Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/587

 CHAPTER XXVIII. MILITARY HISTORY. First War Meeting— Colonel Colvill First Man to Enlist— Muster- ing in of First Companies — First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth. Ninth and Tenth Volunteer Infantry — First, Second, Brackett's and Independent Cav- alry — Heavy Artillery — Light Artillery — Colonel Hubbard's Bravery — Colonel Colvill 's Charge — Spanish- American War — History of Local Company — Complete Roster of Soldiers and Officers from Goodhue County in the Philippines. Both in the Civil and the Spanish- American wars Goodhue county soldiers took an important place. Although the former is becoming a thing of the distant past, the part taken in it by the heroes from this county will never be forgotten, the famous charge of the 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg, under the brave Colonel William Colvill, being one of the fadeless inci- dents of United States history. The first war meeting in Goodhue county was held April 25, 1861, at the court house in Red Wing, and was organized by the election of the following officers : President, Hon. W. H. Welch ; vice-presidents, W. S. Grow and C. H. Baker; secretaries, M. Maginnis and L. F. Hubbard. On motion, a committee of five, consisting of Messrs. L. F. Hubbard, William Colvill, H. B. Wil- son, W. C. Williston and George Wilkinson, was appointed to report resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting upon the existing crisis. The audience was entertained until a late hour with stirring speeches by the president, Messrs. McClure, Sorin, Williston, Crary, Colvill, Hoyt, E. A. Welch and others. A call was made for volunteers, which was responded to by up- wards of fifty, who placed their names to a paper, "pledging their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor in upholding the stars and stripes against the rebellious assaults now made upon them." William Colvill, then known as William Colvill, Jr., was the first man to enlist in Red Wing and one of the first men to enlist in the state. The story is thus told by Charles N. Akers, 507