1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 615
On the rolls of the regiment were John Saxton. Conrad Schoffer,
and Albert Woolson, of St. Louis County.
Second Company, Sharpshooters was mustered until the Federal
service for three years, in March, 1862, under command of Capt.
Wm. F. Russell. It was part of a corps of picked men, known as
"Berdan's Sharpshooters," recruited for special service. Its record is
practically the record of the First Minnesota Infantry, for it was
assigned to duty with that regiment in June, 1862, and remained
attached until mustered out.
W. H. Smith, of St. Louis County, was of the Sharpshooters.
First Mounted Rangers was organized in March, 1863, by Col.
Samuel McPhail, of Houston. It took part in the Indian expedition of
that year, and was mustered out before the end of that year.
The St. Louis County men among the Mounted Rangers were
Geo. R. Page, Nelson Hooper, Geo. N. LaVaque and John H. LaVaque.
Brackett's Battalion Cavalry.—Major Alfred B. Brackett, of
St. Paul, organized the battalion of cavalry known by his name in
October and November, 1861. The three companies soon left for
Benton Barracks, Missouri, and in December, 1861, the battalion was
assigned to " 'Curtis' Horse," and in February. 1862, left for Fort
Henry, Tennessee. In the following April the regiment became the
"Fifth Iowa Cavalry," and as such took part in siege of Corinth,
April, 1862. Ordered to Fort Heiman, Tennessee, August, 1862;
veteranized February, 1864; ordered to Department of Northwest in
1864, Indian warfare, engagements July and August. Mustered out
by companies May and June, 1866.
Charles Cotter and Leonidas Merritt were of Brackett's Cavalry,
and another St. Louis County man, H. H. Hawkins, who is listed as of
Second Minnesota Cavalry, may have belonged to the second company
of Brackett's battalion.
Hatch's Battalion, Cavalry.— Hiatch's Battalion, otherwise known
as the Independent Battalion of Minnesota Cavalry, was organized in
July, 1863, by Major E. A. C. Hatch. It was formed for service
against the Indians, and although a Federal unit, it was permitted
to operate independently of General Pope, then in command of the
department, reporting direct to the War Department, W^ashington.
The battalion was order to Pembina, D. T., October, 1863, and to Fort
Abercrombie, D. T., May 1864, and there remained until mustered
out by companies April to June, 1866.
S. L. Bohanan seems to have been the only St. Louis County
man in Hatch's Battalion.
The Late Asa Dailey.—The foregoing review covers the records
of Minnesota regiments in which St. Louis County men served,
but as will be seen by the following list, men of the North Shore
were in very many other regiments, many of them of very distinguished
record. But obviously this review must confine itself to
Minnesota regiments. However, so that a complete roster might
be preserved in an authentic county history, the compiler of this
work approached Mr. Asa Dailey, of Duluth, in November, 1!)20,
knowing him to be the man best fitted for the preparation of such
a roster. Mr. Dailey, a worthy loyal comrade, readily entered upon
the work, having during the latter part of his life devoted himself
exclusively to Grand Army affairs. It is thought that he was loyally
engaged in such work of compilation when stricken in the spring
of this year. He never recovered, death coming on June 19, 1921.
Among his papers were later found the pencilled lists containing