FromtheopeningshotsatBullRununtilsilencefelloverAppomattox,theyoungmenofMinnesotawereactivecombatantsinthenation’sepicstruggle.MinnesotaintheCivilWardrawsupontheMinnesotaHistoricalSociety’svastcollectionsofsoldiers’diariesandletters,aswellascontemporarynewspaperaccounts,rarephotographs,drawings,maps,uniformsandequipment,tocreateavividpictureofdailylife.Whatemergesarevivid,hauntingimagesoftheheaviestanddeadliestfighting--BullRun,theHornet’sNestatShiloh,Antietam,Chattanooga,Gettysburg,Vicksburg,Nashville,Sherman’smarchtothesea--butalsotheoverwhelminglonelinessandtediumofwar.Amidthemudandmonotony,theendlessdaysofdrillinginterruptedbyshortspurtsofintensefighting,theseyoungmenreflect,ofteneloquently,ontheirmortalityandthepersistentfearthattheywillneveragainseetheirlovedones.Everypagecontainsmomentsofsimplecompassion:aTennesseewomanwhogivesherbestquilttoaMinnesotaboytodisguisehisuniformbehindenemylines,ayoungprivatestrugglingfortherightwordstotellhismotherthathisbrotherhasbeenkilledatGettysburg.Andimagesofunspeakablebrutality:thesavageryofthesurgeon’stentortheslowtortureofprisonlifeinLibbyandAndersonville.Here,too,aremanyforgottenaspectsofthewarfromtheRedRiverexpeditionandtheMobileBayexpeditiontotheeight-hundred-milepursuitofConfederateGeneralSterlingPricethroughArkansasandMissouritothesecondwaronthehomefrontastheDakotaIndianstookuparmsinAugust1862.BeginningwiththefamousCivilWarpaintingsondisplayintheMinnesotaStateCapitol,authorKennethCarleynarratesthestoryoftheMinnesotaregimentsandtheirsacrificestotheUnioncause.Theresultisamulti-dimensionalpictureofMinnesota’scontributiontotheCivilWar.FromthefirsteagervolunteersoftheFirstMinnesotatothefinalbuglecallsastroopsweremusteredoutatFortSnelling,MinnesotaintheCivilWarisatributetoboththedailycourageMinnesota’ssoldiershadtogatherandthevalortheyshowedonbattlefieldsacrossthecountryinthenameofpreservingtheUnion.
NASHVILLE drawings CHATTANOOGA
