The Civil War Through the CameraElson, Henry W. (Henry William)
History
The Civil War Through the Camera
Elson, Henry W. (Henry William)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Pictorial works
[Illustration: ONE OF THE FIRST UNION VOLUNTEER REGIMENTS.]
The First Minnesota, a regiment that fought in the flanking column at Bull
Run. On April 14, 1861, the day after Sumter's surrender, the Federal
Government received an offer of a volunteer regiment from Minnesota, and
on April 29, the First Minnesota was mustered into service by Lieutenant
W. W. Sanders, U. S. A. Under Colonel William O. Gorman the regiment
proceeded to Washington in June and, attached to Franklin's Brigade,
Heintzelman's Division of McDowell's Army, at Bull Run gave an excellent
account of itself, finally retiring from the field in good order. A record
for conspicuous bravery was sustained by the First Minnesota throughout
the war, notably its famous charge on the field of Gettysburg, July 2,
1863.
The photograph was taken just before the regiment left Fort Snelling in
1861. In the front line the first from the left is Lieut. Colonel Stephen
Miller, the next is Colonel Gorman. On his left hand is Major Dyke and
next to him is Adjutant W. B. Leach. Between the last two and behind them
is Captain William Colvill, while at the left hand of Adjutant Leach is
Captain Mark Downie. At the extreme right of the picture stands General J.
B. Sanborn with Lieutenant Sanders (mustering officer) on his right hand,
and on Sanders' right is the Honorable Morton S. Wilkinson. Colvill, as
Colonel, led the regiment in its Gettysburg charge.
[Illustration: MRS. GREENHOW, THE CONFEDERATE SPY, WITH HER DAUGHTER, IN
THE OLD CAPITOL PRISON
COPYRIGHT, 1911, PATRIOT PUB. CO.]
Mrs. Rose O'Neal Greenhow, a zealous and trusted friend of the
Confederacy, lived in Washington at the opening of the war. It was she
who, on July 16, 1861, sent the famous cipher message to Beauregard,
"Order issued for McDowell to move on Manassas to-night." Acting on this,
Beauregard promptly arranged his army for the expected attack, while
Johnston and "Stonewall" Jackson hastened from the Valley to aid in
repelling the Federal advance. Mrs. Greenhow's secret-service work was cut
short on August 26th, when Allan Pinkerton, the Federal detective,
arrested her and put her under military guard at her home, 398 Sixteenth
Street. Afterward she was transferred to the Old Capitol Prison. She
remained there until April, 1862. On June 2nd, after pledging her word not
to come north of the Potomac until the war was over, Mrs. Greenhow was
escorted beyond the lines of the Union army and set at liberty. It was
later discovered that she had, even while in prison, corresponded
extensively with Colonel Thomas Jordan, of General Beauregard's staff.
[Illustration: TROOPS THAT FOUGHT AT BULL RUN--A THREE MONTHS' COMPANY.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account