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

by A. J. Hill; Charles J. Stees

Companies A, C, E, F, G, and H, being ordered to Fort Ridgley, left together on September 19th, going by the way of Bloomington, Shakopee, Jordan, Belle Plaine, and Le Sueur. At the latter place Gantner rejoined on the 22nd. Passed through Traverse, and came to Fort Ridgley on the 25th. Detert was now relieved. Here the destinations of the companies ordered to guard the southwestern frontier of the state were announced. Of Company E the main body (or two-thirds) was to proceed to the station at Lake Hanska in Brown county (35 miles off) and the remainder to the post of Cottonwood (12 miles), to relieve the troops there in garrison. Accordingly on the 28th the movement took place, the smaller force reaching its assigned position the same day, the main body taking two days for its journey. While at Lake Hanska, Sergeant Bell left for St. Paul, where, on the 9th of November, he was commissioned second lieutenant of the company.

Company E, having been designated (in lieu of Company F) as part of the escort to the train fitting out to convey provisions to the Indian bands removed from Minnesota to Crow Creek Agency or Fort Thompson on the Missouri River, was ordered to rendezvous at New Ulm, which was done on the 29th of October by both the detachments. The smaller one had left Big Cottonwood on the 25th under orders to garrison Buffalo Creek station (25 miles northeast of the fort), but immediately on reaching that place received the counter order. By the promotion of Sergeant Bell to the second lieutenancy, Sergeant Huhn became first or orderly sergeant, according to company order of the 1st of November.

Left New Ulm on the 3rd of the month, and reached Mankato, 28 miles distant, the assembling point of the train and escort, the next day. Eberdt and Jakobi left on the 4th to report at Fort Ridgley, and Lieutenant Holl for St. Paul. Seidel and Sproesser left, on the 6th, for Fort Ridgley, Corporal Steifel was sent there sick, and Radke was sent to the hospital at Mankato on the same day.

The expedition, with Captain J. C. Whitney in command, started on the 7th. The escort consisted of Companies D, E, and H, of the Sixth Regiment. The 9th, 10th, and 11th were spent in camp, also the 14th at Leavenworth, where the nuts were taken off the wagons (said to have been done by the men of Company D who felt themselves aggrieved). Sergeant Siebert, sick, left for St. Peter on the 15th, and Bast on furlough; from which, falling sick, he did not return at the appointed time. Reached Des Moines River, near the outlet of Lake Shetek, on the 18th, and there remained in camp all the next day. Here Lieutenant Holl rejoined and commenced to act as first lieutenant, having been commissioned as such November 7th; the present strength of the company was now 59, and aggregate 79. G. Paulson accompanied the expedition, but is not reckoned in this number, as he was on detached service at the headquarters of the expedition. The route of the train was a few miles to the northward of the Red Pipe Stone Quarry, and the Big Sioux River was reached and crossed—53 miles from Lake Shetek—on the 23rd. Crossed the James River, 90 miles from the Big Sioux, on the 28th. Arrived at Fort Thompson, 75 miles further, on the 2nd of December, and remained there three days. This fort is a stockaded inclosure about 500 feet square, built to include and protect the Agency and barracks; it is 95 miles, by river road, above Fort Randall, two miles from the Missouri, and about a mile from Crow Creek. On the 5th left the fort for return. Remained in camp on the 14th, twelve miles below Yankton; Corporal Leitner was promoted fifth sergeant, and privates Juergens, Gaheen, and Hoscheid appointed to fill the vacant offices of sixth, seventh, and eighth corporal. The 17th was also spent in camp on account of a terrible snowstorm. Reached the neighborhood of Sioux City, Iowa, on the 18th, camping two and one-half miles northwest of it. On the 21st the troops again moved; traveling by the way of Melbourne, Cherokee, Peterson's, Spirit Lake, and Estherville, Iowa, they came to Fairmont, Minnesota, on the 30th. Remained in camp the next two days. Passed through Winnebago City and arrived at Mankato on the 3rd of January, 1864, when Company D left for the north.

This journey of about 750 miles—315 outward from, and 435 return to, Mankato—was accomplished in fifty-four days; and because of the rigor of the Northwestern winter, and much of it through a pathless country,—the command sleeping in tents on the snow-covered ground,—the men called it the "Moscow journey." The mercury at times stood 30° below zero, and never was above the freezing point.

Companies E and H returned by way of New Ulm to Fort Ridgley, 45 miles, on the 7th and 8th of January, having marched since leaving the former place in November about 825 miles. The only company of the Sixth Regiment at the fort at this time was A. Company E was assigned quarters in the stone barracks, on north side. The duties were not heavy and the time passed comfortably enough for soldiers. Musicians Seidel, Eberdt, Jakobi, and Sproesser now rejoined, but not for duty, being detailed in the band; also Sergeant Steifel and George Paulson. Sergeant Siebert rejoined on the 20th. Sergeant Huhn was detached as acting post hospital steward on the 27th, being afterwards discharged—on the 20th of February—to enlist in the same capacity in the regular army. Henry Steck, enlisted as private in the regiment on the 3rd of February and assigned to the company, joined for duty March 20th,—native country of recruit, Wurtemberg. Bast rejoined on the 10th, and Radke about the 15th. Captain Schoenemann left for St. Paul April 4th, and Lieutenant Holl assumed command of the company. On the 19th Sergeant Siebert was promoted to first sergeant and Corporal Stiefel to fifth sergeant, and privates Radke and Gabbert appointed seventh and eighth corporals, respectively; but the latter scarcely ever acted as such and was reduced to the ranks, at his own request, on the 13th of the following month. George Paulson was detailed in the regimental band on the 7th of May.

At the beginning of May a detail of about a dozen men of the company, under Sergeant Huth and Corporal Radke, were sent from Fort Ridgley to Milford—12 miles—to relieve the cavalry at that post. On the 15th Corporal Smith replaced Corporal Radke there. This detachment returned at the end of the month. While there the woods of the Big Cottonwood and in the neighborhood of Milford were thoroughly scouted, both by parties from Company E and from Company G (posted at Fort Wilkin and Madelia), but by the former traces only of the Indians were found.

The Sixth Regiment being ordered to rendezvous at Fort Snelling, to prepare for their departure to the South, in accordance with the order of the War Department of the 26th of May requiring it to report at Helena, Arkansas, Companies A, E, and H left Fort Ridgley on the 2nd of June. The only member of the company left behind there was F. Henricks, sick in hospital. Traveled by the way of Henderson, Belle Plaine, and Shakopee, and arrived at Fort Snelling on the 7th, and went into camp about a mile above the fort—Camp Crooks.

Between the 8th and 12th the following recruits joined the company for duty as privates, viz.: Edward Bryan, a native of Ireland, enlisted November 7th, 1863; Henry Wetterau, native of Wisconsin, enlisted February 4th, 1864; Peter Holtzmer, native of Luxemburg, enlisted February 5th; Joseph Rachel, enlisted February 11th; Michael Knopf, native of New York, enlisted February 24th; Charles Foglesang, native of Baden, and William Hildebrandt, native of Hanover, enlisted February 26th; Mathias Frank, native of Luxemburg, enlisted February 27th; Stephen Iwan, and Francz Troska, natives of Prussian Poland, enlisted February 29th; John Lieber, native of Nassau, enlisted June 10th,—and all were enlisted for three years. Of these Bryan had been enlisted for the company at St. Paul, but having been at once placed on detached service did not join his command till this time (the 8th); with him, from the same duty—herding mules at Glencoe—returned Rehse. Corporal Gaheen was detailed in the regimental color guard on the 12th; and on the 14th Captain Schoenemann resumed command, and Burch rejoined.

The sum of the distance traveled by the company from its organization to this time was over 2,700 miles.