| If this website has been useful to you, please consider
making a Donation.
Your support will help keep this website free for everyone, and will allow us to do
more research. Thank you for your support! |
Brackett's Cavalry Battalion
in the Civil War
| Regimental History |
| Brackett's Cavalry Battalion. — This battalion was
organized in the fall of 1861. It consisted originally of three
companies, captained by Henning Von Minden, D. M. West and Alfred B.
Brackett, and was known as the "Minnesota Light Cavalry." It was ordered
to St. Louis, reached there Dec. 28, 1861, and was assigned to a
regiment known as the "Curtis' Horse," named for Maj.-Gen. Curtis, in
command of that department. The regiment was comprised of four companies
from Iowa, three from Minnesota, three from Nebraska and two from
Missouri, Col. W. W. Lowe commanding. The government afterwards changed
the name to the 5th Ia. cavalry, Capt. Brackett being made major, and it
was ordered to Fort Henry Feb. 8, 1862. It participated in the battle of
Fort Donelson, performing cavalry duty as wagon guard, patrolling, etc.
It was constantly in the saddle during the year; furnished the bridges,
roads and lines necessary for the successful issue of the battle of
Shiloh ; was in the siege of Corinth; pursued the enemy for nearly 90
miles; hoisted the Stars and Stripes at Humboldt, and fought at
Lockridge mills, where Capt. Von Minden and 28 of his company were taken
prisoners and paroled. Being ordered on duty, these men refused until
released from parole, and they were discharged in disgrace and turned
out of camp because they kept their written word. This expulsion is
resented by the survivors of the company to this day. The regiment was
in action at Fort Donelson in August, in the Clarksville fight in
September, again at Fort Donelson Feb. 5, 1863, and in the Tullahoma
campaign was engaged in several severe skirmishes. It completely routed
the 6th Tex. cavalry in a saber charge at Wartrace in October and
charged and routed two of Forrest's regiments at the Tennessee river.
The Minnesota companies reenlisted and while on furlough organized
Brackett's battalion, which was detached from the regiment and assigned
to frontier duty in the northwest. Subsequently it was strengthened by
the addition of Capt. A. Barton and 86 men as a fourth company. The
battalion was placed in the command of Gen. Sully and joined the
campaign up the Missouri in 1864. In the fight at Tahkahokuty mountain
it charged the Indians and drove them, foot-by-foot across a ravine, up
the hill, over the crest and down the slope, scattering them far and
wide. It was congratulated for gallantry and coolness. The battalion
went into Fort Ridgely for the winter and was on patrol duty during
1865, covering over 200 miles of frontier line. It was mustered out in
May, 1866.
|
Footnotes:
Regimental history taken from "The Union Army" by Federal Publishing
Company, 1908 - Volume 4
|
Whats New
Bibliography
About Us
|