History of Company E of the Sixth Minnesota Regiment of Volunteer Infantry

by A. J. Hill; Charles J. Stees

Bast was detached for provost duty in Helena on the 16th; on the 18th Schafer was detached for provost duty, and Praxl as nurse in the post hospital on the 19th. J. J. Mueller was detached as cook in the regimental hospital (now in town) on the 20th.

The following men of the company died while at Helena, viz.: Jean Rossion on July 25th; Joseph Rachel, July 27th; Louis Wetterau, August 5th; Frederick Schoenheiter on the 10th, Michael Boos on the 18th; August Willialms on the 23rd, and Henry Reuter on the 25th. The latter was the last of the company that died at Helena; all seven dying of disease. They were buried with the rest of the regimental dead on the summit of a rising ground about one-half mile northwest of the camp. Properly marked boards were placed at their graves.

In September the sick men had become so numerous that large numbers were sent north. Of Company E there went as follows: On the 1st of the month, Bristle was sent to the hospital at Memphis; Corporal Hoscheid, wagoner Henricks, Foglesang, Metz, Mueckenhausen, Rehse, Thiele, and H. Wetterau, sick, were sent to the hospital at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., on the 3rd; Sergeants Leitner and Stiefel, Corporals Neierburg, Juergens, and Radke, and Ferlein, Gabbert, Hauck, Holtzmer, John, Kilian, Kraemer, Krueger, M. Mueller, Munson, Schene, Steck, and Temme, sick, were also sent to Jefferson Barracks hospital, on the 19th. F. Henricks rejoined on the 21st, and on the same day Sergeant Rohde was relieved.

At about this time the once strong Sixth Regiment had become the shadow of its former self, and added little to the effective strength of the garrison of the post. It was pitiable to look at the companies as they marched to dress parade; very often having but half a dozen men in line.

Gantner was relieved on the 28th; and Bast rejoined on the 1st of October. The same day the following recruits, who had enlisted as privates for one year in the regiment, joined the company, and were two days afterwards assigned to it by regimental order, viz.: William S. Adams, native of Minnesota, enlisted August 25th; Henry Churchill, native of Vermont, enlisted August 27th; George R. Bell, native of Ohio, and Nelson A. Chandler, a native of New York, enlisted September 10th; Melchior Steinmann, a native of Switzerland, enlisted September 12th. All of the above but Adams (a Sioux of mixed blood) were young boys, and incapable of full military duty.

On the 12th, details of men commenced to build barracks on selected regimental grounds located in town, opposite to the church used as a Soldiers' Home. No order had been received to go into regular winter quarters, but the necessities of the case required this course. George Bell was detailed as orderly at regimental headquarters on the 21st. Sergeant Stiefel, and Foglesang and Schene rejoined on the 22nd.

The removal of the company to the log quarters on the east side of the above-named ground took place on the 25th. Company E was now shifted to the extreme left of the regiment, becoming the tenth from the right wing and the second in rank. Company I was on the immediate right of it.

An order from New Orleans requiring the regiment to report at St. Louis was received and read on the 3rd of November and preparations made at once to comply with the same. Detert, Scheibel, Kernen, and J. J. Mueller were relieved the same day and Schafer rejoined; also Burch and Praxl (the latter rejoined on the 2nd) were detached for provost duty in Helena. The two latter, with Churchill, sick, were all of the company left behind there.

On the 4th, the Twenty-Third Wisconsin having arrived to relieve it, the Sixth Minnesota embarked on the steamboat Thomas E. Tutt, truly glad to leave a place so associated with disease, suffering, and death. The number of the company now on the boat was 54, out of an aggregate of 80. While lying at Memphis, on the 6th, Bristle, wagoner Henricks, and Ferlein rejoined.

Arrived at St. Louis on the evening of the 11th, after a tedious voyage. Next morning the regiment disembarked and marched through the city. Six companies were quartered at Winter Street Barracks, E being among them. At this time the military post of St. Louis was under the enlightened command of Colonel James H. Baker of the Tenth Minnesota, whose regulations for the government of troops stationed there were liberal and just, and an admirable model for the imitation of officers having volunteer soldiers of the Republic under their control. The sojourn in this city would have been generally very pleasant had it not been for the incessant duty, which, consisting almost exclusively of prison guard, was severe, just half of the men's time being taken up by it. The weather, too, was very cold for outside posts of sentinels.