1st Minnesota Infantry Monument - Gettysburg, PA - Obelisks on Waymarking.com

The 1st Minnesota Infantry served as a member of Harrow’s Brigade in Gibbon’s Division of the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, a Fighting 300 Regiment. The unit was commanded by Colonel William Colvill (1830-1905), a lawyer and newspaper editor in Red Wing. Colvill was wounded at Glendale and again on July 2 while here @ Gettysburg. Colvill who was hit three times and severally wounded. He was shot in the shoulder and the ankle. One bullet entered the top right shoulder and tore across his back, clipping off a part of his vertebra and lodging under his left scapula. Both wounds would force Colvill to use a cane the rest of his life. In his post-war life he was a state legislature and state attorney general. Under Colvill's command 420 men were engaged at Gettysburg and among them, 50 were killed and 173 were wounded and 1 went missing. From my experience, this regiment suffered HUGE losses compared to their counterparts who also fought here at Gettysburg. The 83.1 percent casualty rate stands to this day as the largest loss by any surviving military unit in U.S. history during a single day's engagement. The unit's flag is now in the Minnesota Capitol's rotunda. In 1905, Colvill traveled to the Soldiers Home in Minneapolis to attend a reunion of the veterans of the First Minnesota. While there, he died in his sleep on June 13. He is buried in the Cannon Falls Community Cemetery in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. In 1928, President Calvin Coolidge was present for the dedication of a statue that was placed next to his grave.

As already reported, Colonel William Colville led the men into action and was wounded during the July 2 charge. Captain Nathan Messick took over command only to be killed the next day during the repulse of Pickett's Charge. He was briefly followed by Captain Wilson B. Farrell, who was also killed, and finally by Captain Henry C. Coates. The men of the 1st Minnesota are most remembered for their actions on July 2, 1863, during the second day's fighting at Gettysburg, where the regiment prevented the Confederates from pushing the Federals off of Cemetery Ridge, a position that was to be crucial in the battle.

The 1st Minnesota Infantry Monument is located on the left or northwest side of Hancock Avenue (RD310) if traveling north along the road at the beginning of an area called The Angle. The 82nd New York Infantry Monument (MN239) is 60 feet south or left of the Minnesota monument if looking to the west and the 20th New York State Militia (80th Regiment) Marker (MN798) is 30 feet to the south of the 82nd or left of this marker if looking to the west. The 149th Pennsylvania Infantry Monument (MN248) is directly across the road, 160 feet southeast of this position. This is the third sculpture in a string of monuments that extend north across the green field to the United States Regulars Monument (MN235) and beyond. All totaled, there are about 1080 feet of green fields with a line of monumentation spread across it representing the line of union regiments who defended Cemetery Ridge at The Angle against Longstreet's assault also referred to as Pickett's Charge on July 3, 1863, the final day of the Great Battle. Parking is plentiful and is available road-side at intermittently enlarged shoulder cut-outs, usually marked with white striping. Be sure to keep vehicles off the grass or you will be ticketed by park police. I visited this monument on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at approximately 3:38 P.M. I was at an elevation of 583 feet, ASL. I used a Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.

The Draw the Sword site helped out by the NPS narrative and the SIRIS site offers the following description: The second monument is located where the 1st Minnesota defended against Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863. Monument is a two-part granite shaft of which the lower part is columned and the upper part is obelisk and set on a three-part 6.5 foot square stepped base. The third tier of the base has a bronze inscription tablet on the front. The lower shaft section has a bronze tablet between the columns and the upper shaft part has a Second Corps trefoil seal and bronze medallion on the obelisk. Dedicated in 1897.

The monument was dedicated July 2, 1893 by the State of Minnesota. The monument is composed of granite with bronze elements and has the following dimensions: The obelisk is approximately 23 feet 9 inches x 2 feet 2 inches by 2 feet 2 inches and the base is approximately 6 feet 5 inches in width and 6 feet 5 inches in depth. There is an inscription on a bronze tablet on the front of the monument which reads:

1st Reg. Minnesota
Vols.
1st Brigade, 2d Div.
2d Corps.
Erected by State of Minnesota

On July 3rd 1863 the survivors of this Regiment
(See large monument 1/3 mile south of this)
aided here in repelling Pickett's Charge and ran hence to
the aid of Webb's Brigade taking a conspicuous part in the
counter-charge which successfully ended the conflict
losing then 17 additional killed and wounded and capturing
Confederate flag. There captains Nathan S. Messick and
Wilson B. Farrell successfully commanding the regiment, were killed.
Total killed and wounded in the battle 232, out of 330 engaged.

The 1st Minnesota Infantry Monument is a contributing feature to the Gettysburg National Military Park Historic District which is nationally significant under NR Criteria A, B, C & D. Areas of Significance: Military, Politics/Government, Landscape Architecture, Conservation, Archeology-Historic. Period of Significance: 1863-1938. The original National Register Nomination was approved by the Keeper March 19, 1975. An update to this nomination was approved by the Keeper on January 23, 2004. The monument is identified as structure number MN238.

From the Nomination Form:
1 of 3 Mn to Minnesota. Indicates position of regiment July 3, 1863 when moved to left to repulse Longstreet's Assault then to right to assist Webb's Brigade at Angle. Located West side Hancock near US Regulars Mn S of Copse of Trees.

Short Physical Description:
3 part stepped base 6'5"sq, 3rd tier w/bronze tablet inscription on front. 2 part shaft, 1st part columned w/bronze tablet centered between columns on front. 2nd part obelisk w/2nd Corps seal & bronze medallion.

Long Physical Description:
Monument is a two-part granite shaft of which the lower part is columned and the upper part is obelisk and set on a three-part 6.5 foot square stepped base. The third tier of the base has a bronze inscription tablet on the front. The lower shaft section has a bronze tablet between the columns and the upper shaft part has a Second Corps trefoil seal and bronze medallion on the obelisk. Located on the west side of Hancock Avenue south of the Copse of Trees.