Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry
Encyclopedia
Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry
battalion
that served in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
. on December 5, 1861 as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Companies, Minnesota Light Cavalry, and were mustered out on June 1, 1866.
After mustering, the battalion proceeded to Benton Barracks, St. Louis
, Missouri
and was attached to the Curtis Horse, later the 5th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
as Companies G, I, and K. For details of their service as part of the Iowa regiment, please read the article on the 5th Iowa.
The Minnesota volunteers reenlisted and achieved veteran status on January 1, 1864. The battalion returned to Minnesota on January 7, 1864, and was officially detached from the 5th Iowa Cavalry Regiment on February 25, 1864, being designated as Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry at that time.
The battalion remained in garrison at Fort Snelling until May 1864 when it was transferred to Sioux City, Iowa
. It participated in Brigadier General Alfred Sully's
campaign against the Sioux
west of the Mississippi River
from June 4, 1864 to November 10, 1864. The battalion participated in the Battle of Tah Kah A Kuty or Killdeer Mountain
, July 28, 1864, the engagement at Two Hills, Bad Lands, Little Missouri River, August 8 to 9, 1864, and the rescue of Fisk's Emigrant train, September 10 to 30,1864. The battalion spent the winter of 1864-65 at Fort Ridgley, Minnesota
and then served in Sully's operations against the Sioux
during the summer and fall of 1865. The Minnesotans spent the winter of 1865-66 on patrol out of Sioux City before being mustered out in June 1866.
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
that served in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Service
The battalion was mustered in at Fort Snelling, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. on December 5, 1861 as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Companies, Minnesota Light Cavalry, and were mustered out on June 1, 1866.
After mustering, the battalion proceeded to Benton Barracks, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and was attached to the Curtis Horse, later the 5th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment
5th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry
The 5th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 5th Iowa Cavalry was originally raised as the Curtis Horse in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 5, 1861, and later absorbed cavalry companies from Iowa, Missouri and...
as Companies G, I, and K. For details of their service as part of the Iowa regiment, please read the article on the 5th Iowa.
The Minnesota volunteers reenlisted and achieved veteran status on January 1, 1864. The battalion returned to Minnesota on January 7, 1864, and was officially detached from the 5th Iowa Cavalry Regiment on February 25, 1864, being designated as Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry at that time.
The battalion remained in garrison at Fort Snelling until May 1864 when it was transferred to Sioux City, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. It participated in Brigadier General Alfred Sully's
Alfred Sully
Alfred Sully , was a military officer during the American Civil War and during the Indian Wars on the frontier. He was also a noted painter.-Biography:...
campaign against the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
from June 4, 1864 to November 10, 1864. The battalion participated in the Battle of Tah Kah A Kuty or Killdeer Mountain
Killdeer Mountain
-External links:* *...
, July 28, 1864, the engagement at Two Hills, Bad Lands, Little Missouri River, August 8 to 9, 1864, and the rescue of Fisk's Emigrant train, September 10 to 30,1864. The battalion spent the winter of 1864-65 at Fort Ridgley, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and then served in Sully's operations against the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
during the summer and fall of 1865. The Minnesotans spent the winter of 1865-66 on patrol out of Sioux City before being mustered out in June 1866.
Casualties and total strength
Brackett's Battalion Cavalry lost 4 enlisted men killed in action or died of wounds received in battle and an additional 1 officer and 6 enlisted men died of disease. Total fatalities were 11.http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/unmncav.htmExternal links
See also
- List of Minnesota Civil War Units
- 5th Iowa Volunteer Cavalry Regiment5th Regiment Iowa Volunteer CavalryThe 5th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Cavalry was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 5th Iowa Cavalry was originally raised as the Curtis Horse in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 5, 1861, and later absorbed cavalry companies from Iowa, Missouri and...