"The First Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was the first volunteer regiment offered in service to President Lincoln after the fall of Ft. Sumter. Men and boys attended patriotic rallies throughout the young state and signed their names to papers that pledged they would answer the president's call. They were strong men, toughened by rugged pioneer life, and in the next three years they drew on that strength time and again. The men of the First Minnesota served in nearly every major battle in the eastern campaign with the Army of the Potomac and were frequently cited for their professional conduct in the field and for their bravery--nowhere more so than at the Battle of Gettysburg, where their harrowing sacrifice saved the Union from defeat and helped turn the tide of the war. Every Man Did His Duty tells the individual stories of over a hundred men who served in the First Minnesota, from the regiment's commanders to its courageous, young privates. Each story includes a photograph of the soldier, allowing readers to put a face to the actions and history of the man. The included stories are a mix of courage, tragedy, and humor. Some men left the service for successful careers and loving families, whereas others were broken in their bodies and minds and Wayne Jorgenson's descriptions of the war's many ways of wounding sharpens our understanding of these soldiers' sacrifice, offering a worthy tribute to their valor"--Jacket.

Minnesota Book Award Winner! Now in paperback. The smoke had just cleared from the last volley of musketry at Gettysburg. Nearly 70 percent of the First Minnesota regiment lay dead or dying on the field--one of the greatest losses of any unit engaged in the Civil War. The significance of this July 2, 1863, battle at Gettysburg is widely known, but the harrowing details of the First's heroic stand that stopped a furious rebel assault have long been buried. In Pale Horse at Plum Run Brian Leehan brings the full story of the First at Gettysburg to light as he examines personal accounts, eyewitness reports, and official records to construct a remarkably detailed and compelling narrative. "Brian Leehan's account of the First Minnesota on Cemetery Ridge is the most detailed and complete I have read. His exhaustive research and compelling narrative are impressive and offer a much fuller understanding of the regiment's extraordinary feats." -- Richard Moe, author of The Last Full Measure: The Life and Death of the First Minnesota Volunteers

It went on to take part in every significant battle in the war in the East from 1861 to 1864. In remarkable detail, Wright describes the fighting at Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the New York draft riots, and Bristoe Station. The most grueling battle for the First was Gettysburg. Detached from the main body of its regiment, Company F missed the bloody fighting on July 2 when the First lost 82 percent of its men in a suicidal attack. But the next day, Company F and the remnant of the First helped stop Pickett's Charge. The First's sacrifice inspired Gen.