Tag: Fort Snelling MN

Wikipedia says: Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. It is on the Dakota homeland of Bdóte with a history spanning thousands of years. The military site was initially named Fort Saint Anthony, but it was renamed Fort Snelling once its construction was completed in 1825.

During the American Civil War, Franklin Steele leased Fort Snelling back to the War Department for use as an induction station. When Governor Ramsey offered President Lincoln 1000 troops to fight the South the volunteers he got were organized at Fort Snelling into a regiment, the 1st Minnesota. More than 24,000 recruits were trained there.

Minnesota units mustered in at Fort Snelling:

1st Minnesota April 1861 (today 2nd Battalion 135th Infantry)

2nd Minnesota June–July 1861

3rd Minnesota Oct–Nov 1861

4th Minnesota Oct–Nov 1861

5th Minnesota Mar–Apr 1862

6th Minnesota Sep–Nov 1862

7th Minnesota Aug–Oct 1862

8th Minnesota Jun–Sep 1862

9th Minnesota Aug–Oct 1862

10th Minnesota Aug–Nov 1862

11th Minnesota Aug–Sep 1864

1st Minnesota Infantry Battalion Aug–Sep 1864

1st Minnesota Sharpshooters Company Apr 1864

2nd Minnesota Sharpshooters Company Jan 1862

1st Minnesota Heavy Nov 1864

1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery Nov 1861

2nd Minnesota Light Artillery Battery Mar 1862

3rd Minnesota Light Artillery Battery Feb 1863

1st Minnesota Cavalry Oct–Dec 1862

2nd Minnesota Cavalry Regiment Dec 1863

1st Minnesota Light Cavalry(Bracket’s Battalion) Sep–Nov 1861

Minnesota Independent Cavalry Battalion (Hatch’s Battalion) Jul 1863

During the civil war, slightly over 100 African Americans approached Fort Snelling to volunteer for military service.[40] Minnesota did not have an African American population large enough to field a “colored” unit as US Infantry units were segregated. Those volunteers were put on riverboats to Iowa and Missouri, states that had “colored” units: 1st Iowa Infantry Colored, 18th United States Colored Infantry Regiment, and the 68th United States Colored Infantry. The navy had a few volunteers also.

In 1830 Fort Snelling was the birthplace of John Taylor Wood. He served on the Merrimack at the Battle of Hampton Roads during the civil war.

In 1860 and 1863 the Minnesota State Fair was held at the fort.