Manuscripts Collection
James A. Wright was born in Illinois between 1838 and 1840. His father came to Red Wing, Minnesota in 1854 and purchased a claim there, but died on the way back to Illinois in the spring of 1854. On April 22, 1855, Amelia (Crews) Wright and her family arrived at the claim and began constructing a home that was destroyed by a storm which also killed the oldest son and youngest daughter.
Wright was attending Hamline University (Red Wing) when war was declared, and he and others from the University formed the Goodhue Volunteers, a corps later absorbed into the First Minnesota Regiment as Company F. They participated in battles in Maryland and Virginia, and at Gettysburg, where Wright was wounded. Wright was mustered out of Company F in April 1864 whereupon he reenlisted and, with others from Company F, was assigned to the First Minnesota Battalion, Company E. He mustered out of army service on July 11, 1865. See first folder in the collection for more details.
A detailed reminiscent history (ca.1907-1911) of Company F, First Minnesota Infantry Regiment, documenting Wright's Civil War service, accompanied by sixteen items of correspondence (1907-1914) between Wright and Jens K. Grondahl, of the Red Wing Print. Co., concerning possible publication of the history. Other letters relate to the construction of a bridge made of grapevine over the Chickahominy River (Va.) during the Peninsular Campaign (1862).
A description of how the Minnesota Historical Society acquired the
James A. Wright Papers is reported in
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should
Accession number: 1977
Processed by: Kathryn A. Johnson, March 1998
Catalog ID number: 09-00320178
Typed extracts from Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars; rosters with information on James (First Minnesota) and his brothers William (Second Minnesota) and Beverly (Fifth Minnesota); their cousin Hanson W. Crews' Civil War record from Illinois sources; entries for Wright's family from the 1857 and 1860 census records for Red Wing, Minnesota; and information on the Wright family and the dating of the reminiscences. Also included is a photocopy of Jens K. Grondahl's obituary from the Red Wing Daily Republican-Eagle (May 7, 1941), and the collection's accession note from Minnesota History Bulletin (1921).
Ten letters from Wright to Jens K. Grondahl, Red Wing, document Wright's progress in writing the history of Company F. The history was originally to be published in the Red Wing newspaper, but its final length precluded publication there. The history was sent to Grondahl in increments, starting with the letter of August 13, 1907 and ending May 27, 1911. A letter (June 20, 1911) from Grondahl to Major Martin McGinnis, St. Paul, contains a brief summary of the impetus for the history and requests suggestions for its preservation.
Letters dated [ca. Feb. 1912] with enclosures of the same date,
October 11 and 30, 1911, and January 16, 1912 relate to a historical
controversy over the construction of a grapevine bridge over the Chickahominy
River, Virginia, in May 1862, to facilitate the retreat of General McClellan's
army. Published sources claimed that the bridge was constructed by the Fifth
New Hampshire regiment, but Wright claimed it was the First Minnesota. (
A detailed history of Company F, based on Wright's recollections,
his letters and diaries (present location unknown), and published sources.
Although the date of its composition is not given, the history seems to have
been written between the years 1907 and 1911 while Wright was living in
Beverly, Massachusetts (
In general, the reminiscences contain detailed and evenhanded assessments of the war, its leadership, strategy, and movements; information on the weather and its effects on the troops; army life in camp; lack of food and clothing; picket duty; comments on civilians, particularly the northern "copperheads"; and relations with other regiments in the Army of the Potomac. Following are year-by-year descriptions of the regiment's activities.
Describes the regiment's leave-taking in June, via the Mississippi River; its reception by civilians in river towns and in Chicago; the final trip by rail to the East and arrival in Baltimore and Washington, with mention of the unfriendly reception given to the troops in those two cities. Pages 49-76 describe the Battle of Bull Run (July 16) and list the Minnesotans killed there. From August through December, Wright describes the march through Maryland, the Virginia battles of Ball's Bluff, Edward's Ferry, and Harrison Island, and setting up the regiment's winter camp at Camp Stone, Maryland (pp. 85-122). Events of particular interest include a visit by President Lincoln (page 44), an auction of slaves (p. 45), and incidents of illegal liquor consumption in Camp Stone (pp. 110-111). Wright also records his thoughts on homesickness among the troops; the effect of the war on families; socializing with other troops in the area (November-December); and a lyceum in the regiment, with information on topics discussed (pp. 114-119).
Wright describes the actions of the Army of the Potomac during a year of defeats and retreats in the area of Virginia and Maryland. After the regiment left Camp Stone (Feb. 22), it marched through Harpers Ferry, Charleston, Sandy Hook, Fortress Monroe, Alexandria, and Yorktown. A rather detailed description is given of a grapevine bridge built by the regiment across the Chickahominy River, Virginia (See: letter dated [ca. Feb. 1912] with enclosures of the same date, Oct. 11 and 30, 1911, and Jan. 16, 1912 in the correspondence folder); the battles of Fair Oaks (p. 178) and Savage's Station (pp. 243-249 and 253); the Seven Days Battle (pp. 266-287); errors made at Antietam (pp. 346-382); the Battle of Fredericksburg (pp. 424-473); and a year-end review of the war and its effect on Company F, including the number of killed and wounded (p. 482).
Events and topics of particular interest in 1862 include a visit by Abraham Lincoln to the troops (pp. 287-288); a discussion of rivalries between generals, and between the civilian and military leaders, over the conduct of the war and the resulting effect on its progress (pp. 295-296); an account of Calvin Clarke's experiences in a Confederate prison and hospital; an incident when the First Minnesota and the Nineteenth Massachusetts troops fired on each other (pp. 337-339); reactions to the dismissal of George B. McClellan as general of the Army of the Potomac, further commenting on the conflict between civilian and military leaders on the conduct of the war (pp. 418-421); and quotations from a letter by Charles W. Merritt on his experiences in Confederate prisons (pp.475-480).
A major portion of the history for 1863 concerns the battles of Chancellorsville (pp. 550-520) -- describing the assaults led by the First Minnesota -- and Gettysburg (pp. 564-637, 649-653), with details on particular actions including Cemetery Ridge (p. 592) and Pickett's Charge (pp. 609-612), during which Wright was wounded. There are also lists of killed and wounded from Company F.
The other major event was the decision to send the First Minnesota, the Seventh Michigan, and the Eighth Ohio regiments to New York City to counteract the draft riots in that city. The regiments left Washington in August, traveled by ship to New York and remained there until September 6. While there, they set up a camp in Brooklyn and were well received by the citizens (pp. 682-720).
After their return to Washington the regiment was in a number of areas, including Bristow Station, Culpepper, and Stevensburg, where they camped from December 13, 1863 to February 4, 1864. Pages 832-844 contain quotes from Wright's diary, giving a day-by-day description of life in the camp.
Also detailed are a discussion of public opinion after the Battle of Fredericksburg, and the growing criticism of the progress of the war (pp. 489-492); Wright's promotion to first sergeant on February 13; a visit to the troops by President and Mrs. Lincoln and their sons Robert and William (p. 486); reflections on attitudes towards the Confederates, emphasizing the hatred of slavery and the Southern cause, rather than of individual Confederate soldiers (p. 497); a visit to the troops by Dr. Mary Walker with a description of her (pp. 52-522); Wright's visit to a military hospital in Washington (pp. 679-680); and a description of the execution of an army deserter (pp. 785-786).
Around the first of the year the regiment learned that it had been furloughed. On February 7 they left Baltimore and traveled by train to Chicago, where they received a citizens' celebration, and then up the Mississippi River to St. Paul. There are descriptions of travel accommodations, receptions along the way, their arrival in Winona, the receptions held at Red Wing and St. Paul, and similar events.
There were not enough men to fill the regiment's ranks. On April 28, 1864, the last dress parade was held at Fort Snelling, and the men mustered out. The regiment was disbanded and the remaining soldiers were transferred to other units.