3rd Minnesota RegimentVolunteer Infantry
Co. F -The Hastings Volunteers
Nashville
Dedicated to the brave lads of the Third Minnesota

Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
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Welcome to Our History Page
of
The 3rd Minn. Regt. Vol. Inf.


     The Regiment was fully organized and                   ready for duty on Nov. 15th, 1861.

     On Saturday, Nov. 17th, 1861, The                          Regiment  Left Fort Snelling, 901 strong,
     for Southern Field of duty.  They  embarked          on three  steamboats, The Nortern Belle,
     City Belle  and the Frank Steele.

     The Regt.  was under the command of                      Lietenant Colonel Smith on departure.
Nov. 18th 1861
Sunday

Nov. 19th 1861
Monday

Nov. 20th 1861
Tuesday





Dec 6th, 1861
Friday

Dec. 7th, 1861
Saturday








Months Past








Months Past










March 24th, 1862
Monday

April 27th, 1862
Sunday


May 17th, 1862
Saturday

June 11th, 1862
Wednesday
June 14th, 1862
Saturday
June 18th, 1862
Wednesday
July 12th, 1862
Saturday

July 13th, 1862
Sunday
At 7: 00 A.M. the Regiment arrived at La Crosse Wisconsin and boarded a train of twentyfive cars at 12:00  P.M. The Regiment partook in a supper by the ladies of Portage Wisconsin

The Regiment left Chicago at  12:00 P.M.


That morning the regiment arrived at Jeffersonville, Indiana. After reaching Louisville, they marched to Camp Jenkins. They were at the camp for some two weeks. Here they were issued
equipment and arms that were said to have been a poor lot of Belgian Muskets. Several six mule wagons were issued to each company. One for the headquarters, hospital and  a few more for quartermaster supplies. It was six wagons per regiment. Drill was practiced diligently.

The Regiment marched to Louisville and then toward Shepherdsville and made camp at 3:00 P.M.

The next day at 4: P.M.  the Regiment arrived in Shepherdsville by way of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Here they were given the responsibility of guarding the railroad, turnpike bridges of Shepherdsville, holding Lebanon Junction and the bridge over Wilson's Creek advanced a few miles of the Junction.  It was brigaded with the 13th & 15th Kentucky & 9th Michigan as the 17th Brigade of the Army Of The Ohio.  At Shepherdsville Henry C. Lester who was a Captain with the 1st Minn. Regt.Vol. Inf. took command as Colonel of the regiment.  He quickly started evening school for his officers, tactics and the manual of arms and there were months of drill. The regiment came to an unusually high degree of efficiency and discipline.

Headquarters were moved to Belmont. 4 companies  separately detached a week at a time were sent for guarding railroad bridges at Elizabethtown, Colesburg, Lebanon Junction & Shepherdsville. Six companies were in camp and drill was the order of the day.

Col. Lester was tentative of his men and gained great respect of them.  A bakery with was said to be excellent breads and a bugle band was organized.  Co. D mostly Swedes from Goodhue county practiced in singing the "Doxology" after roll call and it sounded so appropriate. Co. I nearest to them adopted the same practice.

In these months they received a supply of rifled muskets that were entirely satisfactory to them. Before leaving Belmont, it was said the 3rd Regiment could have been taken as regular army.  Precision appearance & adherence to regulation. Even leather neck stock  although it had a tendency to get lost. The brass plates on belts,  equipment,  the bugles and eagles on the hats,  & the shoulder scales were as bright as gold.  An enlisted man of the 3rd in full uniform, with his shoulder scales, was more striking than an officer and was taken as a officer of high rank by the citizens at times. The men wore these at request of the Col. , it was not regulation, and the men paid for white gloves to wear on guard duty & parade. The men were asked for tea quite often by civilians and most thought it was due to the shine of the scales.

Movement took the Regiment to Nashville and camp at Ewingplace in Siblet tents.  They were on Guard duty for the city and railroad bridge at Mill Creek.

Halleck began a cautious movement against Beauregard's lines at Cornith and this brought the regiment to Murfeesboro, Tennessee. The town contained a supply depot and required much picket duty. It was here they drilled in street firing and Brigade drill.
                                                                                                                                                                      The Regiment moved by rail to Nashville , Franklin &Columbia and returned to Murfeesboro in a few days.  Co. I had went for target practice but had caused a false alarm and had to stop.

The 3rd marched out in column of 3,000 to MC Minnville in twenty-four hours.

Pikeville was reached.

The column was back at Murfeesboro. The town held many valuable military stores.

45 men of the 3rd Minnesota Co. C  under Lieutenant Grummons went as guard on a supply train to Shelbyville and did not return on the 13th.

The part of the battle that came to be that  the 3rd played part in was with the Twenty-Third Brigade command by Col. Duffield of the 9th Mich.  As the battle unfolded, it was thought the Confederate forces were of a much greater strength. The Officers voted to surrender.
The vote was taken twice, the 1st was 4 fore, 5 against and two with no vote but the two were made to vote and the Regiment surrendered. The Commissioned Officers were taken to Libby Prison after some three months in Richmond  and were paroled. The non-commissioned officers & enlisted men were paroled at Mc Minnville.

The regiment would not pick up arms as it would violate their parole and were very much looked down at. Their moral fell as they were angry with the officers and wanted to fight rather than surrender.  The regiment with the exception of Co. C was sent back to Fort Snelling and was used in the Indian War of 1862 until October of 1862. It was in the Indian War that the 3rd earned it's honor back in the Battle of Wood Lake.

Lieutenant Grummons and the forty-five men of Co. C  could hear the firing from Shelbyville on the morning of the 13th at Murfeesboro. Co. C did go back to Murfeesboro but was ordered to retreat to Wartrace.  They then went to Tullahoma and Captain Mills then took command of the company.  About the 22nd, they returned to Murfreesboro and were there for several weeks performing guard duty. They then were  sent to Nashville with prisoners and were then placed with the 2nd Minnesota for several months and marched to Louisville in General Buell's army.  About October 1st , they were instructed to return to Fort Snelling in Minnesota.
There was a Sanford K. Satterlee from Co. C that was listed as being wounded at the battle of Wood Lake. It is not known how many men from Co. C were there but, by finding this name, we do know that at least one or more were at the battle of Wood Lake from Co. C
The following is a time line of the
3rd Minn. Regt. Vol. Inf.
Colonel Henry C. Lester - November 15, 1861 to December 1, 1862.
Colonel Chauncey W. Griggs - December 1, 1862 to July 15, 1863.
Colonel Christopher C. Andrews - July 15, 1863 to June 13, 1864.
Colonel Hans Mattson - June 13, 1864 to September 2, 1865.

August 18th, 1862
Monday
August 22nd, 1862
Friday
August 27th, 1862
Wednesday

August 28th, 1862
Thursday

September 4th, 1862
Thursday
September 5th, 1862
Friday



September 6th, 1862
Saturday
September 7th, 1862
Sunday
September 8th, 1862
Monday
September 9th, 1862
Tuesday

September 10th, 1862
Wednesday

September 11th, 1862
Thursday






September 12th, 1862
Friday

September 13th,1862
Saturday

September 15th, 1862
Monday






September 19th, 1862
Friday

September 22nd, 1862
Monday
September 23rd, 1862
The Indian War of 1862 & The 3rd Minn. Regt. Vol. Inf.

The Indian Wars begin with the Dakota Conflict

Word is sent to have the 3rd Minn. Regt. sent back to Minnesota.

The War department announced all enlisted prisoners had been exchanged.
Even with their bad disposition and low moral the Regt.  was a high value to Mnnesota.

250 of the regiment embarked at St. Louis under Lieutenant R. C. Olin for Minnesota on the steam boat Pembina.

The Steamer reaches Fort Snelling. The Regiment was placed under the command of
Major A. E. Welch at his own request.   Second to him was Lieutenant Olin. Welch had served with the 1st Minn. as a Lieutenant.  The Regt.  now had 270 men with only two Commissioned  Officers.

The Regiment leaves Fort Snelling to protect the settlers and  join with Gen. Henry Hastings Sibley's expedition at Fort Ridgely. They boared a steamer to Carver.

The Regiment marched to Glencoe and found inhabitants in a stockade.

The Regiment marched to Hutchinson where they found more inhabitants in another stockade.

The Regiment marched to Cedar Mills.

The Regiment marched to Forest City by way of Acton, twenty-eight miles. They stopped along the way to bury 4 or 5 mutilated victims of the outbreak.

The Regiment marched to Cedar Mills, eighteen miles.

About 70 more men of the 3rd reach Fort Snelling from sick leave in the south. They are to arm and go to Fort Abercrombie, but the men refused the arms offered, unwilling to arm themselves with a refuse lot of Belgian muskets, a requisition was made by proper authority on the gun stores of St. Paul. The men then armed themselves with shot guns, squirrel guns and Kentucky rifles and each man carried his own lead, powder horn and bullet mould.

The Regiment started their march at 6:00 A.M. and marched rapidly except for a few hours of rest
till 11:00 P.M. making fully, forty miles.

Gen. Sibley whose expidition reached Fort Ridgely wrote, that The Third Regiment was within 6 to 8 miles from his camp. "they having" he said, "made a rapid march to join me.

The 3rd Regiment reached Fort Ridgely at 11:00 A.M.. and joined Gen. Sibley. They had seen traces of the widespread and awful massacre.





Gen. Sibley wrote, he has little fear that his raw troops be struck in panic, even if a superior force of Indians were to make a desperate stand, "sinse the skeleton of the Third Regiment has joined me under Major Welch, composed of 270 men only.

Gen. Sibley wrote, " My troops are entirely undisciplined, excepting the few belonging to the Third Regiment."

On leaving Fort Ridgely, the 3rd Regt. was always in the advance position. and used for flankers.

In early afternoon, a command camp was made on both sidea of the old Government road.  The 6th Regiment was on the left side of the road and the 7th on the right side of the road. The 3rd made camp in it's advanced position.

The 3rd Regt. had obtained some potatoes at the Lower Sioux Agency that the Indians had buried and the supply was about exhaustd.  Thinking that the regiment would not march that day, a few of the men decided to go to the Yellow Medicine Agency and replentish the stock of  potatoes.
They went on their own responsibility. Major Welch  had noticed their going, but did not consent to their going or forbib them.

Four or five teams driven buy civilian teamsters with four men per wagon set out. They crossed the creek over a bridge and proceeded about 100 yards into the high prairie grass.  It was this time when a squad of Indians sprung up from the grass and fired on them. Thus, starting the Battle of Wood Lake.

Major Welch heard the firing and sent out half the men keeping the other half in reserve. He soon pulled up his reserve as the numbers of  Indains grew.  He sent for reinforcements and was sent word to fall back. Welch sent word that he could hold the ground, but recieved word to positively fall back.  It was said you could hear the men yelling out, "Remember Murfeesboro". The numbers of  Indians grew to 700 and it was in the falling back of the 3rd's 270 men ,that most casualties were taken, as it was at the creek in after crossing and regaining the steep bank of the ravine toward their camp. Welch was struk with a ball and it was said to have broke his leg. The Renville Rangers of about 40 rallied to the right and fought for about an hour firing from the brow of the ravine. It has been noted that the Indian attack was lead by Chief Little Crow.

After a while,  a simultaneous and determind charge was made by the 3rd Minn. with fixed bayonets, led by Lieut. Olin, the Renville Rangers and 5 companies of the 7th Minn. on the right. The charge swept through the ravine, driving the Indians from the field.

It was with this Battle of Wood Lake that the 3rd Minn. regained it's honor and good feelings of itself.  The men regained their trust of Officers that they had lost at the surrnder at Murfeesboro.



The Reoganization Of The 3rd and Southern Field of Duty

All offiers that voted for the Surrender at Murfeesboro were dismissed by order of  President Lincoln. New officers are appointed and several  promotions were made in different companies and drill was again the order of the day.

The Regiment participated in the Vicksburg Campaign.

The Regiment participated in the Campaign of Arkansas.

On or about this date, the 3rd was the first Regiment to march into Little Rock and remained there for 8 to 9 months on guard duty in preserving the good order of the city with the 43rd Illinois and the 7th Missouri Cav. Post headquarters here were across the street from the Old State House that was used as the Capital.  Drill was being held and poeple would gather in front of the capital to witness the regiment's skill at the manual of arms on dress parade. The 3rd was respected much by the citizens there and many were even cordial.

Soldiers of the 3rd  reenlisted.

Battle of Fitzhugh's Woods

The regiment remained in garrisons and was discharged from service at Fort Snelling.






















December 1st, 1862



July 4th, 1863

August 13th, 1863

September 12th, 1863






January, 1864

April 1st, 1864

September 16th, 1865

Battle of New Ulm
Fort Ridgely
Refugees
Arms Carried by the 3rd Minnesota

Belgian Muskets
KentuckyRifles
Squirrel Guns
Shot Guns
Enfield Muskets

We have found information of  amunition requsitions,
that say, the 3rd  Minn. recieved cartridges for  the
Enfield rifle musket  577 Cal.

Libby Prison
Battle of Wood Lake
Chief
Little Crow
Gen.
Sibley
Old State House
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    Engagements:
Murfreesboro, Tennessee Battle of Wood Lake, Minnesota Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi Campaign of Little Rock, Arkansas Battle of Fitzhughs Woods

Casualties: 21 killed, 275 died of disease, for a total of 296 fatalities.


Minnapolis Guards
Washingto County Rifles 
Fillmore County Volunteers
Scandinavian Guard
Red Wing Volunteers
Hastings Volunteers
Wabashaw County Guard
Minnesota Rangers
Sterns County Guard
Olmstead County Volunteers

Company A Company B
Company C
Company D
Company E
Company F
Company G
Company H
Company I
Company K

Capt. Butler
Capt. Hoyt
Capt. Bennett 
Capt. Mattson
Capt. Gurnee
Capt. Preston
Capt. Foster
Capt. Rice
Capt. Andrews
Capt. Clay

Third Regiment - The following General Order in relation to this Regiment, was issued Tuesday:
                     Gen'l Head Quarters, State of Minnesota,
                                           Adutant General's Office,
                                                  St. Paul, October 29, 1861

Third Regiment - The following companies of  Infantry are  accepted  and compose the Third Regiment of Minnesota Volunteers