July 3, 1863 – The Latest From The Battlefield!

Painting of Union troops of the 1st Minnesota charging Confederate lines.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1863 Among the many militia regiments that responded to President Lincoln's call for troops in April 1861 was the First Minnesota Infantry. As the first Union regiment to volunteer for three years of service, the First Minnesota fought at the Battles of Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg. It was, however, during the Battle of Gettysburg that the First Minnesota played a significant role in American military history. On the morning of July 2, 1863, the First Minnesota, along with the other units of the II Corps, took its position in the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. Late in the day, the Union III Corps, under heavy attack by the Confederate I Corps, collapsed creating a dangerous gap in the Union line. The advancing Confederate brigades were in position to breakthrough and then envelope the Union forces. At that critical moment, the First Minnesota was ordered to attack. Advancing at double time, the Minnesotans charged into the leading Confederate brigade with unbounded fury. Fighting against overwhelming odds, the heroic Minnesotans gained the time necessary for the Union line to reform. But the cost was great. Of the 262 members of the regiment present for duty that morning, only 47 answered the roll that evening. The regiment incurred the highest casualty rate of any unit in the Civil War. The gallant heritage of the First Minnesota is carried on by the 1st and 2nd Battalions, 135th Infantry, Minnesota Army National Guard.

Despatches have been received here from our brave Army of the Potomac up to last night. It is announced that Gens. Barlow and Schimmelpfenning were both wounded and fell into the enemy’s hands in the engagement of the day before yesterday. They, with Generals Reynolds and Paul killed, were the only Union general officers who met with casualties. It is definitely stated, we hear, in the despatches referred to above, that the battle was fought on our part only by the First and Eleventh army corps; while the rebel force engaged against them were believed to embrace two-thirds of Lee’s entire army.

At the end of the fight, after repulsing the rebels’ last attack, General Meade shifted his position to the heights above Gettysburg, where he awaited the coming up of the five other corps of his army that had not participated in the engagement. In that position the enemy had declined to attack him up to last evening, by which time the balance of our troops had gotten up and were duly in line. Lee was at that time concentrating all his troops near by, but ceased manifesting the purpose of renewing the attack which at 4.30 p.m. he seemed about to do. It is judged here that Lee was not attacked yesterday, because our troops, as they came up, were necessarily too mach fatigued to permit them wisely to be thrown into action against an unfatigued enemy. From the tenor of the dispatches, it is believed here that if the enemy declined renewing the attack this morning, General Meade would at once engage his whole line.

The Evening Star, Washington, DC