Fishing and Gettysburg

I fished the Kadunce River yesterday. The Kadunce dumps into
Lake Superior at Colvill just up the North Shore from Grand
Marais where we vacation. There is a plaque there explaining
that Colvill is named for Colonel William Colvill of the 1st
Minnesota Regiment.

On July 2, 1863 the 1st Minnesota was ordered to charge into
two brigades of enemy advancing toward Cemetery Ridge. The
charge led by Col Colvill bought enough time for reinforcements
to arrive and Cemetery Ridge remained in Union control. Of the
262 men in the charge 215 were killed or wounded, "47 men were
still in line & no man missing." The 83% casualty rate is the
largest ever suffered by a surviving American military unit in
a single engagement.

The 47 remaining men were placed by happenstance on the Union
line the next day at the point of Picket's charge. During the
melee the 1st Minnesota captured the flag of the 28th Virginia
Infantry. The Virginian flag now resides at the Minnesota
Historical Society. A few years ago Virginia demanded that
Minnesota return its flag. Minnesota responded, in the nicest
way possible, **** You.

--
Ken Fortenberry