William J. Colvill
Encyclopedia
William J. Colvill, Jr. (April 5, 1830 – June 12, 1905) was a Union
colonel in the American Civil War
who led the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
in the Battle of Gettysburg
. He was Minnesota Attorney General from 1866 to 1868 and he also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives
.
on April 5, 1830 to Irish and Scotch parents. He was graduated from the Fredonia Academy
and taught a country school for one year. He studied law at Forestville and Buffalo
, where he read law in the office of Millard Fillmore
. He was admitted to the Bar in 1851. He practiced law in Forestville about three years and, in 1854, migrated to Minnesota. He spent the first year, or more, in St. Paul, during which time he was, first, enrolling clerk and then secretary of the Territorial Council. He then moved to Cannon Falls and took a tract of land upon which part of the city now stands. He opened a law office in Red Wing in 1854 and in 1855 established The Red Wing Sentinel, a Democratic newspaper. His papers were always Democratlc in politics, but always for the Union and against secession. Those who held such views before the war were known as Union Democrats and generally supported the policies of Stephen A. Douglass.
at the First Battle of Bull Run
. The regiment saw heavy fighting on Henry Hill where they were ordered to support Rickett’s Battery. The 1st Minnesota was one of the last regiments to leave the battlefield, and suffered the highest casualties of any northern regiment (48 killed, 83 wounded and 30 missing).
, landed on the peninsula between the James River
and York River
s and marched west towards Richmond. The two armies fought a series of battles over a week known as the Seven Days Battle. On June 30, 1862, at the Battle of White Oak Swamp
, Covill received a bullet wound in the shoulder. He was sent to Baltimore where he spent the rest of the summer recuperating.
. The 1st Minnesota was on the extreme right of the leading brigade (commanded by the regiment's former colonel, Willis A. Gorman
) as John Sedgwick
’s division ill-famed assault on the West Woods, resulting in a Union rout from that part of the field. Bursting through the far side of the woods, the column was exposed to heavy fire from both flanks. The unit suffered 15 killed, 79 wounded and 21 missing. Shortly after the battle he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
. After the battle, General Joseph Hooker
marched the Army of the Potomac
north to counter General Robert E. Lee
's invasion of Pennsylvania
. On June 23, Covill was promoted to colonel and commander of the regiment. Two days later, on June 25, the unit was attacked by General JEB Stuart's cavalry at the Battle of Haymarket. During the battle while leading the reginment, Covill's horse was shot from underneath him. On the 29th, Colville was arrested for allowing the men to cross a three-foot deep river on logs whereas the orders were to wade across. The march from Fredericksburg to Gettysburg would take 14 days with traveling 11 of those, averaging over 14 miles a day. By the time they reached the small town they were exhausted.
seeing the danger of the Union position being overrun on Cemetery Ridge
, ordered Colvill and his regiment to make a suicidal charge to delay the Confederates enough to get reinforcements to the ridge. Wilcox had begun the days fighting with some 1,800 men in his unit although it is not known exactly how many were left at the time of the action with the 1st Minnesota. Without hesitation, Colvill ordered the charge against a brigade four to five times larger. Of the 282 Minnesotans who made the charge, 217 were killed or wounded. Despite the heavy losses, the Minnesotans were successful in slowing the Confederates until more regiments arrived. Among the wounded was 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 Colville to use a cane the rest of his life.
were he remained until February 1864. He was reunited with his regiment that month as they were being mustered out and sent home.
Back in Red Wing, Minnesota
, he edited the Red Wing Republican newspaper. During this time, he was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature. He took his seat in January 1865. Immediately after the adjournment of the legislature, he received an appointment as colonel of the 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment
, which was stationed in Chattanooga. On May 6, 1865, he received a brevet commission as brigadier general and was mustered out of service in July 1865.
After the war, he returned to the state legislature until 1866. He was then elected Minnesota Attorney General from 1866 to 1868. Then he returned to his law practice in Red Wing. He also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1878. During the next decade he served as register of the Duluth Land Office, from 1887 to 1891.
Colvill married Elizabeth Morgan (a direct descendant of Elder Brewster, one of the Pilgrim Fathers) of Oneida County, New York
, in April, 1867. In 1893, Colvill had a 167-acre homestead in Grand Marais, Minnesota
next to Lake Superior
. Others settled there creating a small community. It was named Covill
in 1906 after his death.
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.
Colvill Park in Red Wing, Minnesota
is named for Colvill, and he is represented by a statue in the Minnesota State Capitol
. In addition, a section of Minnesota State Highway 19
from Gaylord
to Red Wing
is named in his honor.
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
colonel in 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...
who led the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
The 1st Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was noted in particular for its gallant service and heavy casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg....
in the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. He was Minnesota Attorney General from 1866 to 1868 and he also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house in the Minnesota State Legislature. There are 134 members elected to two-year terms, twice the number of members in the Minnesota Senate. Each senate district is divided in half and given the suffix A or B...
.
Early life
Colvill was born in Forestville, New YorkForestville, New York
Forestville is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 770 at the 2000 census.The Village of Forestville is within the Town of Hanover and in the northeast part of the county....
on April 5, 1830 to Irish and Scotch parents. He was graduated from the Fredonia Academy
State University of New York at Fredonia
The State University of New York at Fredonia is a four-year liberal arts college located in Fredonia, New York, United States; it is a constituent college of the State University of New York...
and taught a country school for one year. He studied law at Forestville and Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, where he read law in the office of Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
. He was admitted to the Bar in 1851. He practiced law in Forestville about three years and, in 1854, migrated to Minnesota. He spent the first year, or more, in St. Paul, during which time he was, first, enrolling clerk and then secretary of the Territorial Council. He then moved to Cannon Falls and took a tract of land upon which part of the city now stands. He opened a law office in Red Wing in 1854 and in 1855 established The Red Wing Sentinel, a Democratic newspaper. His papers were always Democratlc in politics, but always for the Union and against secession. Those who held such views before the war were known as Union Democrats and generally supported the policies of Stephen A. Douglass.
Civil War
When the Civil War broke out, the 31 year old Covill was the first man from Goodhue County to volunteer. The local men elected him captain of Company F, 1st Minnesota Regiment. On June 26, 1861, the regiment arrived in Washington D.C.First Bull Run
A month later, the regiment with the Union Army, marched south into Virginia. On July 21, the met the Confederate Army outside Manassas, VirginiaManassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
. The regiment saw heavy fighting on Henry Hill where they were ordered to support Rickett’s Battery. The 1st Minnesota was one of the last regiments to leave the battlefield, and suffered the highest casualties of any northern regiment (48 killed, 83 wounded and 30 missing).
The Seven Days Battle
The Union Army, now under the command of General George B. McClellanGeorge B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
, landed on the peninsula between the James River
James
James is a common English surname and given name:* James , the typically masculine first name James* James , various people with the last name JamesJames may also refer to:-People:...
and York River
York River
York River can refer to:In the United States:*The York River *The York River In Canada:*The York River...
s and marched west towards Richmond. The two armies fought a series of battles over a week known as the Seven Days Battle. On June 30, 1862, at the Battle of White Oak Swamp
Battle of White Oak Swamp
The Battle of White Oak Swamp took place on June 30, 1862 in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. As the Union Army of the Potomac retreated southeast toward the James River, its rearguard under Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin stopped Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
, Covill received a bullet wound in the shoulder. He was sent to Baltimore where he spent the rest of the summer recuperating.
Antietam
Covill returned to his unit on August 31. Shortly after he was promoted to major. On September 17, the unit, having a strength of 435 men, participated in the Battle of AntietamBattle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
. The 1st Minnesota was on the extreme right of the leading brigade (commanded by the regiment's former colonel, Willis A. Gorman
Willis A. Gorman
Willis Arnold Gorman was an American lawyer, soldier, politician, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
) as John Sedgwick
Sedgwick
Sedgwick may refer to:-Places:United Kingdom* Sedgwick, Cumbria, England* Sedgwick, West Sussex, EnglandUnited States* Sedgwick, Arkansas* Sedgwick, Colorado* Sedgwick, Kansas* Sedgwick, Maine* Sedgwick, Wisconsin* Sedgwick County, Colorado...
’s division ill-famed assault on the West Woods, resulting in a Union rout from that part of the field. Bursting through the far side of the woods, the column was exposed to heavy fire from both flanks. The unit suffered 15 killed, 79 wounded and 21 missing. Shortly after the battle he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
Fredricksburg, Chancellorsville and Haymarket
On December 11, the 1st Minnesota was one of the units that captured the town of Fredricksburg where they pludered the town in one of the more controversial acts in the war. Two days later, during the Battle of Fredricksburg, they were not sent in one of the many suicidal charges against Mayre's Heights. The unit saw little action during the Battle of ChancellorsvilleBattle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
. After the battle, General Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
marched the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
north to counter General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's invasion of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. On June 23, Covill was promoted to colonel and commander of the regiment. Two days later, on June 25, the unit was attacked by General JEB Stuart's cavalry at the Battle of Haymarket. During the battle while leading the reginment, Covill's horse was shot from underneath him. On the 29th, Colville was arrested for allowing the men to cross a three-foot deep river on logs whereas the orders were to wade across. The march from Fredericksburg to Gettysburg would take 14 days with traveling 11 of those, averaging over 14 miles a day. By the time they reached the small town they were exhausted.
Gettysburg
On July 2, 1863 the regiment was on Cemetery Ridge at Gettysburg. In the morning, Colville had been relieved of arrest and resumed command the regiment. Late in the afternoon, Confederate General Cadmus Wilcox's Alabama Brigade broke through the III Corp at the Wheatfield. Union II Corp commander, General Winfield Scott HancockWinfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War...
seeing the danger of the Union position being overrun on Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge
Cemetery Ridge is a geographic feature in Gettysburg National Military Park south of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that figured prominently in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 to July 3, 1863. It formed a primary defensive position for the Union Army during the battle, roughly the center of...
, ordered Colvill and his regiment to make a suicidal charge to delay the Confederates enough to get reinforcements to the ridge. Wilcox had begun the days fighting with some 1,800 men in his unit although it is not known exactly how many were left at the time of the action with the 1st Minnesota. Without hesitation, Colvill ordered the charge against a brigade four to five times larger. Of the 282 Minnesotans who made the charge, 217 were killed or wounded. Despite the heavy losses, the Minnesotans were successful in slowing the Confederates until more regiments arrived. Among the wounded was 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 Colville to use a cane the rest of his life.
Later life
After the battle, Colville recovered in a private home in Gettysburg at 303 Baltimore Street, at the corner of Baltimore and Breckenridge Streets. Being a very tall man at 6' 5", it was not easy fitting him into a bed. The surgeons at first wanted to amputate his foot, saying it was necessary in order to save his life, but Covill would not allow it. From there he was sent to a hospital in Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
were he remained until February 1864. He was reunited with his regiment that month as they were being mustered out and sent home.
Back in Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
, he edited the Red Wing Republican newspaper. During this time, he was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature. He took his seat in January 1865. Immediately after the adjournment of the legislature, he received an appointment as colonel of the 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment
1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery Regiment
The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment was a regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 1st Minnesota Heavy Artillery mustered in at St. Paul, and Rochester, Minnesota, between November 1864 and February 1865...
, which was stationed in Chattanooga. On May 6, 1865, he received a brevet commission as brigadier general and was mustered out of service in July 1865.
After the war, he returned to the state legislature until 1866. He was then elected Minnesota Attorney General from 1866 to 1868. Then he returned to his law practice in Red Wing. He also served in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1878. During the next decade he served as register of the Duluth Land Office, from 1887 to 1891.
Colvill married Elizabeth Morgan (a direct descendant of Elder Brewster, one of the Pilgrim Fathers) of Oneida County, New York
Oneida County, New York
Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
, in April, 1867. In 1893, Colvill had a 167-acre homestead in Grand Marais, Minnesota
Grand Marais, Minnesota
Grand Marais is a city in Cook County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,351 at the 2010 census. It is also the county seat of Cook County...
next to Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. Others settled there creating a small community. It was named Covill
Covill, Minnesota
Covill is an unincorporated community in Cook County, Minnesota, United States. Colvill is named after Col. Covill, who for a time lived on a homestead in the community. Colvill Township was established in 1906. Colvill is located on Minnesota State Highway 61 between Grand Marais and Grand Portage....
in 1906 after his death.
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
Cannon Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,795 people, 1,550 households, and 996 families residing in the city. The population density was 946.4 people per square mile . There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 401.8 per square mile...
. In 1928, President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
was present for the dedication of a statue that was placed next to his grave.
Colvill Park in Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
is named for Colvill, and he is represented by a statue in the Minnesota State Capitol
Minnesota State Capitol
The Minnesota State Capitol is located in Minnesota's capital city, Saint Paul, and houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Governor...
. In addition, a section of Minnesota State Highway 19
Minnesota State Highway 19
Minnesota State Highway 19 is a highway in southwest and southeast Minnesota, which runs from South Dakota Highway 30 at the South Dakota state line near Ivanhoe and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
from Gaylord
Gaylord, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,279 people, 897 households, and 592 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,435.3 people per square mile . There were 930 housing units at an average density of 585.7 per square mile...
to Red Wing
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
is named in his honor.