HISTORY TOPICS

The 1st Minnesota Light Artillery in the Civil War

Much has been written about the First Minnesota Infantry and its well-deserved place in Civil War history, but the experience of that famous unit was not typical. The great majority of Minnesota soldiers served in the Western theatre of the war taking part in battles from Mill Springs, Kentucky, to Sherman's March through Georgia and the Carolinas.

One of the best examples of Minnesota units serving in the West was the 1st Minnesota Light Artillery. Formed in the fall of 1861, the battery saw its first action at the bloody battle of Shiloh, where they played an important part in the defense of the "Hornets' Nest". They saw more hard fighting at Corinth, Mississippi, and as part of the Army of the Tennessee they endured the long campaign to capture Vicksburg. Later the battery joined General Sherman's forces in the Atlanta Campaign and his famous "March to the Sea." The Minnesotans continued with Sherman's forces through the Carolinas to the final battle of the war at Bentonville, North Carolina. They also participated in the Grand Review of the major Union armies in Washington, D.C., following the war's end.

GET STARTED WITH SECONDARY SOURCES:

• "Narrative of the First Battery of Light Artillery," by Lieutenant Henry S. Hurter.
  Chapter in Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, vol. 1, pp. 640-649; followed by the Roster of the First Battery, pp. 650-653.
  Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2005.
  MHS call number: Reading Room E 515 .M66 2005.
• "Light Artillery."
  In Minnesota in the Civil War: An Illustrated History, by Kenneth Carley, pp. 104-105.
  Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2000.
  MHS call number: Reading Room E 515 .C2 2000
• Report of the Minnesota-Shiloh Monument Commission, by L. F. Hubbard, C. C. Andrews, and H. S. Hurter, commissioners.
  Minnesota: The Commission, 1908.
  MHS call number: E 471 .D29 no.3.

BibliographiES:

• Resources for Civil War History at the Minnesota Historical Society, by Hampton Smith.
  MHS call number: Reading Room F 602.5 .S65 1998.
• Minnesota in the Civil War, 1861-1866: A Bibliography of Published Sources, by Stephen E. Osman.
  MHS call number: Reading Room Z1242 .O76 2000.

PRIMARY RESOURCES:

• Joseph M. Allen Letters, 1862-1863.
  Lt. Allen's letters describe the battery's training and early actions, particularly the battle of Corinth. Other letters describe his death from dysentery in 1863.
  MHS call number: P1465; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there is one folder of materials).
• Winston W. Cheatham and Family Papers, 1830-1905.
  Largely letters (1864-1865) from James Major Cheatham during his Civil War service with the First Minnesota Battery, describing troop movements, camp life, foraging and destruction in the South, the siege and capture of Atlanta, and William T. Sherman's march through Georgia and the capture of Savannah.
  MHS call number:A/.C514; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there is one box of material).
• William Z. Clayton Papers, 1862-1946.
  This manuscript collection (1862-1864) includes Captain Clayton's letters to his family documenting his experiences and the role of the battery during the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, the siege of Vicksburg and the Atlanta Campaign. Also included are a copy of the muster-out roll for the battery and a photograph of the battery's battle flag.
  MHS call number: P2199; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there is one folder of material).
• James C. Christie and Family Papers, 1823-1949.
  This manuscript collection (1861 - 1865) includes the letters of Thomas Christie and William Christie to their father and siblings. Articulate and thoughtful observers of the war, the brothers' letters provide detailed and colorful descriptions of Army live and combat experiences as well as thoughtful reflections on the war and its meaning.
  MHS call number: P1281; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there are 47 boxes of material, but not all relate to this topic), or use an electronic version of the inventory.
  The Civil War letters are also available on microfilm (M539). Note: Microfilm may be borrowed on Interlibrary Loan.
  Selected letters are also viewable online on the Civil War Letters of the Christie Family.
• Reuben Farnum Civil War Letters, 1864-1865.
  This manuscript collection of letters from Farnum to his wife, Roxanna, describes his service with the Battery including the Atlanta campaign, Sherman's March through Georgia, and the army's march through South Carolina and North Carolina.
  MHS call number: P36; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there are two folders of material), or use an electronic version of the inventory.
• My Dear Companion: The Civil War Letters and Journal of Corporal Albion Otis Gross of the First Minnesota Battery of Light Artillery, January 1, 1864 to June 10, 1865.
  A photocopy of a typescript manuscript based on the letters and diary of Private Gross, from the Vicksburg campaign through the end of the war. Gross’ letters give graphic and frank details about life in the army, describing the activities of the battery and its personnel. He comments on conditions such as the food, physical comforts, and military life. Gross also writes about the conduct of the men, such as their drunkenness, looting, and language; the condition of the countryside and its inhabitants; and the competence of the military leaders.
  Restriction: Copyright reserved by the donor.
  MHS call number P2323; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there are 5 folders of material).
• Emil Munch Papers, 1832 - 1887.
  Correspondence and papers relating to the Civil War service of Captain Munch, the battery's first commanding officer.
  MHS call number: P57; see the green Manuscript Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there are two folders of material).
  
• Minnesota. Office of the Adjutant General.
  • Annual and Biennial Reports, 1860-1924.
    The reports contain detailed returns from Minnesota units in the field, including: muster rolls, casualty lists and general and specific orders.
    MHS call number: Lower shelves, stack row 121, alphabetical; see the black State Archives notebooks—filed under Adjutant General, then Annual and Biennial Reports—for a list of years (there are 3 boxes of material, but not all relate to this topic), or use an electronic version of the inventory.
  • Civil War Muster Rolls, 1861-1865.
    Muster-in, muster-out, and descriptive rolls for Minnesota volunteer units. Some rolls are for individuals, others for the entire battery. They also include "under cooks of African descent."
    MHS call number: See the black State Archives notebooks—filed under Adjutant General, then Civil War Regimental Muster Rolls, Minnesota Light Artillery Battery 1—for a list of locator numbers.
  • Military Service Records, Civil War, 1861-1915.
    Boxes 4-5 contain "Official Communications, 1861-1865," including 1 folder in box 4 for the 1st Battery Light Artillery. These records include official communications between units in the field and the Minnesota Adjutant General. They include information on casualties, resignations, appointments, and desertions, as well as action reports.
    MHS call number: See the black State Archives notebooks —filed under Adjutant General, then Military Service Records, Civil War—for a detailed list of boxes and locator numbers (there are 7+ boxes of material, but only box 4 relates to this topic), or use an electronic version of the inventory.
• Minnesota. Governor.
  This archives series includes Appointments and Correspondence of the Governor relating to Minnesota units. These files may contain information on the appointment of officers, as well as official reports from unit commanders. Letters from Federal officials concerning Minnesota units may be found here as well.
  • Records of Governor Alexander Ramsey, 1860-1863.
    Includes accounting records; records concerning both civil and military appointments; letters received; records relating to pardons and other criminal matters; and petitions. There is substantial documentation of military affairs, especially concerning Minnesota regiments in the Civil War, and the Dakota Wars of 1862-1863.
    MHS call number: See the black State Archives notebooks—filed under Governor, then under Ramsey —for a detailed list of boxes and locator numbers (there are 3 boxes of material, but not all relate to this topic), or use an electronic version of the inventory.
  • Records of Governor Henry A. Swift, 1863-1864.
    Records relating to civil and military appointments; letters received; attorney general’s opinions; records relating to pardons; and reports of the state prison. Most of the records appear to concern either the Dakota Wars of 1862-1863 or Minnesota regiments in the Civil War.
    MHS call number: See the black State Archives notebooks—filed under Governor, then under Swift —for a detailed list of boxes and locator numbers (there is 1 box of material), or use an electronic version of the inventory.
  • Records of Governor Stephen Miller, 1864-1865.
    Includes records relating to civil and military appointments; letters received; attorney general’s opinions; and records relating to pardons. Matters relating to the Civil War predominate.
    MHS call number: See the black State Archives notebooks—filed under Governor, then under Swift —for a detailed list of boxes and locator numbers (there is 1 box of material), or use an electronic version of the inventory.
• United States. Army. Minnesota Light Artillery Battery, 1st.
  • Company Morning Reports and Record, 1861 Dec.-1865 June.
    This manuscript collection contains the official daily returns of the battery listing the number of men sick, wounded, missing or away on leave. The record also includes notes on the battery's movement and specific information on individual soldiers.
    MHS call number: P1903; see the green Manuscripts Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there is one volume and one folder of material).
  • Muster Rolls and Historical Data, 1864-1906.
    Muster rolls (1864-1865), including the battery's muster-out roll with descriptions of each individual's place of enlistment and a list of men who died, with cause and place of death. There are separate listings of supernumeraries—cooks, teamsters, etc.—including escaped slaves. Other records include a notated map of the battle of Shiloh, showing the battery's locations during the battle, information relating to post-war reunions (1891-1906) and a 4-page historical sketch of the battery by Robert Monahan, a descendant of the Christie brothers.
    MHS call number: P1257; see the green Manuscript Notebooks for a detailed list of items (there are 15 items).
• Newspapers that may be useful for this topic:
  • Belle Plaine: Scott County Journal
  • Chaska: Valley Herald
  • Faribault: Central Republican
  • Hastings: Independent
  • Mankato: Independent
  • New Ulm: Pioneer
  • New Ulm: Post
  • Saint Anthony Falls: Minnesota State News
  • Saint Paul: Pioneer and Democrat
  • Saint Paul: Pioneer Press
  • Taylors Falls: Reporter
  • Winona: Republican
  • Useful dates to look for newspaper articles: around September 1861 when recruitment began, and important battles such as: Shiloh, April 6, 1862; Corinth, October 6, 1862; Vicksburg, June-July 1863; Atlanta Campaign, June-July, 1864.
• Visual Resources Database subjects that may be useful for this topic:
  • First Battery
  • 1st Minnesota Battery
• Check the library catalog for other materials.