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9th
Minnesota Infantry
in the Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Ninth Infantry. — Cols., Alexander Wilkin, Josiah F. Marsh; Lieut. -
Cols., Josiah F. Marsh, William Markham; Majs., William Markham, Horace Strait. This
regiment was organized during Aug. and Sept., 1862. Co. A, mustered in Oct. 2; was
attached to 6th regiment; participated in its movements during the fall ; was sent to Fort
Ridgely for the winter; it joined the expedition to the Missouri in the spring, and
returned to Fort Snelling in the fall of 1863. Co. B was ordered to Glencoe, was attacked
by a large war party of Indians near Acton and fought with them until Hutchinson was
reached that night. It aided in the defense of Hutchinson the following day, when 300
Indians attacked, and remained there until spring. It was mustered in Nov. 10 and was sent
to St. Peter the following spring, a detachment being sent to Henderson. In June it was
ordered to Hanska lake and a detachment was sent to Cottonwood river. Co. C was ordered to
New Ulm, joined Sibley's command against the Indians, participated in the battle of Wood
Lake, and then marched to Camp Release. It was mustered in Oct. 5 and attached to 7th
regiment, serving with it through the fall campaign. It wintered at Fort Ridgely and
performed garrison duty during the summer of 1863. Co. D was sent to St. Peter in August
and was mustered in Sept. 23. It was on garrison duty during the fall and winter and was
present as guard at the execution of the 38 Indians at Mankato on Dec. 26. It served on
frontier garrison duty at Judson ferry, Fairmont, and Chanyaska lake, during the summer of
1863. Co. E was sent to Mankato about Aug. 22, thence to Lake Crystal and New Ulm. A
detachment was sent out 25 miles to rescue 2 women and succeeded in the attempt, but had 1
man killed. The company was mustered in Nov. 14, wintered at Judson and was present at the
Mankato execution as guard. It was on frontier post duty during the summer of 1863. Co. F
was sent to Glencoe about Aug. 25 and was mustered in Sept. 24. In November it moved to
Fort Ridgely and remained there until the following fall. Co. G, having a goodly number of
Chippewa Indians and half-breeds was sent to Fort Abercrombie about Sept. 3. It found the
fort besieged by Sioux Indians and joined in the attack which routed them. It was mustered
in Oct. 30 and engaged in guard and outpost duty during the spring and summer of 1863, the
Indians of the company proving valuable as scouts. It gained a reputation later as
skirmishers and flankers, unequalled by any other company. Co. H was sent to Glencoe about
Aug. 25 and was ordered to Lake Addie as frontier guard, being there divided into four
squads. It was ordered to Hutchinson and arrived Sept. 4 to find the town surrounded by
Indians. It charged and drove them across the prairie, then wintered at Glencoe, and was
present as part of the guard at the Mankato execution in December. It was attached to the
10th regiment in the spring and joined the Missouri expedition. Co. I to the number of 40
was ordered to Glencoe about Aug. 20, and with Co. A of the 6th regiment moved to St.
Peter and thence to Fort Ridgely, where it was joined by the remainder of the company
early in October. It was mustered in Oct. 12 and remained at Fort Ridgely until spring,
was then sent to Fort Pope for a month, returned to Fort Ridgely and in midsummer
proceeded to St. Paul, where it did provost duty. Co. K was mustered in late in August and
was on garrison duty at Fort Snelling until Nov. 3. It was then ordered to join Sibley's
command near South Bend, where it wintered, assisted in guarding Indian prisoners, and was
on duty at Mankato at the execution. It occupied a stockade 20 miles from Madelia during
the spring and summer of 1863. On Oct. 8, 1863, eight companies left the state for St.
Louis, and were sent to Jefferson City. Cos. C and K were ordered to La Mine bridge. G and
H, which had been left at Fort Abercrombie, Minn., were ordered to Fort Snelling. They
left the state about Nov. 12 and were assigned to duty in St. Louis. Cos. A, B, E and I
were sent to Rolla, Mo., and on Feb. 11, 1864, headquarters were moved to Warrensburg,
Cos. D and F moving there and picking up C and K at La Mine bridge. March 9 headquarters
were moved to Kansas City, Co. F being left at Independence, D moved to Kansas City, E to
Waynesville, H to Rolla, G to Franklin. Headquarters were again moved April 14 to Rolla,
the regiment was scattered for a distance of 250 miles along the Pacific road and along a
branch road for 110 miles, on guard and garrison duty for several months. On Nov. 12,
1863, 41 men belonging to Cos. C and K held up a train and rescued the family of a colored
man, which was being sent to Kentucky to be sold. For this, at the instigation of a
Missouri officer, they were sent to the guard-house at Jefferson City, but after two
months the United States senate was informed of the facts and adopted a resolution
demanding of the secretary of war the reason for their detention, whereupon that official
ordered their release. The regiment came together for the first time at St. Louis May 26,
1864, and left on the 31st with Sturgis' expedition for the campaign of Mississippi. At
the battle of Guntown it charged and routed a body of the enemy. It covered the retirement
in good order for 23 miles, when it became separated from the main column and succeeded in
reaching Collierville, where it met a train with reinforcements. In this affair the
regiment's loss was 286 in killed, wounded and missing, 233 being captured, and of the
number 119 died in southern prisons. The adjutant-general of the state, in his report of
the affair, says: "That this disastrous undertaking did not result in the entire loss
of the whole force, is mainly due to the gallantry of the officers and men of this (9th)
regiment." It returned to Memphis, was attached to the 2nd brigade, 1st division,
16th army corps, and was sent to Mississippi in June. It participated in the battle of
Tupelo and in the Oxford raid; joined the Missouri campaign in September and October, and
was in the battle of Nashville in December, where it was in a series of charges in which
many prisoners were taken, Co. K especially performing excellent work on the skirmish
line. In a charge the following day the colors of the 9th were the first planted on the
enemy's works, the regiment capturing 2 battleflags and 550 prisoners, to which it added
150 more during the day. It joined in the pursuit of Hood and went into quarters at
Eastport, Jan. 9, 1865. It was in the campaign of Mobile and siege of Fort Blakely and
Spanish Fort; was then ordered to Montgomery, Ala.; thence to Selma, and on May 19, to
Marion. It was mustered out at Fort Snelling, Aug. 24, 1865. Its original strength was
919; it gained by recruits 157; total 1,076. Loss by death 263. |
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 4
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