The 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was a Minnesota USV infantry regiment that served in the Union Army in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and Dakota War of 1862. The regiment distinguished itself serving in its home state and the south, particularly at the Battles of Fort Ridgely, Corinth and Nashville.
History
Organization and early service On October 23, 1861, Assistant Secretary of War Thomas A. Scott sent correspondence to Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey, authorizing him to raise a fifth regiment of infantry in the state. The 5th Minnesota Infantry Regiment was mustered into Federal service at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, between March 15 and April 30, 1862. The Regiment was split with B Company posted to Fort Ridgely, Company C to Fort Ripley, Company D to Fort Abercrombie. Companies A and E-K sailed off to fight in the Civil War. The 5th Minnesota was the last regiment raised in response to President Lincoln's first call for 500,000 men. +Original Organization of Regiment in 1862.CompanyEarliest MonikerPrimary Place of RecruitmentEarliest CaptainARamsey Guards or Goodhue CompanyGoodhue and Dodge countiesLucius Frederick HubbardBFillmore County GuardsFillmore countyWilliam B. GereCMcClellan Guards or Freeborn County GuardsFreeborn countyFrancis HallDSchützen-CompagnieCarver and Ramsey countiesJohn Charles VanderhorckENelson Guards or German CompanyRamsey, Carver, and Scott countiesJohn C. BechtFWilkinson ZouavesWaseca, Ramsey, Faribault, and Anoka countiesEbenezer RiceGWabash and Dakota countiesOrlando EddyHPine Island GuardsGoodhue and Wabash countiesOtis H. ClarkIRamsey and Olmstead countiesLuther E. ClarkKIrish CompanyWashington countyGold T. Curtis
First Corinth
Farmington
Companies A, E-K were ordered south in May 1862 and joined the II brigade, I division of Major General John Pope in the Army of the Mississippi on May 24, 1862, to take part in the Siege of Corinth. Before the regiment could settle in camp, they were called into action four days later to take part in the Battle of Farmington. The action served as the regiment's baptism of fire and they contributed a number of casualties; more of which succumbed to the effects of heat and exhaustion throughout the campaign.
Dakota War of 1862
Redwood Ferry
At the outbreak of the Dakota War of 1862 on August 18, 1862, companies B, C and D of the 5th Minnesota were the only immediate military forces available to defend the frontier until the arrival of reinforcements from Fort Snelling. As bands of the Dakota advanced along the Minnesota River, survivors fled to Fort Ridgely which was then garrisoned by Company B, numbering, under Captain John S. Marsh. A detachment set out with 46 men under Cpt. Marsh to investigate the situation.
Upon reaching the Ferry, Marsh found a Dakota man named White Dog and spoke to him through the interpreter Peter Quinn. Suspicious of the man, he advanced his men toward the river bed in line formation. Suddenly, gunshots rang out on all sides, inflicting losses on the detachment. The men returned fire, advanced and engaged in limited hand-to-hand combat before withdrawing to a nearby thicket for cover. However, the Dakota had men placed there as well. With no alternative, Marsh began guiding his men across the river before being seized by a leg cramp, which drowned him. It was up to Sergeant John F. Bishop to lead the 20 survivors across and reach Fort Ridgely. The survivors reached the outpost at 10:00 pm. Eight more survivors, who hid near the ferry, returned later. Company B suffered heavily, casualties are numbered at 24 killed, 1 drowned, and 5 wounded.
Fort Ridgely
Situation on August 18 As survivors of the Ambush at Redwood Ferry returned the night of August 18, 1862, 22 out of 51 remaining men of Company B were counted as effectives due to the rest suffering from illness. Second Lieutenant Thomas P. Gere took command of the garrison in the absence of his commander, sending for help from First Lieutenant Timothy J. Sheehan of Company C, at the time en route to Fort Ripley. 50 men of Company C, along with roughly 50 other reinforcements arriving the next morning. 1st Lt. Sheehan took command of the Fort upon arrival, which was now home to 300 refugees, and a garrison of around 180 men. There was no attack on the 19th; instead an attempt on New Ulm would be made by the Santees.
Action of August 20 Chief Little Crow finally began the battle on the Fort's northeast corner and drove out the soldiers posted to the outbuildings shortly after 1:00 pm. Lieutenant Gere sent a detachment of Company B with Sergeant McGrew to return fire with two twelve-pound howitzers, eventually dispersing the advancing warriors with canister shot. Little Crow then joined the attack personally at the southwest corner, where Ordnance Sergeant Jones, supported by the Renville Rangers, wheeled a six-pound field gun in position whilst under fire. Carefully aimed shots discouraged further assault. The makeshift artillerists of Company B were trained by Sgt. Jones, Sgt. McGrew of Company B, and Mexican War veteran John Whipple. Fighting kept on for five more hours, but the Dakota failed to overwhelm the defenders despite all efforts and withdrew at nightfall.
Action of August 22 On the 22nd, Little Crow was reinforce. Bolstered, he decided to launch another attack surrounding the whole fort at 1:00 pm. The first attack was made in the hopes of breaching the fort through force of numbers, but was repulsed. The warriors returned to the slopes surrounding the fort and fired from their safety, attempting to exhaust the defenders of their low reserves of ammunition. The chief gathered the strength of his forces at the southwest corner, charged, and succeeded in capturing the stables. Sergeant McGrew wheeled his twelve-pound howitzer into position and fired into the stables, intentionally setting them ablaze. Dakota bowmen fired flame-tipped arrows onto the roofs of some buildings in retaliation, but the shingles were still wet from the previous day's rainfall and failed to catch fire. When attempting to rush the fort, Sergeant Jones managed to disperse the Dakota with close-range canister. An assault on the northwest corner was repelled that evening, which was discouraged by the burning of one of the buildings and combined artillery and infantry fire, including a 24-pounder cannon brought into action by Sgt. McGrew. No other attacks commenced after the 22nd, but the garrison remained until the 27th when Colonel Henry Hastings Sibley arrived with 1,400 men from eastern Minnesota.
Attacks on Fort Abercrombie
August 18 - September 3 When war broke out on August 18, 1862, Company D of the 5th Minnesota had garrisoned Fort Abercrombie in the Dakota Territory under the command of Captain John Vander Horck since March. A detachment of 30 men under 1st Lieutenant Francis A. Cariveau were placed at Georgetown, 52 miles north on the Red River of the North. News of the outbreak arrived on August 19. Vander Horck immediately ordered Cariveau's detachment and anyone else in the area return to the fort. Signs of enemy presence were noted when mutilated bodies were discovered near Breckenridge. On the 23rd, messengers were hurried out to request reinforcements and ammunition from St. Paul. Defenses were prepared right away and were mostly completed by August 29. On September 3, Capt. Vander Horck was shot accidentally in the right arm by a frightened picket; leaving 2nd Lt. Groetch in command of the fort as 1st Lt. Cariveau was sick. One hour later, the Sioux attacked from the southwest corner, and the skirmish lasted from 5:00-11:00 am, until the warriors fell back on their camp.
September 6 The next few days were unnerving for the defenders, but largely uneventful. Another attack began on the 6th with the Sioux, numbering around 400, attacking the fort's stables first; during which a short fight ensued until they were driven back. A second attack commenced from the east, south and west sides of the fort. Resistance from the fort's howitzer and the infantry of Company D just managed to keep the braves from overwhelming the breastworks. From the 6th, no more larger attacks were made. Finally, on September 23, 500 reinforcements arrived with fresh ammunition under Captain Burger. Fort Abercrombie was the last action of the 5th Minnesota in the Dakota War of 1862. The garrison suffered 4 men killed and 2 wounded throughout the weeks of the siege.
Camp Clear Creek to Iuka
While companies B-D fought in Minnesota itself, companies A and E-K continued campaigning with the Union army in the south. The regiment was encamped at Clear Camp Creek, Mississippi. Here, Colonel Borgesrode resigned. Lucius F. Hubbard was promoted to Colonel and William B. Gere was promptly promoted to Major. The Army of the Mississippi, now under the command of Major General William Rosecrans, soon met with Sterling Price's Army of the West at Iuka, Mississippi, on September 19, 1862. Here, the Regiment skirmished in the rearguard, but did not participate in the main engagement. As the II brigade, I division marched toward Corinth, it is claimed that the regiment was nearly overwhelmed by a large crowd of freedmen (referred to by the soldiers as "contrabands") fleeing Confederate pursuit. The battle ended in a Union victory, but a withdrawal back to Corinth went underway.
Second Corinth
Rosecrans eventually combined with the forces of Maj. Gen Ulysses S. Grant at Corinth, where the 5th Minnesota had its first action earlier that year. The 5th now took place in the II brigade, II division of the Army of the Mississippi. On October 3, 1862, the combined forces of Confederate Generals Sterling Price and Earl Van Dorn attacked the Union lines. The rebels managed to push back the northerners, and the men of the 5th Minnesota could hear the sounds of battle headed their way, however the Minnesotans would not see action until the next day. By night, the regiment was ordered to leave its position at Tuscumbia Creek and move to the town itself.
October 4 The regiment was called into line early on the 4th and almost immediately the lines of both armies engaged in an artillery duel. Another barrage of artillery opened around 11:00 am and the day's fighting began. The Confederate assault managed to break through the Union right flank as rebel troops poured into the streets of Corinth. The 5th Minnesota would distinguish itself at this crucial point in the battle. The regiment advanced to the breakthrough, fired several volleys into the flanks of advancing Confederates and pushed out the assailants at bayonet point. They proceeded to chase the enemy all the way to the federal guns lost earlier that day and aided in their recapture. II Division's Brigadier general David S. Stanley complimented the regiment for its decisive intervention.