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

by A. J. Hill; Charles J. Stees

The regiment marched, by the way of Mankato, to St. Peter, on the 17th, having traveled to the latter place, since leaving Fort Snelling in August, as a regiment of the expeditionary brigade, about 350 miles. The campaign being terminated, the companies departed to their various assigned winter stations,—Companies A, B, G, H, and K for Fort Snelling; D for Forest City; E for Hutchinson, McLeod county; and C, F, and I for Glencoe. Lieutenant Holl was detailed as quartermaster and commissary for the company during its separation from the regiment.

On the 18th of November we left St. Peter with Companies C, D, and F: four miles beyond New Auburn parted with C and F, and with D at Hutchinson, where we arrived on the 20th. This place was already garrisoned by Company B of the Ninth Regiment, quartered in good log houses, but there was no accommodation for the newly-arrived company, and fatigue parties had at once to be set to work cutting and hauling logs for building. The season, however, being too far advanced, the work was abandoned, permission having been obtained to hire quarters at Kingston instead. On the 24th Dreis died of diphtheria. He was buried in the village burial-grounds near by. Seven men had to be left at Hutchinson on departure,—five sick and two as nurses.

On the 28th we left for Kingston, traveling by the way of Greenleaf, Round Lake, and Forest City, and reaching destination the next day. An old frame store near the mill on the west bank of the Crow River was used for barrack purposes, and by the erection of a log kitchen and bake house, with some other improvements, served the purpose very well. Duties were light, provisions good and ample in quantity, and the time passed pleasantly enough. A system of furloughs was inaugurated, and every man had the privilege of fifteen days' leave of absence. After the departure of Fischer, Koenig had to cook alone, and when he went on furlough, December 16th, Gantner and Rossion conducted the kitchen in the interim. Sergeant Burch left on furlough on the 16th, but being detailed in St. Paul at District Headquarters he did not return to the company at the expiration of his leave of absence; also Griebler, who did not return to Kingston either. Sergeant Scheer was reduced to the ranks at his own request on the 20th, and on the same day Corporal Burch was, by company order, promoted to fifth sergeant; also privates Neierburg and Eheim were appointed, respectively, seventh and eighth corporals, on the 4th of January, 1863, to fill vacancies, the enlisted men having shown their preferences by special election; the same day also Gaheen and Hauck were similarly recommended for company cooks, and were detailed as such. Juergens rejoined on the 13th. A. J. Hill left for Washington, D.C., in obedience to orders from the Headquarters of the Army requiring him to report there for duty; same day John left on furlough, but, becoming ill, did not return to the company at its expiration. Sproesser was detailed as company fifer on February 1st. Klinghammer rejoined, sick, on the 6th; he having been mustered in at Fort Ridgley on the 13th of October.

The company being ordered to Fort Snelling, where the headquarters of the regiment were, left Kingston on the 27th of February, on the arrival of Company H, which relieved it, and traveled, in sleighs mostly, by the way of Clear Water and Dayton, reaching the fort on the 1st of March. Quarters were assigned it in the old barracks, near the sutler's store, and the usual routine of drill and guard duty began again. Here Fandel joined, sick, and Griebler rejoined. Jakobi was detailed as company bugler on the 22nd, and John rejoined on the 29th. Private Kobelitz was on the 1st of April honorably discharged, for disability. The regiment went into camp on the river, about a mile above the fort, on the 4th, and Sibley tents were issued as before. George Paulson left on detached service for Yellow Medicine on the 12th, afterwards (in June) acting as orderly at regimental headquarters. William Gabbert, a Prussian, resident of St. Paul, enlisted as private in the company on the 13th. Privates Griebler and Maurer left on the 17th on a (forged) pass, but did not return at the proper time, and were afterwards found to have deserted. Privates Harrfeldt, W. A. Hill, and Meyer were, by District order of the 1st of May, transferred to the Third Minnesota Battery.

PART 3.

INDIAN CAMPAIGN IN MINNESOTA AND DAKOTA—1863-64.

At the end of April, 1863, orders were received to rendezvous at Camp Pope on the upper Minnesota River. Fifteen of the men had to be left behind at the fort, viz.: J. J. Mueller and Reimers, on detached service; and Becker, Fandel, Gantner, John, Kellermann, Knobelsdorff, Koenig, Mann, J. Mueckenhausen, Peterson, Schauer, Scheer, and Wolf, sick. On the 28th of April Companies E and D embarked on the steamboat Favorite, but could go no further by water than to within about three miles of Mankato, thence going on foot, arriving at their destination on the 5th of May.

Camp Pope was not an original settlement, but a spot selected especially as a base of operations against the Indians; for which purpose storehouses had been erected there. It was situated on the river about a mile and a quarter above the crossing of the Red Wood River. On the reassembling of the regiment the company held the same rank (5th) and position (7th) as before, but had as neighbors Company G on the right and Company I on the left.

In the latter part of the month (May) a regimental band was formed, and Seidel, Eberdt, and Jakobi were detailed as members of it. J. J. Mueller and Reimers rejoined on the 5th. Detert was detailed as regimental pioneer on the 15th. The expedition being ready, those sick and unable to travel were left behind at Camp Pope; of Company E, Hellmann and Paul Paulson remained there. The strength of the company present at this time was 68, and aggregate number 85.

The second expedition for the chastisement of the Dakotas left Camp Pope on the 16th of June, 1863. The 19th and 21st of the month were spent in camp. On the 23rd, transportation permitting, the knapsacks of the men were carried in wagons. The valley between Big Stone Lake and Lake Traverse was reached on the 26th, and a camp established about a mile from the latter on the south side of the Minnesota River (there but a rivulet), which camp was situated near but outside of the state boundary. The camp was called McLaren, and three days were spent there. From here a detachment consisting of three companies of infantry, including Company H of the Sixth Regiment, some cavalry, and one piece of artillery, all under command of Lieutenant Colonel Averill, was dispatched to Fort Abercrombie for supplies. Klinghammer, unable to march, was sent along to the fort. It may be here noted, as a matter of interest to hydrographers, that Lake Traverse was not at this time an unbroken sheet of water, as a corporal of Company G crossed it on foot near the middle, seeing the lake in two parts, to the right and left of him.