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3rd Minnesota Light Battery
in the Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Third Light Battery. — Capt., John Jones; First- Lieuts.,
John C. Whipple, Horace H. Western; Second-Lieuts., Don A. Daniels, G.
Merrill Dwelle. This battery was organized in Feb. and March, 1863, was
ordered to Camp Pope in June, and participated in an Indian expedition
under Sibley. The Indians having treacherously shot Dr. Wiser in the
back July 23, while ostensibly talking over matters, the 4th section of
the battery joined the pursuit, cleared the Indian camp with shells, and
continued to shell them in a running fight of 15 miles. The 1st section
joined in the fight of the 26th and on the 28th drove the Indians across
the Missouri. On the return, when Sauk Center was reached, the 4th
section under Lieut. Dwelle was ordered to return to Fort Abercrombie
with Gov. Ramsey, who was on the way to make a treaty with the Chippewa
Indians at Red Lake river crossing. The 1st section wintered at Fort
Snelling, the 2nd at Pembina, the 3d at Fort Ridgely, and the 4th at
Fort Ripley. All but the 2nd section joined Sully's expedition to the
Yellowstone in 1864, and were at Tahkahokuty mountain, the 1st section
being in advance, the 3d on the rear and left flank, and the 4th on the
right flank. The 4th section dislodged a large body of Indians in
ambush, killed 40 or more, and the 1st section drove them from the
front. Continuous skirmishes were had with the Indians, while crossing
the Bad Lands, and on the return the veterans were distributed among the
garrisons on the frontier. In May, 1865, the 4th section accompanied an
expedition to Wood Lake and in June the 1st, and and 4th sections joined
the expedition to Devil's Lake, Dak. On Oct. 1, the battery was ordered
into winter quarters — the 1st section to Fort Abercrombie, the others
at Fort Wadsworth. It was then ordered to Fort Snelling and was mustered
out Feb. 27, 1866.
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Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 4
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