Here is where you can find us this year - Contact us to book an event or get more details
JAN 4: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
FEB 1: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
MAR 1: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
APR 5: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
APR 30: Last Soldier Dedication -Murray County Last Union Soldier Dedication at 11:00 at the Slayton Cemetery in Slayton. Honor Guard conducts "Rest on Arms" in support of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War The last soldier is PVT Edwin Wheeler from the 44th WI Infantry. He died at age 98 in 1940.
MAY 3: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
MAY 13-15: Spring Muster - The Landing in Shakopee, MN. This area is managed by the Three Rivers Park. https://www.threeriversparks.org/location/landing. Bring 20 rounds of blank ammo and caps. This is a good opportunity for new members to learn how to march and shoot, and for the veterans to shake the dust off as we prepare for a good year of hard marching for the Union. Huzza! Ends at 1000 on Sunday, 15 May.
MAY 15: Last Soldier Dedication -Ramsey County Last Union Soldier Dedication at 1:00 on Sunday at the Union Cemetery in Maplewood. Honor Guard conducts "Rest on Arms" in support of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War The last soldier is PVT Washington Fisher from Company G, 49th WI Infantry. He died at age 91 in 1941.
MAY 30: Memorial Day- Parade in Woodbury at 11:00. Report in at 9:15 for formation and drilling. Uniform is sack coat, forage cap, blackened leathers and polished brass. Meet at Veterans Memorial Park, 8301 Valley Creek Road, Woodbury, MN 55125 https://goo.gl/maps/ uwLhiAHCT18pT4bH8 . MAY 30: aka Decoration Day- Josias King Memorial at the Summit Park in St. Paul at 4:00. Uniform is sack coat, forage cap, blackened leathers and polished brass. If you have them, please bring your white gloves.
JUN 7: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
JUN 11: Living History- MN VFW State Convention at the Kelly Inn, 100 4th Ave S, St. Cloud, MN "Charge of the 1st Minnesota Regiment at Gettysburg". Arrive by 5:00 pm for the 6:00 pm ceremony. JUN 17: Manitou Day Parade- in White Bear Lake, MN. Form up at 5:30, parade starts at 6:30 on Friday. Meet at the corner of 2nd Street and Clark Avenue by the GAR monument. Uniform: Traps, canteen full of water, sack coat, trousers, forage cap or hat, blackened brogans, cleaned musket.
JUL 7: No Meeting
JUL 9:Pan-O-Prog Parade - in Lakeview, MN. Be there well before 4:30 as streets are closed off, parade starts at 5:30. Uniform: Traps, canteen full of water, sack coat, trousers, forage cap or hat, blackened brogans, clean musket and 10 blanks as we march and fire in this parade with an "...estimated 20,000 spectators lining the entire parade route".
AUG 2: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
AUG 5-8: Battle Reenactment - 160th Battle Reenactment at Cedar Mountain, VA. www.friendsofcedarmountain.org Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield and event partners are honored to present, on the original ground, Slaughter on the Mountain, the reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Mountain, on August 6-7, 2022 near Culpeper, Virginia. We are looking forward to this groundbreaking event, which marks the first time since 1987 that a large-scale reenactment depicting unit-specific actions has been held to commemorate the 1862 battle on the actual ground where it occurred. We are joining our pards in Company D, 1st Minnesota Regiment for this battle reenactment. See more details below with several original photos and photos taken by Company D in past reenactments. Bring plenty of powder boys! Plan is for the vans to leave Thursday and upon arrival we march in with our gear. We will be back in Minnesota Monday evening. AUG 20: Last Soldier Dedication -Renville County Last Union Soldier Dedication time 11:00 at the Olivia Cemetery in Olivia. Honor Guard conducts "Rest on Arms" in support of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
SEP 6: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, meeting (w/ nominations) at 8:00 at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
SEP 9-11: Reenactment- LeDuc Civil War weekend in Hastings
OCT 4: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting (with elections) starts at 8:00 at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
NOV 1: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
DEC 6: Meeting - Drilling starts at 7:00 PM, the meeting starts at 8:00 PM at the Fort Snelling Base Camp
Events of Interest:
JUN 11: Last Soldier Dedication -Last Union Soldier Dedication time TBD at the TBD Cemetery. Honor Guard conducts "Rest on Arms" in support of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
AUG 12-14: Reenactment- Fort Abraham Lincoln, Mandan, ND
TBD: Grave marker project at St. Mary's Cemetery.
Addition Event Details
More on Drilling before Meetings New to the unit and want to prepare for muster? Or, are you in a new leadership position and need to practice giving marching orders before a reenactment? Or do you just need to knock the rust off your marching? Take advantage of the opportunity to socialize and drill with your pards before the meeting. This is also a good time to pay for bus tickets, buy what you need from the Quartermaster, coordinate with an NCO, or show the guys a new Civil War item you purchased for your collection.
More on Cedar Mountain Battle Reenactment Included in the slideshow are original photos and action photos taken at previous Cedar Mountain Reenactment Photos of Company D, 1st MN.
2023 Potential Events
March 2023: Auction
.July 2023: Living History at Gettysburg. At this 160th Anniversary event we will actually be in the Gettysburg National Military Battlefield with our partners from D Company, 1st Minnesota Regiment! The First Minnesota is the only unit to have three monuments at Gettysburg. The big one was paid for in blood during their famous charge led by Colonel Colvill on Day 2, the second one is from their actions during Pickett's Charge on Day 3, and the third one is the urn (first regimental monument at Gettysburg) memorializing those Minnesota soldiers who were buried there.
Why is this battle so important to Minnesota? Why are there so many Civil War prints made about the 1st Minnesota Regiment at Gettysburg? Why should you go to Gettysburg to see this particular battlefield that became the turning point of the Civil War?
Day 2 at Gettysburg: After a series of grueling marches north in pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia in June 1863, the 1st Minnesota found itself on the battlefield at Gettysburg in the early Morning of July 2nd (day 2 of the battle) on Cemetery Ridge. At this time Company C was on another assignment. This left the regiment with only 262 men and officers. Union II Corp commander, Major General Hancock, seeing the danger of the Union position being overrun rode up to the Minnesota troops and asked Colvill "What Unit is this?" Colvill responded "1st Minnesota Sir!" Hancock's response was "Charge that line". Hancock knew that the charge was suicidal but hoped to delay the Confederates long enough to get reinforcements to the ridge. Without hesitation, Colvill ordered the charge against a brigade four to five times larger. Their sacrificial charge against overwhelming odds halted the Confederate advance. It bought desperately needed time for the center of the Union line to reform. Corporal Henry D. O’Brien of Company E was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on July 3rd when, “taking up the colors where they had fallen, he rushed ahead of his regiment, close to the muzzles of the enemy’s guns, and engaged in the desperate struggle in which the enemy was defeated, and though severely wounded, he held the colors until wounded a second time.” A total of 215 men and officers (82%) were killed, wounded, or missing on the afternoon of July 2nd 1863, the highest casualty rate in the Civil War. Among the wounded was Colvill who was hit three times and severely wounded. General Hancock ascribed unsurpassed gallantry to the famed assault stating: "There is no more gallant deed recorded in history".
Day 3 at Gettysburg: On July 3rd, the survivors of this regiment aided in repelling Pickett's Charge, running to the aid of Webb's Brigade taking a conspicuous part in the counter-charge which successfully ended the conflict. Amid the firefight, Private Marshall Sherman of Company C eyed a Virginian "shouting like mad,". He was barefoot, the legend goes, as he charged the Virginian with his bayonet. Jabbing at the enemy, Sherman said "Throw down that flag or I'll run you through." He was awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing the flag of the 28th Virginia Infantry. While they were a key part in this monumental victory, they lost an additional 17 and wounded.
