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 November 12, 1862
Action occurred along Stone’s River in Tennessee, and operation around Suffolk, Virginia commenced from November 12-14, including skirmishes at Providence Church and Blackwater Bridge.
Thursday November 13, 1862
Federal troops took possession of the valuable rail center of Holly Springs, Mississippi after a brief skirmish. Other skirmishes occurred near Nashville, Tennessee and Sulphur Springs, Virginia.
Confederate General Braxton Bragg began moving his main body of the Army of Tennessee north from Chattanooga toward Murfreesboro.
Friday November 14, 1862
President Abraham Lincoln approved Major General Ambrose Burnside’s moves for driving on Richmond as the new commander of the Army of the Potomac. Burnside also reorganized his force into Grand Divisions: the Right Grand Division under Major General Edwin V. Sumner, the Center Grand Division under Major General Joseph Hooker and the Left Grand Division under Major General William B. Franklin.
Fighting occurred at Waterloo, Zuni, and Jefferson, Virginia.
Saturday November 15, 1862
The Federal Army of the Potomac began moving from Warrenton, Virginia towards Fredericksburg, the first action under its new commander, Major General Ambrose Burnside.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis accepted the resignation of his Secretary of War, George W. Randolph, which came without prior notice.
Fighting occurred at Sulphur Springs near Warrenton, Virginia; and at Yocum Creek, Missouri.
President Abraham Lincoln called for “orderly observance of the Sabbath” by officers and men of the Army and Navy.
Sunday November 16, 1862
Major General Ambrose Burnside moved his headquarters from Warrenton to Catlett’s Station, as his army shifted towards Fredericksburg. They were closely watched and followed by a part of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia.
Fighting occurred at U.S. Ford on the Rappahannock River in Virginia and at Gloucester Point on Virginia’s Peninsula.
Monday November 17, 1862
Major General Edwin V. Sumner’s Right Grand Division of the Army of the Potomac arrived at Falmouth on the bluffs across the Rappahannock from Fredericksburg, Virginia, with light skirmishing. Other fighting occurred near Carrsville, Virginia.
Confederate President Jefferson Davis named Major General G.W. Smith as temporary Secretary of War for the Confederacy.
Tuesday November 18, 1862
As the Federal and Confederate armies in the east marched toward Fredericksburg, and in the west were concentrating at Nashville and Tullahoma, minor fighting took place at Franklin, Virginia; Doboy River, Georgia; Double Bridge and Rural Hill, Tennessee; and at Core Creek, North Carolina.
Where Minnesota Regiments were the week of November 12-18, 1862
1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Marched up Loudon Valley to Falmouth, Virginia.
2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Guarded tunnel at Mitchellsville, Kentucky.
3rd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
4th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Duty at White’s Station and Memphis, Tennessee until February 24, 1863.
5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Companies B, C and D remained in Minnesota and Dakota Territory on garrison duty. The remaining companies were on Major General Ulysses Grant’s Central Mississippi Campaign.
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 scout duty at Eddyville, Kentucky.
1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery – On Major General Ulysses Grant’s Central Mississippi Campaign near Vicksburg, Mississippi.
2nd Independent Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery – On duty at Nashville, Tennessee.
2nd United States Sharpshooters, Company A – On the march to Falmouth, Virginia.
