Historical Society. In the mid-1990s, several groups of Virginians unsuccessfully sued the MHS to return the 22nd Virginia's battle flag to Virginia.
External links
- The Charge of the First Minnesota (http://rhet5662.class.umn.edu/heroes/1stmin2.html)