Information courtesy of the
Minnesota Civil War Commemoration Task Force
(www.mncivilwar150.com and “Minnesota Civil War 150” on Facebook)
Major Highlights for the Week
Wednesday October 15, 1862
Skirmishing occurred at numerous places on a wide variety of fronts: Fort Gibson, Indian Territory; Neely’s Bend on the Cumberland River, Tennessee; Crab Orchard and Barren Mound, Kentucky; and near Carrsville, Virginia. Operations occurred against Confederate guerrillas in Henry, Owen and Gallatin counties in Kentucky.
Governor Zebulon Vance of North Carolina called upon the people of the state to furnish blankets, carpets and clothing to the Confederate army.
Thursday October 16, 1862
The draft formally began in Pennsylvania and in other portions of the north.
The Federal Department of the Tennessee was created under command of Major General Ulysses S. Grant.
Skirmishing occurred at Auxvasse Creek and Portland, Missouri; and at Shell’s Mill and Elkhorn Tavern in Arkansas.
Friday October 17, 1862
At Berkley in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, troops had to put down opposition to the ineffective Federal militia draft. Resistance was developing in some areas, especially in several Pennsylvania counties.
Skirmishes occurred at Lexington, Missouri, and Island No. 10 in Tennessee.
President Abraham Lincoln asked Attorney General Bates to make out a commission for David Davis of Illinois as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Saturday October 18, 1862
John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate raiders defeated Federal cavalry near Lexington, Kentucky. They entered the city, captured the garrison, and moved off towards Versailles. Other fighting occurred at Kirk’s Bluff, South Carolina; Bloomfield, Big Hill, Little Rockcastle River and Mountainside, Kentucky; Uniontown and California House, Missouri; along with Cross Hollow and Helena, Arkansas.
Sunday October 19, 1862
It was a quiet wartime Sunday, though the usual skirmishing occurred. This time it was at Bardstown and Wild Cat, Kentucky; between Catlett’s Station and Warrenton Junction, Virginia; and at Bonnet Carre in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana.
Monday October 20, 1862
President Abraham Lincoln ordered Major General John A. McClernand to proceed to Indiana, Illinois and Iowa to organize troops for an expedition against Vicksburg under McClernand’s command.
Lincoln also penned memorandums, including one that showed that the Army of the Potomac had a total of 231,997 soldiers, which had 144,662 fit for duty.
Fighting occurred near Helena, Arkansas; Marshfield, Missouri; Hermitage Ford, Tennessee; Wild Cat, Kentucky and Hedgesville, Virginia.
Tuesday October 21, 1862
Confederate President Jefferson Davis ordered Major General T.H. Holmes in Missouri to prepare plans to have Southern armies join together to drive the Federals from Tennessee and Arkansas and to recapture Helena, Memphis and Nashville.
President Abraham Lincoln, meanwhile, called upon military and civil authorities in Tennessee to support elections for a state government, legislature and members of Congress.
Skirmishing occurred at Woodville, Tennessee and Pitman’s Cross Roads, Kentucky.
Where Minnesota Regiments were the week of October 15-21, 1862
1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty at Harper’s Ferry, western Virginia.
2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Participated in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky.
3rd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
4th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty in Ripley, Mississippi.
5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Companies B, C and D remained in Minnesota and Dakota Territory on garrison duty. The remaining companies were on duty in Ripley, Mississippi.
6th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On garrison duty at Fort Snelling, Glencoe, Forest City and Kingston until February 1863.
7th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On garrison duty in Mankato and other points in Minnesota until June 1863.
8th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On frontier duty at various points in Minnesota: Anoka, Princeton, Monticello, Kingston, Manannah, Paynesville, Fort Ripley, Sauk Center, Pomme de Terre, Alexandria and Fort Abercrombie until May 1864.
9th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On garrison duty in various frontier Minnesota communities until June 1863.
10th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Regiment on detached service for garrison duty at various outposts in frontier Minnesota until June 1863.
1st Regiment Minnesota Cavalry “Mounted Rangers” – Organized at St. Cloud, St. Peter and Fort Snelling for frontier duty against Indians until June 1863.
Brackett’s Battalion of Minnesota Cavalry – On duty at Clarksville, Tennessee.
1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery – On duty in Ripley, Mississippi.
2nd Independent Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery – Marched to Nashville, Tennessee.
2nd United States Sharpshooters, Company A – In camp near Sharpsburg, Maryland.
